Quo Vadis kicked off a career for Robert Taylor as swashbuckler, and he had two big hits of that genre in England, Ivanhoe and Knights of the Round Table. This was a flop though - indicating that the cycle was winding down. Though to be fair... everyone had heard of the novels on which the other films were based but how well known is Scott's Quentin Durward? Maybe it was at one stage - I'm not sure - but definitely the period within this is set is not as familiar to those in English speaking countries: to wit, the reign of Louis XI and his troubles with Charles the Duke of Burgundy.
I got confused a lot of the time watching this - I wasn't sure who (apart from Taylor) was meant to be the goodies and the baddies and what they were fighting for. It felt as though the film didn't get started until 40 minutes in when Taylor sets off escorting Kay Kendall, who he falls in love with. I struggled to tell the supporting characters apart and didn't know what it was all about.
It's fun to see Kendall get the glamour treatment but she's wasted really - it's a poor role. Taylor's American-ness really grated in this one, in a part that (as you could say for all of Taylor's swashbuckler roles) required Stewart Granger. He tries and seems a decent old stick - but it is frustrating to see someone so miscast. Especially so as he even has something of a character to play - Quentin Durward is a man who tries to do the Right Thing and live by an Honourable Code. There's possible complexities here which Taylor isn't capable of.
The costumes are bright and the production values are high. There are also a number of excellent action sequences - which surprised me since I kind of assume director Richard Thorpe is just a stock technician. But there's some great stuff: Taylor scaling a castle in the beginning, the final duel on chains with fire blazing.
Really top notch support cast, particularly Robert Morley as Louis XI and Duncan Lamont as a scary villain. George Cole's comic relief sidekick did get on my nerves.
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