Die Normannen kommen

At the age of 13, I was an avid reader of romantic knight literature and if at that time, when Walter Scott's character Ivanhoe was my role model, I had also seen Schaffner's The War Lord, I would definitely have liked this drama from the early Middle Ages. Unfortunately, a few decades have passed since then, and romanticism in literature or on the silver screen no longer means much to me. The War Lord is a film of its time, and it fits into a series of high-budget historical stories inspired by Hollywood works that relied on famous names and breathtaking sets. It is precisely the set that is the reason why I ultimately give it three stars because the half-hour siege of the fortress is impressive even today. Even more so knowing that digital special effects did not contribute to the final impression. Everything else is stale - the love story is melodramatic, the pace is dragging, and the conflict between the two brothers is too pathetic and contrived. Fans of historical fantasy will be somewhat bored by The War Lord. Expressive means simply looked different back then. In the same year, Charlton Heston played the titular role in the film The Agony and the Ecstasy, which is a film from the golden age of cinema, it is timeless, and I can only recommend it to film fans. The War Lord is watchable, but more so as a way of mapping individual film eras and styles. Overall impression: 55%. (06.10.2022)