Great actors and a fantastic director don't always create a great movie, and this is one of those films where the creative team was so certain of its importance that they were stunned that it failed to meet expectations. Fred Zinneman took on an ambitious project that wanders so much around the Spanish countryside and other locations that it easily gets lost, and after a while confusing and uninteresting.
The main focus is the search for fictional Spanish revolutionary Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck), sought after along with priest Omar Sharif, by young Carlo Angeletti with the help of Anthony Quinn. Peck's aging mother (Mildred Dunnock) is contacted by those wanting to force Peck out of hiding, and when he's finally found, more convoluted conflicts are formed.
This is the type of film that probably would have done better with a Spanish, French or Italian director, in Spanish, as well as a European cast with Sharif, Quinn and Dunnock remaining. Only Peck seems out of place here, trying hard to create a fully rounded character, and he seems to be aware he's facing a losing battle. It's the type of film where the viewer wants it to be better than it is, beautifully filmed and scored, but perhaps too self assured to really come together.
The main focus is the search for fictional Spanish revolutionary Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck), sought after along with priest Omar Sharif, by young Carlo Angeletti with the help of Anthony Quinn. Peck's aging mother (Mildred Dunnock) is contacted by those wanting to force Peck out of hiding, and when he's finally found, more convoluted conflicts are formed.
This is the type of film that probably would have done better with a Spanish, French or Italian director, in Spanish, as well as a European cast with Sharif, Quinn and Dunnock remaining. Only Peck seems out of place here, trying hard to create a fully rounded character, and he seems to be aware he's facing a losing battle. It's the type of film where the viewer wants it to be better than it is, beautifully filmed and scored, but perhaps too self assured to really come together.