Incredible movie historical war and love drama

THE WAR LORD ranks among my favorite historical war or swords-and-sandals genre films. They sure don't make them like this anymore. Not just because I was a fan of the late Charlton Heston; I was a fan of THE WAR LORD long before I became a fan of CH.

If you think about it closely, there's a chick flick cleverly interwoven into what at outset appears to be a real man's hack-and-slay film. A rough-hewn Norman knight learns to tenderly love a woman for the first time in his life, discovering the great difference between love and lust. Sir Chrysagon loves Bronwyn deeply enough not to want to rape her but to desire they make love. This is a new experience in his life. Chrysagon knows what he is doing - taking the wife of another man - is wrong, but he is so deeply in love that he can't make any other choice.

Herein lies the ultimate irony. Had the ruthless, amoral Draco had his way with the peasants there would have been no uprising, because terror, fear, and execution would have kept them passive. Chrysagon is no 21st century liberal. He's rough-mannered and sometimes uncouth, but he's a hard man who strives to be just and fair. He avoids antagonizing the peasants even though by feudal law he had the power of life and death over them. Yet in the end the peasants are so offended at the violation of their cherished marriage customs that they rise up and side with the Frisian invaders.

Rosemary Forsythe as Bronwyn was an excellent choice. I don't care what the critics say. She was absolutely beautiful not in a glamour way but more ethereal. She's sexually attracted to and at the same time terrified of this big, strong, Norman knight. This is part of the chick flick theme that is resonated frequently in women's romance novels, especially the bodice-ripper romance novel subgenre. Until the end of time women will continue to be attracted physically and sexually to strong, seemingly dangerous men. This is a tough conundrum for young women to face. How does a nubile, young woman feeling her hormones balance out her lust and fear of the same man? Pop sex psychologists believe that the fear only makes the lust stronger. Then the strengthened sexual lust somehow reinforces or gives one more courage to do something they would not have had the guts to do in the first place. In the end, Bronwyn's sexual and physical desire for Chrysagon overcomes her own fear and she falls head-over-heels with Chrysagon, enough to leave the nice young man, Mark, she had been bethrothed to since childhood. I guess nice guys do finish last. It's a doomed love affair for this socially mismatched couple, but one every viewer feels nothing but sympathy for.

Believe it or not, I felt some sympathy for the treacherous younger brother, Draco, played by the late, skilled actor, Guy Stockwell. You'll find Guy Stockwell in a more sympathetic light in the 1966 remake of "Beau Geste". Draco is self-centered, vicious, short-tempered, and possessed of a streak of avarice. In other words, nothing short of being a prick. He loves and despises his elder brother Chrysagon at the same time. Draco is no weakling. He's a tough fighter in his own right. The 10th century A.D. was no place for weak, timid men. You just didn't last long. Draco is a complicated figure, almost close to the line of caricature, but the director skillfully prevents him from crossing it. I don't like Draco, but I understand what was tearing him up inside enough to betray his own brother. It wasn't just simply greed. In the harsh law of the 10th century, Draco believed his brother was making a mess of things and being too lenient on the peasants. He was disappointed and outraged. Draco then sensed his elder brother's leniency and personal desire for Bronwyn as weakness, the way a wolf or a hyena senses a weakened enemy and he made his move.

I loved the fight scenes. I understand the cinematographers had to take safety into account. GOOF: When the Frisians roll their fighting tower close enough the the castle turret, they begin to lower the makeshift walkway. If you look closely, you'll see the Norman bowmen's arrows bouncing off the bottom of the walkway. Uh, don't arrows have sharpened iron or steel points? Of course in the interest of safety in filming this movie, it was risky to put too many real arrows into the fight scenes. People were going to be perforated.

For decades, this tower stood in the backlot of Universal Studios and the tour tram dutifully trolled past it countless times a day. Shortly after the movie was completed, the moat was filled in for a following movie called, 'The Crusades'. Only a few years ago, Universal Studios tore down the tower to make way for other attractions.