Product Details

• Actors: Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth, Maurice Evans, Guy Stockwell
• Directors: Franklin J. Schaffner
• Writers: John Collier, Leslie Stevens, Millard Kaufman
• Producers: Walter Seltzer
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1998
• Run Time: 123 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302507596
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,627 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hestson's best and a must for fans of Medieval History!!, January 29, 2002

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Warlord (DVD)

Heston did a lot of films in his career, but some were overlooked because they were not the bigger than life Epics like Ben Hur and 10 Commandments.

But I have found Heston's works, The Naked Jungle, Diamond Head, Secret of the Incas (where Indiana Jones came from right down to the hat and leather jacket!!), The Big Country and The Warlord to be much more statisfying.

The War Lord especially is a rarely noticed and unappreciated film.

Set in Norman-Saxon England, he has been 'awarded' a small fief to hold against Frisans invaders (the same invaders that captured his father and bankrupted his family to ransom him). Tired of war, tired of the struggle, he is more than content with his lot - though not his younger brother, well played by Guy Stockwell. Heston only wants one thing more....the woman, a peasant promised to another. He can take her by right of being the lord, but he wants her heart and a woman's love.

Realisit portrayal of the fuedal person of post Saxon era of the Norman invasion of England, the performances are solid making this one special film, most notable the late Richard Boone (Have Gun Will Travel), one of the most natural actors ever to fill the screen. Solid action and battle scenes.

A must for Heston fans that want more than just the flash, a must for fans of medieval history, and an absolute must if you are a romantic at heart and love knights of auld and damsels in distress.

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Realistic Look at the Knights-in-Armor Genre, March 27, 2000

By 

Blackhawk (Huntsville, AL USA) - See all my reviews

I saw this movie in its original theatrical release. I was impressed at the time with its attempt to portray the period accurately. It was the first movie I had seen that did not romanticize the period as was done in Robin Hood, Ivanhoe and other similar movies.

The story is about a minor knight defending a dreary castle on the fringes of Normandy. The costumes are realistic and the dirt, grime and poverty of the period are shown without any of the usual Hollywood gloss. The main story is a love story between the knight (Charleton Heston) and a local peasant woman (Rosemary Forsyth), but there is plenty of action, including a seige of the castle by barbaric Frisians. I wouldn't call it a classic, but it is well done and entertaining.

The DVD is the first I've seen from Goodtimes. The video transfer is surprizingly good for a film this old and on a disc this inexpensive. The color is rich and bright. The sharpness varies. The close and medium shots are good to very good but the long shots were both soft and showed some grain. The audio is digital mono so it won't exercise your sound system, but it was clear and the dialogue was never drowned out. The only supplemental material is a trailer.

If you like sword and armor movies, you won't go wrong with The War Lord.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A most enjoyable film, January 21, 2003

By 

Titus (Boston MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Warlord (DVD)

I love "The War Lord". It's no Oscar winner to be sure but it doesn't make any pretense to be. Charlton Heston give a convincing performance as Chrysagon de la Crux, an 11th century Norman noble sent to govern a small backwater fief.

Guy Stockwell, who in my opinion steals the movie, is excellent as Heston's younger brother. He exudes that latent violence and ambition that inspired so many landless knights of that time to go on Crusade to the east.

Richard Boone also does a stand up job as the older, more experienced soldier whose job it is to squire Heston's character thru life. A little known James Farentino plays the local Celt in love with the woman whom Heston's character takes as his own.

This is just a wonderful period film with all the things that make medieval epics so much fun. Knights, longships, druids, castle towers, boiling oil, the whole nine yards. It's a wonderful way to spend a saturday afternoon.