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5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Iron Duke remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly? Only if you really, really love 1930s British costume dramas. It’s a very safe, very polite movie. If you want something with actual grit, look elsewhere. People who like history books that don't have pictures will probably enjoy this. Everyone else? You’ll likely be checking your watch by the thirty-minute mark. 🕰️
The whole thing feels like a stage play that got lost on its way to the theater. George Arliss plays the Duke, and he’s doing that very specific kind of 'important' acting where every word is enunciated like it’s being carved into stone. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s awfully heavy.
They tackle the Battle of Waterloo, which is a massive historical moment, but the budget clearly didn't match the ambition. It feels like they had about twelve guys in hats running around a field. You can almost see the frustration in the background actors' faces, like they’re wondering if they’ll get their lunch break on time.
It’s weirdly similar in tone to Her Grace Commands, just with more cannons and less ballroom drama. There’s a scene where Wellesley is supposed to be making a high-stakes decision, and he just stares at a map for what feels like a week. It’s not tense. It’s just long.
There's this one moment where a character walks through a doorway and the framing is so tight that his hat gets clipped off the screen. It stays like that for a solid four seconds. I actually laughed out loud at the screen. Sometimes the simplest errors are the most human part of these old reels.
If you're a fan of old-school cinema, you might find some charm here. There's an earnestness to it that you just don't get in modern blockbusters. It’s not trying to be a The Virginian-style epic, but it tries so hard to be respectful that it forgets to be interesting.
Anyway. It’s a relic. A polite, dusty, and mostly forgettable relic. Don't go in expecting a thrill ride, and you won't be disappointed.
