SWANN IN LOVE

Two couples of very different sorts: Irons, Muni, Delon, Baby

SWANN IN LOVE (1984). Director: Volker Schlondorff.

Charles Swann (Jeremy Irons of The Pink Panther 2) develops an all-consuming passion for a former courtesan named Odette (Ornella Muti of Flash Gordon), and is warned by friends that it could ruin his sterling reputation if he ever marries her. Meanwhile his close friend, the Baron de Charlus (Alain Delon of The Leopard) conducts (fairly) discreet affairs with a variety of men. Charles becomes obsessed with the idea that Odette has been with women (an experience for her that he would be cut off from), as he's obviously nothing like the 21st century men who might find it a turn-on if their girlfriends fooled around with other women. Swann in Love is taken from sections of Marcel Proust's many-volumed novel, In Search of Lost Time (aka Remembrance of Things Past) , especially part of the first volume (Swann's Way) and jumbles things around while still dealing with many of Proust's fascinating themes. As for Odette's possible lesbian past, Swann's search for the truth almost unfolds as a mystery, but then is dropped as Swann temporarily comes to the conclusion that Odette is not really his type. Other characters include the Duchesse de Geurmantes (Fanny Ardent), who hopes to snare Charles for herself, and Madame Verdurin (Marie-Christine Barrault), an alleged patroness of the arts whom Charles thinks is practically a procuress for Odette. We also briefly meet a young Jewish man (Nicolas Baby) who angers the baron when he rejects his pass in a coach. The performances are all good, the Parisian settings and atmosphere are impeccable, and the movie is reasonably entertaining, but ultimately it just adds up to a collection of scenes instead of a really good movie. One of the best of these scenes has the Baron mounting a staircase, staring at and flirting with all of the male attendants along the way, while Charles seems clueless. Although Delon is a bit foppish as the baron, at least he doesn't mince it up too much.

Verdict: Others have said that it would be nearly impossible to capture Proust's prose for the screen and they're probably right. **1/2.

FLASH GORDON (1980)

Flash and winged Vultan lead the attack on Ming's palace

FLASH GORDON (1980). Director: Mike Hodges.

Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones) and Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) are shanghaied to Mongo by nutty professor Arkov (Topol of For Your Eyes Only) when Ming (Max von Sydow) begins terrorizing the earth for sport. There Flash meets Ming's daughter, the sexy Princess Aura (Ornella Muti), who has a hankering for the hunky quarterback; Prince Barin of Arboria (Timothy Dalton), who is betrothed to the unfaithful Aura; and Vultan (Brian Blessed), leader of a race of winged warriors. These disparate groups eventually become allies but will even they be able to beat the forces of Ming? While there are many things to like about this version of Flash Gordon, ultimately it's a disappointment. There's no reason to harp about its silliness, as the original serials were pretty silly (but not campy). Jones is acceptable as the heroic Flash, and Anderson isn't bad as Dale, but the acting honors go to von Sydow (although he can't erase the memory of the wonderful Charles Middleton); Dalton as the prince; Peter Wyngarde as Klytus, the masked head of the secret police (Wyngarde's face is never seen but he makes a definite impression); and Mariangela Melato as the nasty General Kala, who wields a mean whip. Muti deserves special mention for her excellent, seductive portrayal of Aura, who switches sides when her own father has her tortured by (unseen) bore worms. Flash Gordon's strength lies in its striking scenic design -- Ming's magnificent palace; the land of Arboria which consists of mile-high trees; Vultan's HQ in the sky -- and a couple of memorable scenes, chief of which is a battle between Flash and Barin atop a floating platform, miles in the air above Mongo, which begins to tilt precariously during the battle and even shoots out spikes from its surface. There's also a crab-like creature that lives below the surface of Arboria and reaches up to ensnare Flash, and an interesting sequence when Zarkov's memories are expunged and we see quick glimpses of his life as it goes backwards. A sobering scene, at odds with the rest of the movie, depicts a boy who tests his manhood in a bizarre ritual, and dies (with hardly anyone giving him a thought). A big problem with the movie is that it has no suspense or real sense of danger -- that the earth itself is about to be destroyed -- until the very final minutes. Rock group Queen's theme music is awful, but it's interesting that Wagner's wedding march from Lohengrin is played even on Mongo! The ending sets up a sequel which never materialized. One wouldn't have considered this an auspicious debut for Jones (he actually had small roles in two previous films), but the actor amassed 76 credits after this film, and starred as The Spirit on TV. Anderson mostly did TV work as well. Muti has had a long career of mostly Italian films. Peter Wyngarde was the star of Burn, Witch, Burn.

Verdict: Opulent, with some good scenes and performances, but one can see why there wasn't a sequel. **1/2.