If you're looking for a serious depiction of the infamous massacre and 1920s organized crime this isn't it (despite its semi- documentary style).
Giving director Roger Corman his due, his forte was exploitation pictures. That's what this film is despite its higher budget and major studio status. One could say he was pushing the envelope by 1967 standards with its level of violence and depictions of prostitution.The slapstick comedic scene with George Segal and a scantily clad Jean Hale (her only scene) comes out of nowhere and has nothing to do with the unfolding narrative.
There is a large ensemble of very capable performers including the smaller roles. This doesn't mean that all the actors are well cast or give good performances. Jason Robards, an otherwise fine actor, is totally out of his element as Capone. I think this partly explains his completely over the top performance that at times is unintentionally funny.
The film is studio bound and has an artificial look and feel. There is little real character development and the frequent use of voice over narration is not cinematic. Some of the individual scenes and performances are worth viewing albeit sometimes for the wrong reasons.The film, when taken as a whole doesn't make the grade.
Giving director Roger Corman his due, his forte was exploitation pictures. That's what this film is despite its higher budget and major studio status. One could say he was pushing the envelope by 1967 standards with its level of violence and depictions of prostitution.The slapstick comedic scene with George Segal and a scantily clad Jean Hale (her only scene) comes out of nowhere and has nothing to do with the unfolding narrative.
There is a large ensemble of very capable performers including the smaller roles. This doesn't mean that all the actors are well cast or give good performances. Jason Robards, an otherwise fine actor, is totally out of his element as Capone. I think this partly explains his completely over the top performance that at times is unintentionally funny.
The film is studio bound and has an artificial look and feel. There is little real character development and the frequent use of voice over narration is not cinematic. Some of the individual scenes and performances are worth viewing albeit sometimes for the wrong reasons.The film, when taken as a whole doesn't make the grade.