Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

JohnHowardReid Despite its big reputation, not all Hammer Films are worth watching. In fact, "The Scarlet/Crimson Blade" fully deserves its reputation as a movie swashbuckler with lots of buckle but little swash. There is not a great deal of action, but plenty of plot machinations and lots of dialog. It was obviously filmed on a limited budget. The sets are attractive, but the costumes look too new to be real. Not much use is made of the wide screen. The emphasis is firmly on the players. Fortunately, they are made to look attractive by skillful photography. Lionel Jeffries' screen persona is usually that of a comedian, and he is hard to accept as a straight villain. The direction is capable but unimaginative and lacks the dash and pace a swashbuckler really needs for complete success. Director John Gilling can usually do much better than this. Maybe he was constrained by the producer's demand for speed.

bkoganbing The English Civil War much like our own in America has been fodder for numerous historical adventure stories. And the stories have been told from both the Cavalier and Roundhead sides with each taking turn at being the hero and villain of same. It was that kind of period in the United Kingdom history, subject to many different interpretations on all sides.In this one the Royalist cavaliers are the heroes, they've been driven underground pretty much in 1648 and are now concerned with rescuing King Charles I and spiriting him away to safe exile. Charles is now in the custody of Colonel Lionel Jeffries and Captain Oliver Reed of Oliver Cromwell's Ironsides army and is on the way to London for trial and execution. Jeffries has set up headquarters in the manor of the Beverleys who were Royalists now dispossessed of their property. Jeffries is one real pig as I recall and not living the spartan puritan life that his kind were wont to preach about. He's even got a marriage arranged for his daughter June Thorburn to Oliver Reed. But June's a secret Royalist whose heart is set on Jack Hedley the elder of the two Beverley brothers who is leader of an underground group of Royalists.The intrigue in trying to rescue the King is tangled up with the romantic intrigue of this triangle and it leads to a lot of tragedy all around. History tells us what happened to Charles I, if he ruled rather badly, he certainly died nobly for his cause. As for the personal intrigues, you have to see the film for that.The Scarlet Blade was playing as the second half of a double bill as I recall, probably with some Hammer horror feature. I remember at the time thinking how much more interesting Oliver Reed was as the shrewd, but villainous Roundhead than Jack Hedley was as the dashing, but rather wooden cavalier. Maybe Thorburn ought to rethink what she's doing. Of course this was before Oliver Reed became an international star, but his appeal was dead-on.If you get a chance to see The Scarlet Blade, you'll see an average, but entertaining swashbuckler that might have been better with Reed as the hero.

no-skyline Swashbuckler from the renowned Hammer studio who are more famous for their classic horror movies. This movie suffers from some poor casting decisions and a general lack of dynamic action to set the pace in a genre that demands excitement. Jack Hedley just doesn't suit as the hero and Oliver Read is much more interesting as the bad guy I think Reed could have done a better job in the lead role (he did go on to play Athos in Richard Lesters production of the Three Musketeers).The script is generally poor and no one comes out to well in the acting stakes but this could have been excused had there been some great set pieces but action is another element somewhat lacking in what is a fairly disappointing movie by any standards 4/10

filmbuff-51 This was the first Oliver Reed film I ever saw and it's still one of my favourites. He gives an impressive early performance in this good Hammer production. The downslide of it is the main character, played by Jack Hedley, who is a bad actor. One to watch for any Oliver Reed fan.