Though I like what this film is trying to do, I feel the execution was wanting. Outside of Yul Brynner's Major Surov, the other characters were too flat to be interesting. The film is overlong and could have been cut by fifteen minutes at the very least.
One of the strong points was the chemistry between Kerr and Brynner. You can certainly feel the sexual attraction there, and the kiss they share at the end of the film is hotter than any sex scene ever could be. But Kerr's character is not fleshed out enough for the romantic aspect to really work. Unlike Ilsa in Casablanca (1942), the character's struggle between two men is not compelling nor do you really feel sorry for her.
Overall, the only thing the film has going for it is Brynner's character. Everything else is not worth the time.
One of the strong points was the chemistry between Kerr and Brynner. You can certainly feel the sexual attraction there, and the kiss they share at the end of the film is hotter than any sex scene ever could be. But Kerr's character is not fleshed out enough for the romantic aspect to really work. Unlike Ilsa in Casablanca (1942), the character's struggle between two men is not compelling nor do you really feel sorry for her.
Overall, the only thing the film has going for it is Brynner's character. Everything else is not worth the time.