The Adventurers (1970)

A young boy (Loris Loddi) in a war torn South American country survives the massacre of his family and is sent to Italy to be educated. As he grows into a man (Bekim Fehmiu), he lives off wealthy women as either a gigolo or marrying them. But try as he can, he can't forget his roots as he inevitably finds himself tied to his country. Based on the trashy potboiler by Harold Robbins (THE CARPETBAGGERS) and directed by Lewis Gilbert (ALFIE). Robbins' sordid best seller gets the deluxe treatment: an all star cast, glamorous locations, a three hour running time with an intermission etc. As directed by Gilbert, the film takes itself too seriously to be much fun. It's an uneasy mix of exploitation (lots of rape and bloodletting in the film's first 10 minutes) and pretentious pontificating on the horror of war and corrupt dictators. It seems to think it's an important epic with something to say rather than a juicy slice of kitsch. It's actually quite entertaining when focusing on the glamorous goings on of the jaded jet set but when it returns to the third world revolution, it becomes quite tedious. The handsome cinematography is by Claude Renoir and there's an excellent underscore by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The massive cast includes Olivia De Havilland, Candice Bergen, Ernest Borgnine, Rossano Brazzi, Leigh Taylor Young, John Ireland, Jaclyn Smith, Fernando Rey, Alan Badel, Thommy Berggren (ELVIRA MADIGAN), Anna Moffo, Lois Maxwell, Angela Scoular, Yolande Donlan and Yorgo Voyagis.