Omar Sharif (1932–2015)

This stately film from 1968 is difficult to assess because its makers seemed unsure what sort of film they were making. Was it an epic? If so, it falls short. Was it a psychological study of frustration and/or love? If so, it is superficial. Was it a bodice-ripper? If so, not many are ripped. Thus it becomes a film to watch on a wet Sunday afternoon, and it doesn't matter much if you miss five minutes while making a cup of tea.

Omar Sharif plays his trademark soulful and weak character. He has only two notes – sad, and angry - then he raises his voice. As his parents, James Mason and Ava Gardner do better but the latter in particular is hampered by the poor script. There are a few good performances among supporting roles. As Mary Vetsera, Rudolf's mistress, Catherine Deneuve presents a dreamy blonde romantic twenty-year-old rather than the dark, vivacious and passionate teenager she was in real life. Nothing more than kissing is ever shown between them; anything more is merely implied.

There are lots of soldiers in riots, exercises etc but they seem to be there to give local colour rather than anything else. The political situation faced by the Hapsburg Empire in the 1880s is inadequately explained; various ineffectual Hungarian plotters appear now and then, and police spies lurk in the undergrowth.

For some reason, the Prince of Wales (James Robertson Justice, too old like many others in the cast) is shown frequently, whereas in reality he had little time for the stuffy protocol of the Imperial court. At one stage he is shown hunting birds and wild boar at the same time, rather unlikely even for such an enthusiastic 'sportsman'; meanwhile Rudolf lurks in the bushes with Mary, who begs him not to shoot a deer, which is hanging around nearby despite all the noise from the Prince of Wales' gun. She need not have worried – Rudolf's gun is clearly a shotgun, whereas deer have to be hunted with rifles.

At the end of the film, after the climax, not a spot of blood is to be seen. And nothing is shown of the subsequent cover-up exercise, which in some ways was the most interesting aspect of this sad episode. But that would have made a long film even longer.… (more)