Neither A Disaster Nor A Classic

I watched this today with as open a mind as I could have. I knew in advance the story behind its making, its failure upon release and its subsequent re-assessment as a lost classic. To be honest, I am right down the middle on this one. It is a deeply flawed film in many ways (its 3 hour 37 minute length is at least an hour too long, the story is muddled, and the characters are written in an inconsistent manner from scene to scene), but the initial critics also missed its virtues (beautiful to look at, good performances, an authentic feel of time and place, and it actually attempts to be about big themes). I am glad to have seen it, but I was neither shocked at its awfulness nor inspired by its greatness. I would feel comfortable recommending it to adventurous film-lovers but try to temper your expectations (it may also help to watch it in two parts).