Surprisingly involving and rousing adventure set in 9th century England, where the young King of Wessex leads a bloody revolt against the marauding Danes. Sprawling, handsome film given hard-hearted direction by Clive Donner, featuring exciting battlefield sequences and welcomed bits of black humor courtesy screenwriters Ken Taylor and James Webb. The well-chosen cast (including David Hemmings as Alfred, a heavily-bearded Michael York as Guthrum, and Ian McKellen as Roger) give variable performances, as Donner's film-making technique seems focused on the grand scope on the picture and not the intricate details. However, Alex Thomson's cinematography and all the technical aspects are top-notch. **1/2 from ****
Review of Alfred the Great
