jfarms1956 The movie, The Buccaneer, is a movie which might best appeal to older children, 10 - 14 and those who are 40 and up who enjoy adventure type films with pirates and or old style soldiers. It is not quite your typical pirate film. It is a fictional drama about the war of 1812 and the Battle of New Orleans. The most remarkable thing about this film is that Yul Brynner has HAIR in this film. I am sure that he did other films with hair, but this is my first film which I have seen him in with HAIR. I had to keep listening to him to re-verify that it was indeed Yul Brynner. This is a good movie to watch on a lazy afternoon or late at night. Other than the hair, it is an easily forgotten movie. Enjoy it for the fictional historical type drama. Remember it is Hollywood, not the historical society putting the film on.

elshikh4 A very catchy real character, great dialogue, strong sensitive music, nice art direction, and a good respectable cast. So what's the problem with that movie from the good old Hollywood and from the mighty (Anthony Quinn) as a director for the first and last time in his life ? Is it the script, or the editing ? I'll tell you..I see that the main character is a drama's treasure, a type of hero which movies long for, so maybe (Quinn) found himself in love (or found himself !) with that wild-hearted free-spirit pirate, famous intense personality, and that exceptional lover. But the studio wanted other things ! The strict (Cecil B. DeMille), (Quinn)'s father-in-law at the time, was the head of the production. Although he was only the uncredited executive producer but for instance you still can read his name on the top of the authentic poster as (Cecil B. DeMille Presents). He saw a good pirate adventure in that story to make an assured commercial movie, consequently by controlling the editing the taste had been changed and the final result was that confused movie !Sometimes you find yourself into it as another buccaneer's adventure with all the fights and the hot ironic dialogue. Then you find yourself into that drama of (Jean Lafitte) and the historical role he played during the war of 1812 !! There wasn't quite a harmony between the 2 overlapping movies, so the ultimate feeling was close to perturbation as it's a cup of coffee with some soda in it !So perhaps the accused is that script which annoyed the big bosses at Hollywood and overstepped their desired requirements to discuss the man's life and choices plus the details of the war, or it's the anxiety of a producer (who happened to be here Mr. DeMille himself) over a movie that must be much simpler and more commercial, so actually it's nothing but the eternal clash between the artist and the producer! But (The Buccaneer) is still fun to watch even if all the battles were inside the studio, and the make-up of (Charlton Heston) seemed horrible !, or even if some of the story lines looked overlooked ! I loved the movie's smart selection for that unique character, its dramatic hesitation between 2 worlds (the aristocratic society and the freedom of the oceans), and how his love of the freedom conquered as he found himself with the wild gypsy girl eventually. Also, the very enjoyable dialogue; in fact there is a list of 7 persons wrote the script so I don't know who I'll give the credit of writing clever lines like : (you know everything about being a classy woman but you don't know anything about being a woman !), (if my hair knew my plans then I'll shave it !), (enjoy the silence before it ends), (I don't need a world but you), and the cleverest of them all when the girl told (Lafitte) the man she adores and the killer of her father as well (I can't leave you…You became part of everything I love or hate). Over and above the music of (Elmer Bernstein). He is one of the greatest composers whom ever wrote for movies, when he died in 2004 he left a 50 years' legacy of superb working. This time his music was powerfully expressive of (Jean Lafitte)'s main conflict, so the sense of greatness and heartache in him to an imposing extent makes you feel that it's bigger than the movie, or as big as its unfulfilled original ambition.

jessicaspx The Buccaneer is a movie about the history of Jean Lafitte, and his involvement in the War of 1812. However, the movie seemed to be a little too entertaining to be considered a recollection of history itself. Lafitte's actions of stealing goods which aren't his and breaking promises causes his hero-like image to be demolished. The Buccaneer was solely entertainment; one of it's main plots being the love life of Jean Lafitte rather than his role in the actual war. The entertainment though, is funny and keeps the viewers attention. Jokes and puns throughout the movie provide a more lightened mood to some serious scenes. Altogether, the movie was good, and the entertainment provided, supplied the viewer with a more interesting plot.

StormBorn Sure, the history in this movie was "Hollywoodized"--but it's far from being the only bit of history rewritten for the masses. Lafitte sided with the Americans because he considered himself a Frenchman and therefore hated the British, not because of any sense of patriotism for a nation that had taken over New Orleans only a short time ago; he broke his agreement and returned to smuggling, which caused his sailing to Galveston; he was more of a petty criminal and scoundrel than a hero *or* a swashbuckler. But who cares? This is one movie that's sheer entertainment--and face it, we all wanted Jean to go for the feisty wench rather than the prudish daughter of the governor. Brynner once again rises over mediocre writing to give a fascinating performance.