Swinging Sixties star David Hemmings is eager but uncomfortable as Alfred in this action-filled historical epic dealing with the career of the famous cake-burner before he earned the name Great. The story is set in ninth-century Anglo-Saxon England, where Prince Alfred, King Ethelred's brother, postpones his decision to become a priest to lead an army against the Danish invaders, but his triumph leaves him shocked at his blood-lust. A thoughtful script with intelligent if sometimes tedious dialogue plus great battle scenes highlight a well produced, handsome looking movie from a short-lived time of optimism and expansion in British films - but its box-office failure was another nail in our industry's coffin. Michael York and a young Ian McKellen also star.

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