Quentin Durward

One of the best sword and pageantry epics of the 1950s is MGM's "Ivanhoe". It's exciting, well acted and simply fun. However, despite "Quentin Durward" also starring Robert Taylor in yet another Sir Walter Scott novel, the experience is not nearly as satisfying. In fact, while the film isn't bad, it is a bit long and tedious at times.

When the story begins in the late 15th century, Quentin's elderly uncle is planning on marrying. While he is far from a great catch when you see him, he is a minor nobleman whose title would make a decent match back in the day. But before this old goat marries, he wants Quentin to leave their beloved Scotland and go to see the woman in France. He wants to be assured she's beautiful AND rich! Unfortunately, she's both....and Durward himself is smitten with her. There's a lot more to the film, involving Quentin going into the service of the very duplicitous King Louis...but essentially all this is subserviant to the romance.

The film looks good and was filmed on location. The castles are real and the costumes very nice. But the story itself and dialog...sluggish and hard to love. I found myself feeling tired throughout the film...and that normally means the film is a bit of a bore.

By the way, the portrayal of the Gypsies/Romani in this film is far from being politically correct. Deal with it or just skip the film.

A peripheral pleasure was the sight of those great English character actors, the backbone of so many heroic films. Alec Clunes for example, whose son, Martin, is such a favourite today. Wilfred Hyde White, usually an elegant toff, was here a barber with a delightful wig shaving Robert Morley. He of course was in danger of stealing the show, a villain with a winning smile and wonderful accent. I relished the sight of a Kay Kendall in what appeared to be a white nightdress; but even more more striking was the speed with which she added a robe, whilst running round the castle with Taylor. We so easily take the music for granted; here it was expertly matched to the action, wonderfully orchestrated and brilliantly played and conducted - but by whom? The composer Bronislaw Kaper? Was it recorded in London or Hollywood? The professional skill that these musicians displayed deserves far more attention. Too often today the score is synthesised, or inanely repetitious regardless of the scene and the action.

This is a film to be watched with a wide and affectionate grin. Outstanding are Robert Morley as Louis XI, the infamous and wily 'Spider' of France, and Robert Taylor as the eponymous Durward, a would-be chivalrous hero born out of his time who is none too sure of himself. The necessary, and highly satisfactory, heroics are spiced with a rich leavening of humour and some genuine moral questions - how much should a man sacrifice for his country's sake? His love? His life? His honour?

But above all it is a joyous and thrilling romp that doesn't take itself too seriously. Durward wants to be a knight in shining armour, but circumstances tend to conspire against him, and his lady is definitely the stronger-willed of the two; though like the audience, she cannot resist his puppydog charm. And ambiguous, cynical, cowardly Louis is often in danger of stealing the show outright, as he sits at the centre of his web and pulls the strings that manipulate all the other characters - a far-from-two-dimensional villain after my own heart!

Definitely a superior swashbuckler, with a saving vein of humour.

Anyone looking for insightful commentary on the human condition in a movie should avoid "Quentin Durward." Robert Taylor plays Durward, a poor knight out of place in his time, as he acknowledges to his uncle at the movie's start. Once the story preliminaries are over, Taylor goes on his mission to France, where everyone is against him, including Count de la Mark, the Beast of the Ardennes.

"Quentin Durward" has great castle background shots, great photography and pretty good action. Robert Morley's well fed appearance softens his role, a king who cheerfully sells everyone out, causing death and terror. In "Quentin Durward", life is cheap and death often comes in a grim manner. Without giving away the plot, there are a lot of peripheral characters who get messed up along the way. There are no big scale castle sieges like Ivanhoe, just the aftermath after de la Mark takes over the castle of the Bishop of Liege. The costumed characters in "Quentin Durward" have real problems, such as Kay Kendall's character, who is being forced into a marriage she doesn't want. Money, land and power are the driving forces of the bad guys (which would include de la Mark, Morley's Louis XI and even Durward's uncle).

In 1955, if MGM made a movie about crooked real estate speculators trying to rob a young woman of her inheritance, no one would pay to see the movie. Instead, MGM brings out the costumes, the great production values and a script tailored for Robert Taylor, including some snippy remarks, set in 15th century France.

Moviegoers in 1955 waiting for Robert Taylor to appear in his next MGM costume action movie were like the character in "Waiting for Godot." "Quentin Durward" was the end of a line of historical movies that MGM started 30 years earlier, with "Ben-Hur."

The Adventures of Quentin Durward is directed by Richard Thorpe and adapted to screenplay by Robert Ardrey and George Froeschel from the Walter Scott novel. It stars Robert Taylor, Kay Kendall, Robert Morley, George Cole and Alec Clunes.Music is by Bronislau Kaper and Eastman cinematography by Christopher Challis.

"Our story begins in Scotland in 1465~~when knighthood was a drooping blossom~~but the Scot, as usual, was poor in naught but cash."

So it begins, the tale of Quentin Durward (Taylor), who travels to France to find out if the Countess of Marcroy (Kendall) will make for a suitable bride for his aging uncle. Once there, though, Durward gets wrapped up in the political shenanigans of King Louis XI (Morley) and the Duke of Burgundy (Clunes). More pressing, mind, is that the Countess and Durward are attracted to each other.

The third part of an unofficial swashbuckling trilogy made by Richard Thorpe and Robert Taylor, Quentin Durward comes out after Ivanhoe (1952) & Knights of the Round Table (1953). Out of MGM's British studio at Elstree, film is delightful in period flavours and potent as a costume romance, but sadly lacking in vigorous wonders. The weakest of the three Thorpe/Taylor swashers, picture often has tongue planted firmly in cheek as it unfolds its story amongst some marvellous French and English locales. Cast are good value, especially the likes of Morley & Clunes, but Taylor at 44 is a bit long in the tooth to be entirely convincing in the derring-do department.

Good honest fun in the main, if a little too plodding in patches, but a climatic bell tower duel played out on swinging ropes is alone worth viewing the film for. 6/10