Ho hum

Rating: 4/10 (6 July 2002)

Acting this wooden deserves some laughter! Even Olivier fell into the trap, though he mostly avoided it. This stuff was just pap for an audience that the producers held in contempt. A picture this bad wouldn't get much serious coverage today ... though Brave Heart did, so ... There was some very interesting cinematography, in setting up the battle scenes with the Legions, but on the whole, this picture was a waste of time, I thought. It was an early example of Kubrick's work, which has left me quite unmoved, quite amazed that he was considered a significant director. To me, his stuff is over the top and simplistic and this film is representative.