 Judith Crist praised the film as " stark , simple , concentrating on word and performance , serv [ ing ] as a reminder of where the substance of the play lies . " Pauline Kael also criticized the poor sound , but gave a favorable review overall , singling out the film 's casting and calling Welles 's performance " very rich , very full . " She said the Battle of Shrewsbury sequence was " unlike any battle scene done on the screen before . " Cahiers du Cinema critic Serge <unk> also praised both the film and Welles 's ability to make great films on the subject of power . Roger Ebert praised the film as " a magnificent film , clearly among Welles ' greatest work . " 
