“I made an oath that I would revenge the wrongs her family had done her. It was no more than a piece of youthful bravado, but it was one of those acorns from which great oaks are destined to grow. Even then I went so far as to examine the family tree and prune it to just the living members. But what could I do to hurt them? What could I take from them, except, perhaps, their lives?”
An impoverished, distant relative of the Duke of D'Ascoyne aims to take revenge on the family who’s disregarded him and acquire their wealth by murdering the eight inheritors that stand in his way of the throne.
The first time I watched this movie was years ago. For some reason or another, I didn’t fully appreciate it then, and deemed the plot boring. I’m so glad that I decided to watch it a second time (with subtitles and a film-schooled boyfriend), because it completely changed my mind.
What acting, humor, and fantastic dialogue! And now the plot may even be my favorite aspect. There are so many unexpected, exciting twists in the storyline, and interesting characters to carry it through. One pivotal element I overlooked upon first viewing was the fact that Alec Guinness flawlessly plays the entire D'Ascoyne Family, characters young and old, male and female. Not to mention, the makeup and acting was fantastic, because I didn’t even realize this until the end credits.
The subtle humor of this movie is one of a kind. Louis’ (played by Dennis Price) calm demeanor coupled with his vindictiveness, as well as irony in the plot twists make it a delight to watch. My immediate rating is a 8/10.
Characters: 8/10
Acting: 8.2/10
Storyline: 8.3/10
Entertainment Value: 8/10
Immediate Rating: 8/10
Total Score: 40.5/50
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