mark-rojinsky

This was Charlton Heston's third involvement in the sci-fi genre during the late-'60s/early-'70s after The Planet of the Apes (1968) and The Omega Man (1971). Chuck's imperious, patrician style is once again to the fore with his lofty height and hawk-like profile. The film presciently refers to the ''green-house effect'' and the division between the urban super-rich and poor. Some of the props and urban settings are very interesting: super-bright lights, synthetic panels etc and the plot implies sinister Malthusian undertones. Edward G. Robinson's end-of-life death scene in the clinical Malthusian hospital is very bleak, although some of the cinematic panoramic views of nature, spectacular skies and seascapes accompanied with light classical music he witnesses on a screen in the surgery - his last treat before the Grim Reaper - are impressive. The aged whiskery Robinson looks like a chipmunk. The factory scenes relating to the production of the green Soylent wafers are evocative and timeless.

The review in The Time Out Film Guide, refers to this adventure film's ''..staggering designs..'' and describes it as- ''..one of the great movie adventures..'' The renowned set-piece featuring the battle with the kraken-like giant squid is sensational when in the midst of strange dark stormy seas Ned Land (Kirk Douglas) launches a harpoon at the monster right between-the-eyes in one classic Alexander the Great-David & Goliath motion as though the harpoon was a divine spear. Swarthy, bearded Cambridge University educated and Huddersfield-born actor, James Mason is very good as the mysterious anti-colonialist Captain Nemo. Comedic relief is offered by chubby diminutive Peter Lorre, while dapper mustachioed Hungarian actor, Paul Lukas (born in 1894) adds an academic touch. Douglas ("Ulisse" (1954) and "The Master Touch" (1972)) gives one of his flair performances - he sports curly lemon-blond hair, fiery green-blue eyes and a red-and-white t-shirt: i.e. A fair-haired free spirit. He hints at superhuman physical feats whether running at an incredible speed from angry natives on a desert island or relating to the aforementioned set-piece with the giant squid. This is a film that shows great adventurism and startling sense of ambition. The ''Nautilus'' submarine has a Gothic but lush Victorian interior.

Although the review in London's Time Out Film Guide describes this ambitious epic biopic as- '..all a bit Ken Russell-ish'' at least it stands out with its sweeping sense of 'higher things'' and transcendent significance. Richard Burton's performance is impressive although facially he doesn't look like the towering lantern-jawed German genius. It shows his Welsh eloquence and undertones of ''hywl'' (Welsh for ''spirituality/passion.'') Filmed in several glamorous European locations. I wonder how many films nowadays would aim for such ambition and a ''freeing-of-the-reins.'' The editing sometimes seems a bit abrupt although the script is extremely cine-literate.