Movie Review: The Adventurers (1970)

Genre: Epic Drama  
Director: Lewis Gilbert  

Starring: Bekim Fehmiu, Ernest Borgnine, Candice Bergen, Fernando Rey, Alan Badel, Olivia de Havilland, Rossano Brazzi, Leigh Taylor-Young, Charles Aznavour  
Running Time: 177 minutes  

Synopsis: It's 1945 in (fictional) Corteguay, South America. With a violent revolution underway, ten-year-old Dax witnesses rape and slaughter. His nobleman father Jaime Xenos (Fernando Rey) is loyal to revolutionary leader Rojo (Alan Badel), who seizes power but quickly turns to corruption. Jaime is appointed ambassador to Italy, where Dax (Bekim Fehmiu) grows up as a driven young man. With Corteguay again in the grips of revolution, Jaime and Dax return to the country but are manipulated and victimized. Dax retreats to Europe with nothing and starts life over again as a gigolo, intent on achieving wealth to settle scores.

What Works Well: Packed full of incident, characters, and action, this epic and engrossing adaptation of the Harold Robbins novel (inspired by the life of Dominican diplomat and playboy Porfirio Rubirosa) leaves almost nothing out from the book. The scope and scale resemble a David Lean project, but without the polish. Director Lewis Gilbert excels in grand scenes of combat and ceremonial set-pieces featuring armies of extras, and does not flinch from the intense violence and sexual exploits that underpin Dax's emotional detachment. The powerful context nails the futility of caring about a troubled country in a constant state of upheaval, idealism devoured by corruption while the populace endures persistent misery.

What Does Not Work As Well: The editing can be messy, and while the script contains the occasional sparkle, the acting lacks subtlety and most of the the dialogue is obvious. At almost three hours in length, the middle act does drag.

Key Quote: 

President Rojo: A man must use what weapons he has to defend his country, Dax.

Dax: Treachery?

President Rojo: Treachery is a weapon.

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Movie Review: Legend Of The Lost (1957)

A creaky adventure set in the desert, Legend Of The Lost borrows heavily from better movies and aimlessly scatters good ideas into the sand dunes.

Rich European Paul Bonnard (Rosanno Brazzi) arrives in Timbuktu, quickly demonstrates sympathy for scrappy street thief Dita (Sophia Loren) and connects with experienced guide Joe January (John Wayne). The trio set out on a multi-week trek, and Bonnard gradually reveals his motives: he is following clues from his father's writings to search the unforgiving desert for a lost city with buried treasure.

Joe is disgusted that Dita has fallen for Bonnard's smarmy charms, and despite the surrounding dangers of oppressive heat, limited water, uncharted terrain and dangerous tribes, the two men never get along and fight often. Finally they arrive at their destination, but nerves are frayed and nasty secrets await.

Taking elements from 1948's The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre and 1950's King Solomon's Mines, Legend Of The Lost throws three people together and sends them off on an ill-defined quest. The script, co-written by Ben Hecht, is a cheap excuse to delve into lust and greed themes at the most superficial level while combing American and Italian acting talent in search of an international hit. None of it works. The emotions are always close to boiling, the jealousies are juvenile and whatever is supposed to pass as passion never ignites. The two men continuously circle each other and break into tiresome fisticuffs at almost every rest stop.

Neither the characters nor the events come close to passing a basic rationality test. Bonnard and Dita fall for each other based on one night of psychobabble. Joe is suddenly jealous although theoretically he had every opportunity to win Dita's heart before Bonnard ever set foot in Timbuktu. The film never explains how Bonnard contrived to received his father's letters, but worse is to come when the trio arrive at the ruins of an ancient lost Roman city. Three skeletons are quickly interpreted as a love triangle gone wrong, and Bonnard slips off the edge of reason, triggering an astonishing round of assault, mistrust and violence.

Filming in Libya, director Henry Hathaway and cinematographer Jack Cardiff do capture a few impressive vistas and exotic flavours in "Technirama" widescreen. And despite the almost laughable story, the presence of John Wayne, Sophia Loren and Rosanno Brazzi ensure that the film is at least passably watchable. Wayne emerges with some dignity intact, while Loren and Brazzi suffer more in roles requiring whiplash-inducing emotional u-turns.

Despite some nuggets of interest, Legend Of The Lost is a lot more lost than legend.

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