The Devil's Disciple (1959)"What will history say, sir?"
"History, sir, will tell lies, as usual!" I've had this one around the house for months, but was afraid because descriptions about it didn't give me confidence. It's a Revolutionary War adventure film, but it's also described as a comedy despite the serious subject matter. (Accidental comedy? I wondered.) The stars are Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, who always work well together, but they're up against Laurence Olivier, a solid actor whose name on a marquee is to comedy with Christopher Nolan is to comedy.
Having watched the film, I get it now, but I can't clarify the description. It is largely a joyous adventure, much like The Adventures of Robin Hood. Lancaster is the solid center while Douglas reaches for Errol Flynn levels of gleeful treason. It is not
as fun as a Flynn adventure, perhaps because of the elevated language, which takes a few scenes to tune the ear to, but once it's in harmony there's a lot of good dialogue and sly humor.
Olivier gets one of the funniest scenes as the British general who's tired of American rebels blocking his path with trees and sniping his soldiers. He expresses this displeasure while both are happening in his vicinity (eyes rolling with the sound effects) and while having a picnic with his wife, a sign of his helplessness. However, the highlight is an extended action scene where Lancaster has finally had enough, but every time he tries to take action, fate delays him. The gags are paced like a silent comedy and Lancaster is a muscular Buster Keaton.
So, The Devil's Disciple is an odd film, a short film, a hard film to recommend because it easily contradicts expectations unless you expect nothing but what it chooses to give you. This includes the interludes of stop-motion animation, a female lead (Janette Scott) whose strict repression melts in a moment and Kirk Douglas taking none of it seriously.
Rating: * * * - Good