This is historically beautiful? This is melodrama at its miserable-best.
Tyrone Power stars in this awful picture about a man sent out to do the work for the evil Cesare Borgia, only to find love and turn on him. The script is quite weak here and some of the acting, particularly by Wanda Hendrix, as his true love, is churlish and almost laughable. Hendrix was horribly cast in this treacherous soap-opera like atmosphere.
Everett Sloane goes from bad to evil and repeats the cycle in record time. He is the embodiment of evil with that look of his. Nevertheless, it is not exactly a memorable performance such as that of Bernstein in Welles'"Citizen Kane."
Katina Paxinou, who had been supporting Oscared 6 years before for the memorable "For Whom the Bell Tolls," comes along for the ride as Power's hysterical ultra-religious mother. She definitely had a tendency to over-act which she displays here.
Welles is his usual terrific self as the evil Borgia, but the script does him in. Also, the black and white cinematography creates a dull period atmosphere-like film. Color would have been somewhat of an enhancement with better writing coming along.
Tyrone Power stars in this awful picture about a man sent out to do the work for the evil Cesare Borgia, only to find love and turn on him. The script is quite weak here and some of the acting, particularly by Wanda Hendrix, as his true love, is churlish and almost laughable. Hendrix was horribly cast in this treacherous soap-opera like atmosphere.
Everett Sloane goes from bad to evil and repeats the cycle in record time. He is the embodiment of evil with that look of his. Nevertheless, it is not exactly a memorable performance such as that of Bernstein in Welles'"Citizen Kane."
Katina Paxinou, who had been supporting Oscared 6 years before for the memorable "For Whom the Bell Tolls," comes along for the ride as Power's hysterical ultra-religious mother. She definitely had a tendency to over-act which she displays here.
Welles is his usual terrific self as the evil Borgia, but the script does him in. Also, the black and white cinematography creates a dull period atmosphere-like film. Color would have been somewhat of an enhancement with better writing coming along.