On M List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
The Magus (1968)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
1/24
1/24:
Michael Caine said publicly that The Magus was among the worst films he had been involved with because nobody
understood the plot.
Yeah, no kidding. Every time a question is asked, it's never answered. Stories are invented and then reinvented.
Identities are changed constantly like underwear. It's all patently ridiculous to me. Even Peter Sellers had this to say when
asked about going back in time to make changes in his life, "I would do everything exactly the same except I wouldn't see
The Magus."
The acting is fine. I like the cinematography. Unfortunately, it wasn't shot on location in Greece but in Majorca, Spain, for
the most part. Regardless, both got me through the ordeal rather nicely. Most of The Magus reminds me of
Deadfall which came out during the same year, and it's the latter that I recommend you to
see instead along with Sleuth. What I don't understand is Nicholas was hired to teach English but
he's barely shown working at the school.
Back to Michael Caine, he said in an interview for Time Out magazine that he had been obliged to star in the two
aforementioned films for 20th Century Fox and that he couldn't finish reading John Fowles' book due to its incomprehensible
story. While making the film, he still didn't understand what's going on although he did mention that he wanted to star in
a Fowles picture, which was anything at all, after seeing The Collector.
All in all, if nobody could understand the book for The Magus, then why proceed to make the movie?