Crossed Swords Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Crossed Swords Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 15, 2021

Richard Fleischer's "Crossed Swords" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new video interview with actor Mark Lester; exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Richard Fleischer’s cinematic adaptation of Mark Twain’s popular novel The Prince and the Pauper was a very risky project from the get-go. For example, the decision to cast Mark Lester to play the two key characters in the film was quite strange because at the time he was already eighteen. (In the novel, the two boys are quite a bit younger). Oliver Reed isn’t right for the part of Miles Hendon either. He could have been a brilliant choice, but without the obvious effects of his alcohol addiction. Raquel Welch looks like a rushed addition whose main job was to add a bit of meaningless glamour as well, which is precisely the reason why there isn’t a single memorable sequence with her. Even Charlton Heston was offered an instantly forgettable part. So, if there were so many questionable casting choices, why did Fleischer begin shooting anyway?

Before I tell you what I believe happened, I want to make it clear that I don’t agree that the film is the gigantic dud a few critics have described. There is still some good acting in it. Jack Cardiff’s camerawork doesn’t disappoint either. However, the final product does not look like the convincing period film it should have been. It has a late-night vibe of the kind that you would typically discover in expensive but pretty average made-for-TV projects. You know what this means, right? You see a lot of A-list actors that set your expectations high, but you can instantly tell that they are in it for the money or to rebuild a stalled career.

Virtually all of the material that Fleischer shot accurately recreates the events that are described in Twain’s novel. The manner in which the Prince of Wales and the pauper decide to switch places, their transformations, the buildup of the drama before the coronation of the imposter, everything is recreated almost exactly as needed. In other words, it is impossible to make a case that Fleischer mistreated the original material in some disastrous ways that predetermined the fate of his film. Now, while the structure and chronology of the main events are fine, the same cannot be said about the presence and attitudes of various actors. Indeed, there is a lot of material where it looks like some of the biggest stars are channeling personal interpretations of the emotions their characters are supposed to convey, rather than following a blueprint that Fleischer would have provided to them. This is the reason for instance why the Prince of Wales looks like a total outsider in the events leading up to Hendon’s betrayal. For the exact same reason John Canty leaves the impression that he is trying to impress in a period parody as well. This very odd coordination between Fleischer and the stars cripples different parts of the film in some pretty dramatic ways.

The film’s most serious flaw, however, is the quality of Lester’s transformations. Both feel completely out of sync with the environment in which they are supposed to excite. As a result, it often looks like the rest of the cast is struggling to adapt so that the drama they are involved with appears at least somewhat legit. (To be perfectly clear, Lester’s age isn’t a factor. He routinely looks either too stiff or oddly detached).

Despite the myriad of obvious flaws, Fleischer and Cardiff still manage to give the film a pretty good period appearance. Some of the mass sequences feature very elaborate sets and decors, plus there are plenty of terrific costumes and wigs.

Multiple Oscar-winning composer Maurice Jarre created the film’s soundtrack.

*Kino Lorber's release also features a slightly longer International Cut of the film, which is approximately 122 minutes long. It is sourced from a standard definition master.

Crossed Swords Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Crossed Swords arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an old but healthy master that was supplied by StudioCanal. I like it, but it is very easy to tell that the entire film can and should look better in high-definition. The biggest weakness of this master is its color balance. No, I don't think that there are any wild primaries of the type that are present on various recent 4K restorations of older films, but a few are a tad too strong. As a result, in darker areas you will see blacks and browns, for instance, producing quite a bit of crushing that eliminates existing detail. Interestingly, saturation can be improved so that some supporting nuances appear better balanced as well (see screencapture #5). There are no traces of problematic digital work. Density levels are good, but this is another area where meaningful improvements can be made so that fluidity is better. Delineation and depth usually range from good to very good, but you should expect to see areas with inherited softness. Image stability is good, but during the opening credits and a few other areas some very minor shakiness can be spotted. There are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. My score is 3.75/5.0.. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Crossed Swords Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The lossless track is very good. I did not encounter any distracting age-related imperfections to report. During the action footage dynamic intensity is quite good as well, though as usual you need to keep in mind that the native limitations of the original soundtrack are very easy to recognize. Can the Mono track sound even better? Aside from possibly some minor but largely insignificant balance adjustments that may affect the music score the most, probably not. I think that the basic characteristics of the current lossless track are very solid.

Crossed Swords Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Star Mark Lester - in this exclusive new video interview, Mark Lester explains how he was approached and cast to play the two key characters in Crossed Swords and discusses the production process. Also highlighted is Oliver Reed's special present for Lester's eighteenth birthday party. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Crossed Swords. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• International Cut - a slightly longer International Cut of the film, which is approximately 122 minutes long. It is sourced from a standard definition master. Dolby Digital 2.0. With optional English subtitles.

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson.

Crossed Swords Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Perhaps the easiest fix for this quite underwhelming cinematic adaptation of Mark Twain's popular novel The Prince and the Pauper would have been a completely different child actor taking on Mark Lester's duties. This isn't to imply that everything that does not work in the film can be traced back to Lester's performance, but it is impossible not to concede that it has a significant negative effect on many of the big stars and their contributions. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other problematic casting choices as well, so even if Lester was replaced, it is actually unclear whether Richard Fleischer would have been able to deliver a vastly superior film. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an old but healthy master that was supplied by StudioCanal.