Excellent characterization. Passionate story. But it is very long and sometimes boring. The technical level is quite good. Also did not like the end of the story.

The visual texture is that of an old painting discovered in the corner of a dusty, decrepit aristocratic mansion. we see a world magnificent and opulent, but also overly ripe, in the very process of growing stale and fading into history. the aristocratic main character, in the latter stage of middle-age, faces both the twilight of his life and of the traditional social order. he's helpless in the face of change just as a poet before a sunset. yet, what's ultimately moving is the idea of nobility as it evolves in the character of lancaster. initially, he embodies the fancy dressed nobility of social order, but in the final scenes the concept of nobility deepens into a private, lonely virtue. he's a nobleman to his bones. … Expand

I agree with many of the things written about this film and it's qualities: the sumptuous depth of it cinemtography and the performance of Lancaster, ect. But it is a very plodding 3 hour epic. It is like "Citizen Kane" in that is was important in its time, but these films are not timeless. I simply did not feel that compelled.

I first saw this at 19 and wondered if it would have the same impact now at 45. Boy, does it ever. What a film.

Beautiful to look at and stirring to the soul. An amazing achivement.

Great cinematography but insanely boring like most movies of The Criterion Collection. I'm sure this movie has important value to film study majors but I invite you to try and watch it without falling asleep.

The film is a visual masterpiece, really good mis on scene and cinematography , and even good actors. But it is too long and slowly that you just get tired. I´m used to like Italian movies and I have seen much better Italian movies than this.

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