i have see several yul brynner film yet this be his best performance a the camera capture his emotion in close up a he snarl and smile and and laugh . brynner might have be equally arrest in ten commandment and tara bulba and the magnificent seven and the brother karamazov and the mad woman of chaillot but none of these film have capture his range of talent in close ups a in this one . he be arrest and tantalize to watch in every shot . equally fascinating and sexy and without remove her clothes and be deborah kerr . the script allow her to exude a sensuality that be not visual but suggestive she reprise this sort of role year later in the night of iguana . the film do not suggest that she sleep with anyone to help with the release of the group from the clutch of the russian in fact she be show a run away from the russian major ( in contrast to the maupassant story or the isak denisen story ) . yet the film burst with suggest but real physical allure of the kerr character . kerr can never be classify a a beautiful actress in my view and but she be a superb actress . she put her soul into dignify the character that she portray and which often clash with the spirit of the character . it be this contradiction that make her role in the journey and quo vadis and and the night of iguana memorable . why be this an unusual film . it be not easy in hollywood to see russian character portray a good people dr zhivago be an exception . brynner romance of a horse thief be again great cinema by abraham polonsky but never acknowledge a such because of the intolerance towards leftists in the post mccarthy era . the film be also unusual in it casting great french actor gerard oury and anouk aimee rub shoulder with jason robards jr and british actor robert morley . in many way the film be international than american . all four be great actor and add to the entertainment . those who have read maupassant and denisen work will find the film be not true to either work . yet the film can stand on it own a it sanitize ( censor . ) version have a dignified charm of it own provide by the reality of the night that lead to the release of the group . i think litvak deserves to have the last laugh in provide an interesting and plausible twist to the tale that lead to the making of the film and while entwine bit of both write tale ( e. g. the last bus ride and the final kiss ) but i do have one grouse why do hollywood never acknowledge the source that inspire the story . only recently ( e. g. and insomnia ) have the original work begin to be mention prominently in the credit .