There is a reasonably interesting, albeit implausible, concept behind Day of Wrath (which I cannot reveal without spoiling the plot). Unfortunately the film fails to deliver much beyond this. 16th century Spain is potentially a very rich background for a film (and is vital component of this film's plot), but the producers of Day of Wrath have made virtually no attempt to localise the film. Just about the only thing discernibly Spanish about the film, apart from the actress Blanca Marsillach, was a leg of ham which appeared briefly in a single scene. Some viewers might be able to suspend their disbelief, but it was impossible for me to ignore the fact that this film was obviously made on a low budget in Hungary. It didn't help that the film's producers were lumbered with a leading man who can't act and a director/script-writer who lacked imagination. Oh wait, one of the producers was the leading man! That explains it. This was a vanity project for Christopher Lambert. Some of the cast put in convincing performances (Brian Blessed, Phylidda Law) and others did their best with very one-dimensional characters (Blanca Marsillach, James Faulkner, Szonja Oroszlan). But Christoper Lambert just failed to engage the audience with any sympathy for his character, and his voice - possibly an attempt at a Spanish accent - was just atrocious. To be fair, the director did manage to input a certain degree of atmosphere and suspense into some of the scenes (despite the presence of Lambert). But towards the end of the film the gratuitous use of blood and gore was completely over-the-top. Neither did the naked breasts do anything to advance the plot. I sense that the director needed to make use of an underemployed special effects expert, and felt that as two of his actresses had shapely mammaries he might as well display them. The only real credit goes to the Hungarian actors for doing their best in a foreign language - especially Lukács Bicskey who played the Hungarian mercenary. Why he had to play a Hungarian beggars belief when his English was delivered perfectly (a pity he couldn't have taught Lambert a thing or two about delivering in English).
Review of Day of Wrath
