The Scarlet Blade and The Brigand of Kandahar are Hammer films written and directed by John Gilling. It is the first time they have been released on DVD and this is not a surprise, for they are not good. Both are thankfully short (under an hour and a half), but unfortunately feel a lot longer.
The Scarlet Blade is an adventure film set during the English Civil war. It is a shame that there are not more films set during this period and it is equally a shame that this film doesn’t tell a particularly interesting story. The Scarlet Blade is a Robin Hood-esque figure played by Jack Hedley, who leads a band of royalist rebels. There are no memorable characters on either side. By far the biggest name is Oliver Reed, who poses his way through it – not his finest performance. That said, his presence commands attention and his final scene in the film is actually very well done.
Reed also appears in The Brigand of Kandahar, this time blacked up as Indian rebel leader Ali Kahn. A lot of brown paint was used in this film, as seemingly all the actors are white yet half the characters are Indian. Lawrence of Arabia, a film made in the same period, suffers from the same anomaly but unlike the Brigand of Kandahar is not complete shite.
Both these films are the sort you would find on TCM at two in the afternoon on a Tuesday. You might linger for 2 minutes and then your instincts would tell you to change the channel. And you know what? Your instincts are absolutely right.
Rating: 1.5/5
Reviewer: Harry Davenport
Rated: U(UK)
DVD/BD Release Date: 23rd January(UK)
Director: John Gilling (The Scarlet Blade & The Brigand Of Kandahar),
Cast:Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed, Jack Hedley (The Scarlet Blade)Ronald Lewis, Oliver Reed, Duncan Lamont (The Brigand Of Kandahar)
Image source:MovieMail
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