Tags : Cinelogue

At this point I’m convinced there’s nothing that can be done to save the play, which is probably one of Bill’s weakest even without the misogynistic problem. Zeffirelli, Burton, and Taylor have done all they can, and it’s certainly an admirable attempt, but it only further convinces me that this one Bard play that can’t be made into a masterpiece.

The action scenes are grisly, unromanticized and terse, brutal slashes of explosions and shrapnel that have no glorifying outcome, only death. Even the early raid on the Nazi headquarters, the only out-and-out action setpiece of the movie, is too blistering (yet still classically shot) to be all that rousing, and the shot of a soldier busting a portrait of Hitler seems more a show of childish impudence than a victorious gesture. Throughout the film, the action filmmaking quotes, directly and indirectly, the same training exercises seen at the beginning of the film, making war into a sick game. Ray frames numerous shots to maintain suspense while robbing the film of its potentially inspirational power, his framing always emphasizing the isolation of the commandos instead of overpowering dedication and conviction.