Terence Young,even if he never was considered an "author" ,was one of the most eclectic directors I had known :spy thrillers ("thunderball" etc)suspense drama ("wait until dark" ) fantasy ("corridors of mirrors" ,arguably his best movie) sword and sandals (Orazio E Curazio) costume drama ("Mayerling" ).....
Based on Michel Bataille 's moving novel ,it's very faithful to it ,including the famous scene in the zoo .A barrel of laugh ,it isn't ,but it avoids the clichés of melodrama and depicts a real tragedy.The cast can be questionable ,for William Holden had to be dubbed in French and as for Virna Lisi,I'm not sure it's her voice although she is fluent in this language .Both are excellent but are out-shadowed by Bourvil -who sadly was to die the following year-as Verdun.The last scene is one of the saddest I know and if it succeeds without falling into the trap of sentiment,it's due for Young's amazing feeling for economy and sparseness which preclude all forms of cinematographic sentimentality.The last scene might be the saddest of all Christmas scenes.
Based on Michel Bataille 's moving novel ,it's very faithful to it ,including the famous scene in the zoo .A barrel of laugh ,it isn't ,but it avoids the clichés of melodrama and depicts a real tragedy.The cast can be questionable ,for William Holden had to be dubbed in French and as for Virna Lisi,I'm not sure it's her voice although she is fluent in this language .Both are excellent but are out-shadowed by Bourvil -who sadly was to die the following year-as Verdun.The last scene is one of the saddest I know and if it succeeds without falling into the trap of sentiment,it's due for Young's amazing feeling for economy and sparseness which preclude all forms of cinematographic sentimentality.The last scene might be the saddest of all Christmas scenes.