Such a frustrating disappointment

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Blasco Ibáñez wrote this novel in 1916, and the most amazing thing about the story is the description he makes of the German character which tries to dominate the rest of the world based on their "superiority" over the rest of the races. According to the characters in Blasco Ibáñez story the Germans forced this war because they were sure about their superiority over the rest and they were sure it would be an "easy" win. By changing the setting in the film from World War I to World War II this is missing. The problem with this is that by knowing how the war ended and what happened twenty years later when one reads the book one comes to the conclusion that if the Germans had learnt the lesson the tragedy of World War II could have been avoided. The film misses the irony of that conclusion.

I have to stress that I watched this on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). the second time in several years. Not having seen the infamous Valentino starring silent movie, nor read the novel, my hope for a dark brooding epic remains somewhat dashed.The quality on TV was fairly soft, maybe not relevant with the DVD here but it didn't help my viewing, nor the over 3 hour running time, with ads.What does strike one is that it's a movie that's trying to get out from its limitations; Cinemascope at the cinema at the time, with its stereo soundtrack and Metrocolour (very washy on TCM), score by Andre Previn and the best part, the lush, majestic and often attractive globe- trotting location cinematography by Milton R. Krasner, it must have been a very different beast on release.I mention this TV version so much as the DVD is expensive and there aren't many alternative sellers and so for many people, it may well remain their only method of viewing.The odd and poorly cast set of stars is well known; Glenn Ford rarely shines or engages however and one feels that there is a great story somewhere - there's also an epic and expensive feel - director Vincente Minnelli has made some fabulous films - but one has to try just too hard to glean anything from it.To me, this means that it just floats by and one doesn't give it the attention it deserves. I'm not saying it should be re-made, re-cast etc but my recent re-watch was a disappointing one. It's impossible for me to say if the DVD quality (even if it is any better?) would raise the overall watchability to warrant a higher score. Somewhat disappointing.

In Argentina, the family man Julio Madariaga (Lee J. Cobb) is the patriarch of his family and considers his farm the paradise on Earth. One of his daughters, Luisa Desnoyers (Harriet MacGibbon), has married the Frenchman immigrant Marcelo Desnoyers (Charles Boyer) and they have one son, the playboy Julio (Glenn Ford), and one daughter, the gorgeous student of Sorbonne Chi Chi (Yvette Mimieux). His other daughter, Elena von Hartrott (Kathryn Givney), has married the German Karl von Hartrott (Paul Lukas), and they have three sons: Heinrich (Karl Boehm), Gustav and Franz.In 1938, Heinrich returns from Germany for a family reunion and when he tells that he has joined the SS, the displeased Julio Madariaga has a heart attack and dies. When France is occupied by the Germans, the family reunites in Paris and Franz is the Nazi administrator in France. The alienated Julio has a studio where he paints, and has a love affair with Marguerite Laurier (Ingrid Thulin), the wife of the owner of a newspaper Etienne Laurier (Paul Henreid) that is fighting in Belgium. Meanwhile Chi Chi joins the French resistance and is arrested. Julio uses the influence of his uncle Franz to release her. However, Chi Chi has an argument with Julio for his neutral position. When Chi Chi is tortured to death by Gestapo, Julio joins the resistance, using his relationship with the Germans to get inside information. "The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse" is an epic romance with the awakening of a playboy in times of war. The cinematography, art direction and costumes are amazing, but unfortunately the screenplay is shallow and the film is miscast in the lead role. Glenn Ford is never convincing as a French-Argentinean, and too old (46 years old) to be a playboy and son of Charles Boyer (63 years old). Further, it is ridiculous the actors and actresses speaking in English forcing accents in French, German and Spanish. I have never had the chance to see the 1921 original film to compare with this remake by Vincente Minnelli. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Os Quatro Cavaleiros do Apocalipse" ("The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse")

This film has many fine qualities, some oddball aspects, and some things of interest because of how they relate to other work by the creative artists. For example, Minnelli returns to Paris location shooting as he did in 'American in Paris' and 'Gigi', but this time to re-create wartime Paris and what it was like to be part of the Resistance, as well as what life was like among the privileged Parisian collaborators who lived the good life under Nazi rule. In spite of MGM glamour and production values that must have cost a fortune, Minnelli and his screenwriters often succeed in portraying the anguish of that time, the moral crisis of privileged neutrals, and the courage of those who resisted. Credit must go to a splendid cast of Hollywood veterans and some talented newcomers. Paul Henreid shows up playing, what else?, a resistance hero. Ingrid Thulin's Swedish accent must have been too much for MGM's money men - they had her dialogue dubbed by Angela Lansbury, and pretty effectively too. One of the greatest pleasures of the film is Andre Previn's score. If you like your movie music big, complex, intrusive, and romantic, you'll agree that this score is one of the great overlooked gems of Hollywood soundtracks.What's bad about the movie? Glenn Ford for starters, not too believable as an Argentinian playboy. But that may just be a matter of taste.