david-564 Reviews

Captain from Castile (1947)

Brilliant recreation of the Spanish conquest of Mexico

[22 July 2000]

Tyrone Power in the type of role he made his own,supported by an excellent Cesar Romero as Cortez. The music by Alfred Newman and the direction together with the competent performance by the entire cast makes this film a most satisfying experience.I doubt whether there are any actors today who can emulate the style and screen presence of Power. The film script is likewise crisp and to the point.The movie is a rarity in that it does not fail the novel from which it was adapted.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

One of the All time great movies -perhaps in a top20 category

[9/10 · 10 July 2000]

The Characterisations are so moving,so genuine,that it is almost impossible to believe this is a ficticious story. The music score by Morricone deserves to be among his best... I would venture to suggest it is his best. if the criterion for a great film is to move an audience to the deepest emotion... to really care for "what happens next" then this film is a masterpiece of the genre. To even write about it,to visualise it in one's memory is an invitation to "goose bumps"!

The Wonderful Country (1959)

Loner "against all odds" - None better than Mitchum

[8/10 · 10 July 2000]

I admit to a bias here as the great Robert Mitchum was and is my idol,but this film is another illustration of how a great actor can not only ennoble a role,but single-handed can lift a good-average story into a very credit worthy film. The plot is a good one and the other actors played their part well. This is one of my favourite movies of Mitchum and ofcourse the Mex-american accent was no problem for him. I can quote several lines of dialogue verbatim and not only have the video but the excellent film music score as well. I hope this film will rise in the estimation of Bob Mitchum fans,also film buffs who admire a great actor at his craft (Supreme in an understated way)

The Black Swan (1942)

The most Stylistic in the swashbuckler genre

[8/10 · 10 July 2000]

Tyrone Power was undoubtedly the most stylish and certainly the most handsome and articulate of the great Hollywood swashbuckers from the 30s to the late 50s. In this movie he coyld not have been bettered (Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. included), The starry cast,music,costumes and settings brought vividly to life the Spanish Main,Maracaibo and other Pirate ports of call.With a great family theatrical tradition behind him,Power's presence enriched every movie he made (what a twist of fate that he died exactly as his father Tyrone Power Sr.did,filming a duel scene -"Hamlet" and "Solomon and Sheba). I believe that Power's acting ability even today is not fully recognised,simply because the Studio System restricted his choice of film.Let anyone hear Power recite the poems of Byron (available on disc) and realise his premature death was a tragedy."THE BLACK SWAN" could be said to represent a golden period in the history of Hollywood swashbucklers.