Popular reviews

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  Review by Sean Gilman ★★★★

  One of the best ever James Bond movies.

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  Review by migblah

  pensar tridimensionalmente el cine no es el relieve ni la tecnología 3D, sino preparar cada plano para que tenga una profundidad, una posición de cámara donde la perspectiva otorgue una sensación de diferentes niveles o planos de acción. Pocas películas como esta para demostrar eso, con increíbles travellings laterales donde la cámara muestra los movimientos de los actores como en un segundo nivel mientras en el primero vemos objetos o personas que aparecen como obstáculos, pero también cómo los actores vienen hacia el frente o hacia el fondo del encuadre.

  Es cierto que tantas intrigas palaciegas pueden desviar la atención o incluso atenuar el impacto que producen sus imágenes, pero aún así es admirable el trabajo de Freda, que convierte…

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  Review by Evelyn Rose

  A handsome Riccardo Freda swashbuckler adventure starring a young Vittorio Gassman as Casonova. Gassman in this is the prettiest person I've ever seen, and Freda's film is a hoot of melodrama, all costume balls, sword fights, scandalous stolen letters, and slinking staircase strings. The most delicious truffle.

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  Review by PUNQ ★★★

  A very Italian costume drama/adventure, only lacking that extra layer of x-factor to really be a as memorable as it almost was. Had the elegance, more action than normal for this time-frame, solid acting. Had a lot going for it, and I'm sure it's a piece of escapism many would enjoy.

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  Review by Numéro Deux ★★★★

  THE ERROR OF NEOREALISM

  — Several years later, it was neorealism. What did you think as a viewer about films, and did they influence you as a director?

  — I have always spoken very openly about this, being, as they say, the Sybil or Cassandra of cinema in general. Twenty years ago - "Rome, Open City" is from 1944 - everyone was raving about it. They said it was the great open road for cinema. I, on the other hand, scoffed because I considered all of that to be accidental and not at all interesting. I've expressed my opinion on this everywhere. I know I'm not well-liked because of it. I firmly believe that we should not limit ourselves to…

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  Review by shuttko ★★★★★

  Un homme seul
  Jacques Lourcelles
  Présence du cinéma 17, 1963

  ...

  Je vois, pour commencer, une substitution avoir lieu: aux thèmes, aux doutes, aux angoisses savamment entretenues par le commun des cinéastes (l'incommunicabilité entre les êtres, le douloureux problème du couple, etc...; ou dans un autre registre, les zones d'insalubrité des grandes villes, la nonchalance des pouvoirs publics, etc...), à cette espèce de complicité établie avec le public par un intérêt frivole par les problèmes, par la compassion, font place ici un document, et une interrogation. Le document: les travaux du héros, les faits mémorables. Là encore, nous sommes en plein dans la tradition. Début des Enquêtes d'Hérodote: « Hérodote de Thourioi expose ici ses recherches, pour empêcher que ce…

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  Review by Everett Jones ★★★★

  A fast-paced, exciting swashbuckler about Casanova from Mario Bava's mentor that's about as unlike Fellini's version as could be imagined, and very much like a proto-Bond thriller, especially the more fleet-footed, stripped-down 007 of DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.

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  Review by messy_tony ★★★½

  I’ve learned over the last week to not take Riccardo Freda at all seriously. Anybody who could have Casanova travelling Europe pursued by baddies, getting into swashbuckling fun & seducing beauties as he deceives Catherine the Great cannot be taken seriously.

  But this is great fun, the least convincing part? A woman dressed as a count. Do the neo-realist stuff Rossellini, I’ll do the silly fun stuff.

  Have started reading Roberto Criti’s biography of Freda as I think a proper escapist deep dive is in order. Maybe I should put some logic into my viewing of his oeuvre.

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  Review by V. Lepistö ★★★★

  Such a perfect historical adventure; so immersive in its mise-en-scène and the way it moves between schemes, mysteries, and romances, often combining all three. I'm not sure if I can find anything poetic or heavy to say about The Mysterious Rider, but it's an example of a master craftsman making sovereign use of genre form and creating a tremendously effective piece that becomes beautiful almost like a classical artwork that repeats familiar theme through its artist's unique perception. It's hard to put into words how enjoyable a film can be without necessarily feeling important or artistically groundbreaking but Freda knows exactly what to do with the pieces that he has gathered to build this film.

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  Review by omalleyg ★★½

  Gassman jeune premier campe un Casanova convaincant, espion aventurier au service de la république de Venise.

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  Review by Sparks Lowry ★★★★

  Awesome bit to transform Casanova into like, Vidocq. Something that this needs that I can't quite put my finger on but from the very beginning Gassman had it.

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  Review by C.

  I try to keep this out of my reviews but I dunno if I’ve ever seen a more attractive person than Gianna Maria Canale in this movie.