The Flame and the Arrow

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My thanks to a couple of prior reviewers for this film in mentioning that Burt Lancaster had an athletic circus career prior to Hollywood. I didn't know that, but it confirms what I thought I saw in the picture, that Lancaster must have been doing a fair share of his own stunts. There were a couple of flips and rolls I wouldn't have expected but it sure looked like he wasn't using a stunt double, so one has to appreciate the gymnastic ability involved. Annika said that she has met his kind (a womenizer) before and knew how to deter them. Yet she fell for Talvi who is the type she doesn't go for! Burt Lancaster was a much more versatile actor than Errol Flynn; I could not, for example, imagine Flynn in "The Birdman of Alcatraz" or "Lawman" or "The Train". (Or if he had made a version of "The Train", it would have had had Labiche leaping from carriage to carriage across the roof of the train, fighting hand-to-hand duels against the Nazis in a desperate attempt to rescue the priceless artworks). Within his relatively narrow range, however, Flynn ruled supreme, and for all his athleticism Lancaster never quite brings to his role the panache and charisma that Flynn brought to his in "Robin Hood" and similar films. The last film has Michaelangelo in center stage with the Pope, courtesy of Charleton Heston and Rex Harrison, but it also had an actor playing Raphael briefly. Leonardo has yet to get on film (for some unknown reason he is not seen fit for characterization in a film biography). St. Francis of Assisi has managed to get into one film: BROTHER SON, SISTER MOON, wherein the imperious Pope Innocence III (Alec Guiness) admits that meeting St. Francis only brings him a sense of shame for his other-worldliness. Considering that Innocence III was the most powerful Pope of all time (he humiliated the Holy Roman Emperor once) that is a statement slightly hard to believe. Yet it is one of the few scenes dealing with Renaissance Italy on screen, and the only notable appearance of that Pope. Piccolo comes up with a plan for getting into the castle by the men posing as some of the acrobats providing entertainment. The ruse works. When they are ready, they remove their disguises and a battle ensues. During the melee, Anne warns Dardo that Ulrich has gone for his son. When Dardo catches up to Ulrich, he is in the company of the marchese. The count leaves Dardo and the marchese to fight. Though Dardo tries to persuade the marchese to stand aside, the marchese refuses, trusting in his swordsmanship. But, Dardo manages to plunge the room into darkness, where his hunter's instinct gives him the fatal edge.

The Flame and the Arrow" is a colorful adventure film with a great closing shot: Lancaster swinging in a series of circular movements on metalwork high above the courtyard of an old castle... While visiting a small town, Sofia, Annika noticed a man and three women in their twenties. Intrigued by the way they were dressed, Annika followed them into the bookstore. She only found out that they were from Derbedrossivic, before she escaped when one of the women mistakened her for another person.Cannaday did do a good job with the alternate world, the family, the other worldly creatures, etc, in book 1 -- but all that goes away when Annika goes home in book 2. The screaming queen, the fairy jokes, the unquestioning acceptance of her friends -- without any real discussion -- these aggravated me even as I mourned the gold Cannaday left on the ground. Talvi acts immature sometimes and he is meant to be many years old. He acted like a horny teenager not a century old elf! I especially love the elfin language about the two flowers and the bees. There is a deeper meaning about love in the elfin language. The action is colourful if occasionally underpowered, the sets are fine, especially the castle interiors. Lancaster claimed to do all his own stunts but that seems very unlikely given the evidence and editing seen here, nevertheless it's his drive and energy which keeps the action moving. Mayo is fetching in her elaborate robes although her character seems too feisty to suddenly capitulate to Dardo's less than magnetic charms. Robert Douglas as the dashing but double-dealing Marquese and Frank Allenby as the tyrannical count are both very good in support. I think his later "acrobatic" films were better, especially "The Crimson Pirate", which had a far better, more amusing script, and "His Majesty O'Keefe," which provoked some serious sub rosa thought, in people given to serious thought. He kept fit for the rest of his life, even doing some clearly dangerous stunt work as late as "The Professionals" in 1968. Like some other tall, sinewy actors -- Clint Eastwood, for instance -- Lancaster seemed to have such delicate hands and fingers. What one character says of Leopold Bloom in Joyce's "Ulysses" could as easily be said about Lancaster -- "He'd have a soft hand under a hen." If this film gave a boost to his career, and it probably did, he certainly hit the ground running.

One of the more enjoyable swinging-from-the-chandelier-with-a- -sword adventures made a la Erroll Flynn. A lively pace, loads of action, a witty-if-fluffy script, an enchanting score, good performances, and above all an incredible number of acrobatic stunts make this utterly enjoyable. Lancaster had been a circus acrobat before he got into films, and managed to work every stunt he could do into the script. He even balances and poses on the top of a 20-foot pole, for real. I'm still amazed that a guy that big could be so good. Taking place in medieval Lombardy, the province is part of the Holy Roman Empire and they have a particularly evil Hessian provincial governor in Frank Allenby, known as "the Hawk" for his partiality to falconry and for his rapacious designs. Five years before, Allenby just took for himself the bored wife of Burt Lancaster played by Lynne Baggett leaving him to raise their son Gordon Gebert.Good thing this was a long book because there's a whole different parallel world to be described. This isn't one of those wordy "have-to-mention-every-object" scripts but one full of movement, characters and new situations. I get some feel of a YA read but there is graphic sex at the adult level... Not too much though (darn). No heavy violence or language (unless you consider "shit" a no-no. I would not recommend this book because I found it to be very slow. Nothing exciting happened in my opinion until we got closer to the end. I think it was worth listening to the narrator who I thought was very good! I just found the story to be very long and slow (not a lot of action since it is a fantasy). I believe some parts can be cut out of the book to shorten it. I think it didn't help that I didn't believe in Annika and Talvi's relationship. The Flame and the Arrow is a sweet romance between Annika and Talvi. Both are from different worlds. One from the human world and the other from the fae world. I am not familiar with the musical score from the film but it must have been pretty exceptional to be released as a record at that time

Narration was wonderful. A slightly British accent, with a not too deep voice. But when he went into different male characters, he pulled off thedeep and gravely just fine. Acceptable female renditions but I will always say that the male/female narration duo is the best. The courtship of Annika and Talvi is so sweet. There are so many clues on how Talvi felt about Annika but Annika kept flying into the wrong conclusions about Talvi. Talvi only revealed what Annika needs to know when she is ready to listen. In Annika's defense, she is scared of what would happen when she returned to her own world. Talvi can't follow her there since he doesn't have a job there and has never been to the States. She is scared that she and Talvi might not have a future in the human world. THE FLAME AND THE ARROW is one (1) of those films that every ten (10) years we see and are pleasantly surprised how well it holds up. It is also amazing how it appears and disappears. In the 60's it was on quite frequently, the 70's not so. American Movie Classics (AMC) showed it often in the 80's and it came out on VHS. Now it is been buried again so a new generation of viewers are going to have to wait till it comes out on DVD. I have just watched my 80's VHS recently so this is based upon it. On the other hand, the hero is a douch-bag of epic proportions. He's petulant, spoiled, arrogant, cruel, and loves to brag about all the women he's had. He also enjoys belittling and torturing the woman he claims to love, and constantly lies to her -- when he isn't stomping out in a huff over some slight to his fragile ego. He is the most unlikable hero I've ever read. It is though Burt Lancaster that is the central focus of the film. His first 'independent' production he knew if he did not carry it well it would have failed. Every time he is on the screen he is the focus of attention and fortunately he is on very often. Whether exchanging insults, engaging in acrobatics or romance he is hitting the target every time. He is ably supported by Virginia Mayo as his leading lady. A underrated actress with a attractive and strong physical presence. Lets be frank, does anyone believe that DARDO would fall for some skinny twit like Audrey Hepburn (or today Angelina Jolie) no way. We did not believe that when Sean Connery did in ROBIN AND MARIAN!Don't do it, Annika," he taunted. His eyes were no longer bright and charming, but dark and intense, yet they still twinkled. He was tempting, but was he harmful? Instead of showing what this kind of crazy thrill ride could be, we just get more scenes of the brats fighting and calling each other names, while they conducted their relationship with all the maturity of a couple of middle schoolers. Beautifully photographed in colour by the great Ernest Haller the movie has all the hallmarks of Warner's high production values. Adding greatly to the picture's proceedings is the wonderful Italianate score by Max Steiner! His ebullient music, like the picture, is a total delight especially his infectious and hum inducing main theme for Dardo scored for mandolins and orchestra and the gorgeous love theme for the scenes with Dardo & the lady Anne. There's a splendid driving battle theme too! Steiner's music was nominated for an Acadamy Award but lost out to Franz Waxman's darker "Sunset Boulevard". Burt also gets the opportunity to romance Allenby's niece Virginia Mayo who is being offered to a recently impoverished count Robert Douglas in the hopes of peace and unity. Douglas however is working an agenda all his own in The Flame And The Arrow. Mayo is curiously enough the mirror image of Baggett. She's bored with court life and finds certain attractions among the peasants especially the lusty and charismatic Lancaster. I loved all the characters he did. They all felt real to me and unique. I would defiantly listen to this narrator who I found to be really good.