This is one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen in the sense of evoking a specific age fused with a mindset. Only El Cid and Ivan the Terrible Pts 1 & 2 come this close. Ironically, for all the perfection of set design, the film was shot in black and white because, if I remember reading correctly, Zanuck got cold feet about costs. But even in this there is a positive result in that it is obvious the Welles-Toland shooting style heavily influenced the cinematography...something color would have stifled. Quite frankly, if you study the camera set ups closely enough you can almost believe that Orson was standing next to the camera man. Worth mentioning also is Alfred Newman's brilliant score which evokes the Renaissance perfectly. The plot is typical Fox hokum and the acting okay to uneven, but both the visual and sonic elements more than compensate to make this an outstanding work of art. Cinastes will understand, and I encourage them to view it.
Review of Prince of Foxes
