The Magnificent Rogue (1935) - A review of big hats and Medici murders

Is this movie worth your time?

I would say yes, but only if you have a lot of patience and a snack. It’s perfect for people who like history or old Italian movies from before the war.

If you want fast cars or people blowing things up, you will absolutely hate this. It is mostly men in very fancy tights talking about feelings and politics.

I watched this late at night and honestly, the shadows on the walls were sometimes more interesting than the talking. But it has a weird charm to it. 🏰

The story is about Lorenzino de' Medici. He’s the cousin of the Duke of Florence, Alessandro.

Alessandro is a total jerk. He’s mean to everyone and treats the city like his own personal toy box. 😡

Lorenzino decides the only way to fix things is to kill him. It’s a classic betrayal story, but told in a very 1930s way.

The actor playing the Duke, Camillo Pilotto, has this face that just looks like he’s always smelling something bad. It works perfectly for a tyrant.

There is a scene where they are all standing around a big table. The hats in this scene are huge.

I kept wondering how they didn't knock each other's hats off when they bowed. It’s very distracting but kind of funny.

The movie feels very heavy. Not heavy like a sad book, but heavy like a big velvet curtain that needs a good dusting.

Everything is very slow. Sometimes a character will walk across a room and it feels like it takes five minutes. 🐢

It’s not exactly a comedy like The Kid Brother, that’s for sure. It takes itself very seriously.

I noticed that the music gets really loud whenever something "important" happens. Like, the movie is poking you in the ribs saying, "Hey! Pay attention! This is dramatic!"

Lorenzino is played by Alexander Moissi. He looks very stressed the whole time.

I guess if I was planning to kill my cousin, I would be stressed too. But he has this way of staring into space that makes him look like he forgot where he parked his horse. 🐎

The movie tries to make you feel bad for him. He’s supposed to be a hero, or a "rogue," but he mostly just looks like he needs a nap.

There is this one lady, Maria Denis. She is very pretty and the camera seems to love her.

Whenever she is on screen, the movie gets a bit brighter. Then she leaves and we are back to men whispering in the dark.

The sets are actually pretty cool. They look like real stone palaces, even if they are probably just painted wood and plaster.

It doesn't have the light feeling of something like Paris Interlude. It feels much older and more serious.

The assassination scene at the end is what everyone is waiting for. I won't spoil how it happens, even though it’s history and you can just look it up.

It’s very theatrical. Lots of grabbing at shirts and falling over chairs.

I think the movie wanted to start a fire in the audience’s heart about freedom. But mostly, it just made me want to go to Florence and see the real buildings.

There’s a lot of talk about the "exiles" and people who hate the Medici family. You never really see the crowd, though.

You just hear about them. It makes the world feel a bit empty, like only ten people live in all of Florence. 🏘️

Compared to the quiet drama in Silence, this is much more loud and operatic. It’s very Italian.

I liked the way they used light in the hallways. It made the palace feel spooky and dangerous.

But then someone would start a long speech and the mood would kind of break. People in the 16th century apparently loved to talk for a long time without breathing.

One guy in the back of a scene has a mustache that looks like it’s falling off. I couldn't stop looking at it. 🥸

The movie is called The Magnificent Rogue in some places, but in Italy, it's just Lorenzino de' Medici. The "magnificent" part feels like a bit of a stretch.

He’s more like the Anxious Cousin. But that probably wouldn't sell many tickets.

Is it a masterpiece? Probably not. It’s a bit clunky and the pacing is all over the place.

But if you like seeing how 1935 filmmakers imagined the Renaissance, it’s a fun trip. Just don't expect it to move very fast.

I give it points for the costumes alone. Those tights looked very uncomfortable. 👗

It's an okay movie for a quiet night. Just make sure you aren't already sleepy when you start it.