The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 8, 2026

Terence Young's "The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics David Del Valle and Daniel Kremer, and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The player and the played

They don’t make them like this anymore. This popular statement is frequently used to describe older films exactly like The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders. It is not because they are flawless films and The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders is immune to criticism. In fact, any of the highbrow critics whose opinions are routinely promoted by the media as valid indicators of a film’s quality can have a field day with The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders because it is full of ‘issues’ that tend to irk them to no end. However, its sense of humor is as flexible as a film like it needs to impress. Some of it is attached to terrific innuendo of the kind that modern writers are no longer allowed to channel through their screenplays. Some of it is wrapped in refreshing cynicism of the kind that Barry Lyndon is remembered for. Some of it is just brilliantly silly. A sense of humor this flexible is, sadly, a lost art now.

As in Barry Lyndon, a voice behind the camera frequently explains what is about to happen and why. The voice belongs to Moll Flanders (Kim Novak), an orphan raised by gypsies, a gorgeous master seducer, impersonator, and thief. A prisoner, too, waiting to be hanged.

A small portion of Flanders’ story is about her realization that her perfect figure can melt any man’s heart and almost instantly empty his pockets. The rest is about her efforts to escape poverty by trading her beauty for cash. However, while playing the paid version of the game of love, Flanders frequently encounters other chameleons, also willing to cheat to get what they are after for less or without paying at all.

The Banker (George Sanders) is Flanders’ wealthiest target. He is an aging widower with a weak heart, but itching to be a stallion in the bedroom. After the two tie the knot, Flanders nearly kills him with pleasure and immediately runs away. While again improvising to secure her future, Flanders moves to her next target, Jemmy (Richard Johnson), a seasoned highwayman pretending to be a wealthy captain operating several massive ships. At the right time, Flanders also transforms the Count (Vittorio De Sica), another shady character with massive debts, into a shameless cheater.

But despite prioritizing her tricks and the financial rewards they bring, Flanders unexpectedly falls in love with the fake captain and joins his gang of outlaws. After quickly improving her tricks and identifying new targets to scam, however, Flanders slips and ends up in prison with her lover and his fellow outlaws.

Terrence Young directed The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders from a screenplay penned by Dennis Cannan and Roland Kibbee that is impossible to describe as a faithful adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s popular novel of the same name. Simply put, there are too many major discrepancies between Novak’s character and the notorious con artist in Defoe’s novel, as well as the chronology of their exploits. (For example, in the film, Novak’s character is not seen performing any of her tricks in America. In the novel, there is quite a bit of material that is dedicated to the con artist’s two visits to America).

However, this significant detail is made irrelevant by Novak. Before Young’s camera, Novak becomes a gorgeous chameleon that effectively redefines the con artist and then uses her tricks to message numerous truths about some of the most famous lies the two sexes love to use while mistreating each other. It is a hilarious but also admirably illuminating spectacle.

Because the messaging is not delivered with the same impressive clarity and striking cynicism, highbrow critics will relentlessly argue that The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders and Barry Lyndon are vastly different films. But they are not. In both films, the main characters are shamelessly pragmatic players who adopt new identities to join the winners. In The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, there is simply a lot more casual humor than breathtakingly gorgeous visuals.

*Kino Lorber's release presents a new 4K restoration of the uncensored, fully uncut version of The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, sourced from the original camera. The 4K restoration was prepared at Paramount.

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release presents a new 4K restoration of the uncensored, fully uncut version of The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, sourced from the original camera. The 4K restoration is great. I am going to mention only one area where some additional work could have been done. In a few places, I noticed tiny nicks popping up. Modern digital tools easily could have eliminated them. The rest is either very good or outstanding. For example, all visuals have a very attractive organic appearance. Several sequences reveal very small density fluctuations, but even there delineation, clarity, and depth remain enormously pleasing. Color reproduction and balance are fantastic. All primaries and supporting nuances are properly set and look healthy. The dynamic range of all visuals can be slightly better, but for a meaningful, satisfying upgrade, especially in daylight footage, the 4K restoration must be seen in native 4K. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Image stability is great. My score is 4.75/5.00. (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).

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The lossless track is very healthy. It produces a full, nicely rounded audio, often revealing dynamic contrasts that are perfect for a period project from the 1960s. However, while enjoyable, the music does not create a great deal of excitement. All exchanges are very clear, sharp, stable, and easy to follow. I did not notice any hiss, crackle, pops, etc.

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics David Del Valle and Daniel Kremer.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Cover - a reversible cover with vintage poster art for The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders.

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Not all con artists are the same, and not because they are not all equally good. Some see the big picture better. They are shamelessly pragmatic players who switch identities and do tricks to escape their misery and join the winners. Moll Flanders is a female, less cynical replica of Barry Lyndon. Unsurprisingly, her story is extremely similar to Lyndon's. It is just told differently. I quite enjoy Terence Young's film and could not be happier with the 4K restoration featured on Kino Lorber's release. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.