Warner Bros/Seven Arts
Directed by Gordon Flemyng
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Turner Classic Movies)
British diplomat Peter O'Toole goes to St. Petersburg to see Russian empress Catherine the Great, played by Jeanne Moreau. She lives in an absurd world within a great castle attended by hundreds of courtesans, her every word law. Zero Mostel overplays his role as a high-ranking guard with a ravenous appetite for food and drink. He dominates the early scenes and is a disgusting sight to behold. However, his character fades and the relationship between O'Toole and Moreau becomes the focus. The film is uneven, the scenes during the royal ball feature some spectacularly choreographed and hilarious native Russian dancing. However, it can also be juvenile, such as the Battle of Bunker hill fought in miniature in the bathroom or the tickling episodes. Reminiscent of the earlier Tom Jones, in fact I would even say it's slightly better than that much lauded film.
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