A very catchy real character, amazing dialogue, strong sensitive music, nice art direction, and a good respectable cast. So what's the problem with that movie from the good old Hollywood, and from the mighty (Anthony Quinn) as a director for the first and last time in his life? Is it the script, or the editing? Ok, I'll tell you..
I see that the main character is a dramatic treasure, a type of hero which movies long for, so maybe (Quinn) found himself in love (or found himself!) with that wild-hearted, free-spirit pirate, famous intense personality, and exceptional lover. But the studio wanted other things!
The strict (Cecil B. DeMille), (Quinn)'s father-in-law at the time, was the head of the production. Although he was only the uncredited executive producer, but - for instance - you still can read his name on the top of the authentic poster as (Cecil B. DeMille Presents). He saw a good pirate adventure in that story to make an assured commercial movie, consequently by controlling the editing; the taste had been changed, and the final result was that confused movie!
Sometimes you find yourself into it as another buccaneer's adventure, with all the fights and the hot ironic dialogue. Then you find yourself into that drama of (Jean Lafitte), and the historical role that he played during the war of 1812. There wasn't quite a harmony between the 2 overlapping movies, so the ultimate feeling was close to perturbation; as it's a cup of coffee with some soda in it!
So perhaps the accused is that script which annoyed the big bosses at Hollywood, and overstepped their desired requirements to discuss the man's life and choices, plus the details of the war, or it's the anxiety of a producer, who happened to be here Mr. (DeMille) himself, over a movie that must be much simpler and more commercial, so it's nothing but the eternal clash between the artist and the producer. But (The Buccaneer) is still fun to watch, even if all the battles was inside the studio, and the make-up of (Charlton Heston) seemed horrible, or even if some of the storylines looked overlooked!
I loved the movie's smart selection for that unique character, its dramatic hesitation between 2 worlds; the aristocratic society and the freedom of the oceans, and how his love of the freedom conquered as he found himself with the wild gypsy girl eventually.
Also, the very enjoyable dialogue. In fact, there is a list of 7 persons who wrote the script, so I don't know who I'll give the credit of writing clever lines like: "You know everything about being a classy woman, but you don't know anything about being a woman!", "If my hair knew my plans, I would shave it!", "Enjoy the silence before it ends", "I don't need a world but you", and the cleverest of them all, when the girl tells (Lafitte); the man she adores and the killer of her father as well: "I can't leave you.. You became part of everything I love or I hate".
Over and above, the music of (Elmer Bernstein). He is one of the best composers who ever wrote for movies, when he died in 2004, he left a 50 years' legacy of superb working. This time, his music is powerfully expressive of (Jean Lafitte)'s main conflict, so the sense of greatness and heartache in him to an imposing extent that makes you feel that it's bigger than the movie, or as big as its unfulfilled original ambition.
This is an example of 2 movies in one. Watchable? Yes. But uneven and confused.
I see that the main character is a dramatic treasure, a type of hero which movies long for, so maybe (Quinn) found himself in love (or found himself!) with that wild-hearted, free-spirit pirate, famous intense personality, and exceptional lover. But the studio wanted other things!
The strict (Cecil B. DeMille), (Quinn)'s father-in-law at the time, was the head of the production. Although he was only the uncredited executive producer, but - for instance - you still can read his name on the top of the authentic poster as (Cecil B. DeMille Presents). He saw a good pirate adventure in that story to make an assured commercial movie, consequently by controlling the editing; the taste had been changed, and the final result was that confused movie!
Sometimes you find yourself into it as another buccaneer's adventure, with all the fights and the hot ironic dialogue. Then you find yourself into that drama of (Jean Lafitte), and the historical role that he played during the war of 1812. There wasn't quite a harmony between the 2 overlapping movies, so the ultimate feeling was close to perturbation; as it's a cup of coffee with some soda in it!
So perhaps the accused is that script which annoyed the big bosses at Hollywood, and overstepped their desired requirements to discuss the man's life and choices, plus the details of the war, or it's the anxiety of a producer, who happened to be here Mr. (DeMille) himself, over a movie that must be much simpler and more commercial, so it's nothing but the eternal clash between the artist and the producer. But (The Buccaneer) is still fun to watch, even if all the battles was inside the studio, and the make-up of (Charlton Heston) seemed horrible, or even if some of the storylines looked overlooked!
I loved the movie's smart selection for that unique character, its dramatic hesitation between 2 worlds; the aristocratic society and the freedom of the oceans, and how his love of the freedom conquered as he found himself with the wild gypsy girl eventually.
Also, the very enjoyable dialogue. In fact, there is a list of 7 persons who wrote the script, so I don't know who I'll give the credit of writing clever lines like: "You know everything about being a classy woman, but you don't know anything about being a woman!", "If my hair knew my plans, I would shave it!", "Enjoy the silence before it ends", "I don't need a world but you", and the cleverest of them all, when the girl tells (Lafitte); the man she adores and the killer of her father as well: "I can't leave you.. You became part of everything I love or I hate".
Over and above, the music of (Elmer Bernstein). He is one of the best composers who ever wrote for movies, when he died in 2004, he left a 50 years' legacy of superb working. This time, his music is powerfully expressive of (Jean Lafitte)'s main conflict, so the sense of greatness and heartache in him to an imposing extent that makes you feel that it's bigger than the movie, or as big as its unfulfilled original ambition.
This is an example of 2 movies in one. Watchable? Yes. But uneven and confused.