The War Lord

He Battled Two Empires For The Love Of One Woman.

1965 • 123 min • History · Drama · War

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Synopsis

A knight in the service of a duke goes to a coastal village where an earlier attempt to build a defensive castle has failed. He begins to rebuild the duke's authority in the face of the barbarians at the border and is making progress until he falls in love with one of the local women.

Our family guide

Best from age 12

Movie Knight Score

79 reviews

67 Reviewers · 3 · 53%
62 Audience · 76 · 47%

In 11th-century Normandy, a knight loyal to his duke is sent to a coastal village to secure the border. He faces resistance from local villagers and external threats while rebuilding defenses. His progress is complicated when he falls in love with a local woman, defying customs and stirring conflict.

Violence & peril: 6/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 2/10
Romance & sensuality: 4/10
Scary moments: 5/10

Heads up

Period-typical violence and battles
Non-consensual marriage portrayed
Some thematic adult situations

What it models well

Loyalty and duty
Justice and order
Courage in leadership
Cross-cultural understanding

Talk about it after

Feudal society and its impact
Conflict between duty and desire
Religious customs of the era
What constitutes "barbarism"?

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The War Lord. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner • Crew: Millard Kaufman, John Collier

Trailers & clips

THE WAR LORD Original Theatrical Trailer

Reviewer notes

Recommended
Not one of Charlton Heston's better efforts, this one. He's the overlord "Cyrysagon" who is sent to reimpose law and order at a remote Norman tower that is frequently being raided by the blond-haired Friesians.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

Not recommendedTrusted family reviewers
_**Mediocre medieval tale with Heston, Boone and Rosemary Forsyth**_ In the 11th Century, a knight (Charlton Heston) in the service of the duke of Normandy ventures to a village on the northern coast of France to finish and inhabit a castle-like fortress for defense against the raiding Frisians from further up the coast (which, today, would be Netherlands & Germany).…
Wuchak, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
This place has the dimensions of heresy. The War Lord stars Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth, Guy Stockwell, Maurice Evans, Niall MacGinnis, Henry Wilcoxon and James Farentino, amongst others. It's directed by future Oscar winning Director Franklin J.…
John Chard, TMDB Community