Movie review - "The War Lord" (1965) ***1/2

Charlton Heston later became mocked for his 11th hour career as a ranting gun-toting right-winger (not inconsistent with his earlier attitudes as displayed in his journals but I get the impression he hyped it up because it gave him a good role and something to do in his sunset years), but he used his stardom in the 50s and 60s as few other actors did, constantly developing interesting projects, taking risks on untried directors, experimenting with roles: he got Orson Welles a gig in Touch of Evil, took a risk on Planet of the Apes, went to the mat for Sam Peckinpah on Major Dundee, found Tom Gries for Will Penny, made two Shakespearean movies, and developed this.

Although he plays a knight and gallops around on horseback this isn't a traditional medieval Chuck Heston role - it's in a grimy, non-glamourised middle ages (France), where power is held by tyrants and life is violent (the Fresians are always about to invade), people are under the sway of religion (the old ones like druidism are dying hard), women are oppressed.

Heston meets cute local girl Rosemary Forsyth swimming nude and although she's engaged to another man he decides to exercise the droit de segnuir - I can't remember too many Hollywood films were the protagonist basically forces upon himself a girl. Of course she develops affection for him, so that makes it all okay.

Forsyth is really pretty and I'm surprised she didn't become a bigger name. (Even if the role isn't much - she's just this passive vessel), There is excellent support from Richard Boone as Heston's man friday and Guy Stockwell as his brother, plus a dwarf who betrays him.

Heston does well enough within his limitations. I want to like Heston in stuff more than I do because it's clear from his journals that he's got a brain, works hard and wants to be a good actor, but the fact is he always comes across really stiff and awkward.

The last half hour or so is almost entirely action which is good - the build up to then is mostly talk. It's shot in that ugly studio set Universal style of the time and doesn't look too authentic but at least feels like a story that actually could have taken place in the middle ages. Part of my just wishes the Poms had made it, that's all.