Victorian Military Movies

[Jonathan]

Please keep discussions of historical accuracy (or lack thereof!) within the scope of the forum.

Thank you,
Jonathan

[Dieslunae]

Sorry ...

[Jonathan]

No harm done! I just wanted to keep the conversation from wandering too far away from our topic.

Adam,
Thank you for sharing this great list with us. Now I will see which of these films are available for rental...

Jonathan

[Liz]

Meant to post this a while ago... better late than never I suppose.

Here's another NWF film... Kenneth More in 'Northwest Frontier' is that set in Victorian times or later?

It's set in 1905 and was released in the US under the title 'Flame Over India'.

On the subject of 'The Man who would be King' - at one point before an avalanche they are talking about the Afghan Campaign and mention an incident with a Pipe-Major. Would that mean they were ex-72nd or 92nd Highlanders?

I am yet to see the movie or read the Kipling story it is based on, but I'd guess this is a reference to the kidnapping of the bandmaster of the 72nd Highlanders described by Garen here http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=312.

[Adam Brown]

Jonathan

Apologies from me too for straying off-topic. It's hard to resist sometimes.

There's plenty of films there to chose from. Some are complete rubbish but it's probably worth seeking them out just to see how bad they are!

Liz

I have now updated the list with your comments about 'Northwest Frontier' I had included it in the Post-Victorian section anyway.

Thanks for pointing out the great story about the bandmaster, I hadn't seen that before. It wasn't that though. I can't remember the details but I think it involves him accidentally leading a charge on an Afghan position.

Regards

Adam

[Liz]

Thanks for pointing out the great story about the bandmaster, I hadn't seen that before. It wasn't that though. I can't remember the details but I think it involves him accidentally leading a charge on an Afghan position.

You've got me curious so I've moved The Man Who Would be King towards the top of the pile of DVDs I want to watch... but please feel free to post an update if you get around to watching it before I do .

[10thHussar]

If its of interest ,one or two little gems can be gotten from here for your listening pleasure adn totally free. And particulary this original book by Kipling;

http://librivox.org/the-man-who-would-b ... d-kipling/

Also i can recomend this too;

http://librivox.org/mounted-police-life ... vice-1916/

Some of the readers may not be the best but never the less greast source for obscure books.

[Garen]

Thanks for pointing out the great story about the bandmaster, I hadn't seen that before. It wasn't that though. I can't remember the details but I think it involves him accidentally leading a charge on an Afghan position.

I'm going from my (very unreliable) memory here too - but don't they mention the Highlander in question leading a charge, kilt flying, at Ali Masjid? I should really check, but I'll probably get sucked into watching the whole film. They mention it while sitting on a snow ledge or something, I think.

The 72nd didn't wear kilts (except for their pipers) and weren't at Ali Masjid anyway, neither were the kilted 92nd or 78th, so we'll have to take it as a fictional Scots officer attached to Sam Browne's force.

[10thHussar]

It was on over the weekend and i watched it again. They were talking about the chap ran away but in the confusion he ran toward the enemy and everyone followed him and he won a 'bleedin medal' for it as they put it. They just called him pipe major something, no regiment mentioned. Just a movie thing i think as i dont recal it in the book?

Lee

[sidney7]

Hello everyone,

I came across a Victorian Era flick that might be worth mentioning.
It is a 1975 movie called 'Conduct Unbecoming', a cavalry regimental courtroom drama set in the days of the British Raj.

conductunbecoming.jpg (34.88 KiB) Viewed 2969 times

Here is the link describing the movie synopsis if anyone is interested.
http://www.britishempire.co.uk/media/dr ... ngfilm.htm


cheers
sid.

[Jonathan]

Thanks for the link, Sid.

That reminds me; I watched the 1970s Beau bridges and Jane Seymour version of "The Four Feathers". I enjoyed it the least of the three that are available on DVD in the US (1930s version, 1970s version, 2000s version). Did they colorize some of the footage from the '30s and re-use it?

I also watched two documentaries--one on the Crimea and one on the Zulu War 1879. Both were produced by Cromwell Productions and appeared to be from the early 1990s. They were alright,and fun to watch because they used footage from a few movies and had re-enactors reading soldiers' accounts of battles. Not knowing much about either campaign I cannot comment on their accuracy, but detail was not their forte as each was only 55 minutes.

Surprisingly "Young Winston" is not availavble on DVD here in the US, and it is a movie I'd very much like to see if for no other reason than the charge at Omdurman.

[Isandlwana]

Jonathan,

The 1939 Korda classic was filmed in colour. Some the footage made it in to Storm over the Nile the 1955 remake and again in the 1977 dire remake, as well as the 1964 film East of Sudan which includes a very young Jenny Agutter.

Isandlwana

[Jonathan]

Isandlwana,
Thank you. It has been a while since I have seen the 1939 version so I completely forgot it was in colour. I think I watch it along with Gunga Din on the same weekend, hence the confusion.

Jonathan

[Peter_Suciu]

I am a journalist and live in New York City (don't call me a "New Yorker"). But I've collected helmets for nearly 30 years, and I write for the American magazine Military Trader. I wrote this article on British Victorian movies a couple of years ago:

Red Coats and Pith Helmets: British Empire Movies
The Thin Red Line of Queen Victoria’s Soldiers as told in the cinema
By Peter Suciu

The sun never set on the British Empire during the reign of Queen Victoria, and while this era saw few major wars it was one of nearly constant strife around the world. The author Rudyard Kipling described these various conflicts as “savage wars of peace,” and many of these little wars have immortalized on film. As a result the heroics, blunders and other exploits of the “Soldiers of the Queen” will never be forgotten.

Breaker Morant (1980, Directed by Bruce Beresford)
Technically this film takes place after the Victorian Age, and is in fact set during the reign of her son Edward VII, yet this one perfectly captures the spirit of the British Empire at the dawn of the 20th Century. Based on a stage play, this courtroom drama asks the difficult of question of whether it is possible to charge soldiers with murder; especially as the line between combatant and non-combatant becomes so blurred in this new age of warfare.
Lt. Harry “Breaker” Morant (Edward Woodward) and two other officers are charged with shooting prisoners, and for the murder of a German missionary, during the Boer War in South Africa. Throughout their trial they maintain that they were merely following orders, at least in reference to the shooting of prisoners, a theme that would be repeated numerous times during the wars to follow. The film successfully uses flashbacks to convey the events as they happened in the field, and while the story is clearly favoring the accused men, it never becomes bogged down as an anti-British or even anti-war statement. Rather it conveys the complexity of fighting an enemy that uses unorthodox tactics with the same form of unorthodox tactics.
Re-released on DVD in a special collectors’ edition, this film along with “The Caine Mutiny” and “Paths of Glory,” is simply one of the best military courtroom dramas. And Woodward’s touching rendition of the song “Soldiers of the Queens” makes one question just what one’s duty required.

Action: **
Authenticity: ****
Plot/Story: *****
Acting: ****
Directing: ****
Available on DVD


The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936, Directed by Michael Curtiz)
Movies are not history, and few films attest to this a greatly as Michael Curtiz’s 1936 epic starring Errol Flynn as Major Geoffrey Vickers of the 27th Lancers. The first act of the film takes place in a fictional rebellious Indian province ready to ally with the Russians, and only after a bloated romantic love triangle involving Vickers’ fiancée and his brother does the story finally pick up the pace and move to the Crimea. The “charge” isn’t so much a mistake in this one, but rather was undertaken for reasons of honor and courage.
Second unit director B. Reeves “Breezy” Eason, not director Curtiz or even the Flynn’s portrayal of Vickers, can be credited with saving the day in this version. Eason. Eason, who had been the director of the chariot race in the silent version of “Ben-Hur,” and the burning of Atlanta in “Gone with the Wind,” stepped in to help recreate the epic charge. The result is one of the most spectacular action sequences ever captured on film. A combination of wide shots and moving cameras were used to film the hundreds of riders, who slowly begin their ride through the “valley of death” as the cannons begin to respond. The scene is memorable, but it had a high price. Reportedly one stuntman was killed during the filming. And more than 200 horses were actually injured, and had to be put down, and as a result of the US Congress passed new laws to protect animals during filming of movies! Valley of death indeed.

Action: ****
Authenticity: **
Plot/Story: ***
Acting: ***
Directing: ***
Not available on DVD


The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968, Directed by Tony Richardson)
This most recent update of the near-disastrous cavalry charge during the Crimean War is long on story, but short on action. It is filled with social commentary—at times brilliant and at times a bit too heavy handed—chronicling the events that led up to the British involvement in the Crimean War against Russia. It actually owes more to Tennyson’s poem than actual historical events, so there are some libraries in accuracy. The biggest flaw is that the film is more about the incompetence and petty bickering than anything else. Where are the heroes in this one?
While the 1936 version was big on action, and light on the problems with the leadership, this version crawls along, bogged down by too many unlikable characters. The actual charge is the climax of the film, but by the time this happens the build up is too great for too little payoff. Still this version is worth seeing if just for the fantastic recreations of period uniforms, not to mention some fine acting in a rich costume drama.

Action: **
Authenticity: ****
Plot/Story: ***
Acting: ***
Directing: ***
Available on DVD


The Four Feathers (1939, Directed by Zoltan Korda)
As with “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” this story has been remade several times. In fact, it is one of the most recounted stories, but the 1939 version starring John Clements, as Harry Faversham remains the best. As a young man with no interest in war, he joins the army to appease his ailing father. On the eve of his unit’s embarkation to take part in the re-conquest of the Sudan, Faversham resigns his commission. Shunned by his closest friends, as well as his fiancée, he is given four white feathers as a sign of his cowardice. To redeem himself he journeys to Africa, and after his unit is overwhelmed and his friends imprisoned, finds a way of saving the day!
Filmed with the original “three color” Technicolor process this version comes alive with vivid reds that capture the bright British jackets in England, and make the desert seem almost three dimensional as a result. Combined with the epic scale of the final assault at Omdurman, and reportedly the use of actual left over equipment from the actual era, the final act almost feels like a period documentary! This is certainly the definitive version to see.

Action: ****
Authenticity: *****
Plot/Story: ****
Acting: ****
Directing: ****
Available on DVD


The Four Feathers (2002, Directed by Shekhar Kapur)
The most recent retelling of this story should probably be viewed just prior to the superior 1939 version. Not only because the earlier movie is better, but also because this one covers an entirely different series of events. In fact, this outing takes place during the failed relief efforts to the besieged city of Khartoum, not the later re-conquest. Thus as a companion piece it will certainly help fill in some of the reasons for the urgency in the other film.
The same basic plot remains in place, with Faversham (Heath Ledger) resigning just before embarking to war. This time around his father is a general, no doubt to add to the pressures for him to be an officer and gentleman! In fact, Faversham is both in this version and would have likely been a career officer had that nasty war business happened. This makes his cowardice and redemption all the more serious.
Unfortunately, Kapur’s film suffers from numerous historical inaccuracies, notably the battle scene at Abu Klea, which is depicted here as a victory for the Mahdist forces. The cinematography is excellent however, and the equipment and uniforms are worth a peek as well. Lacking is a climactic battle, but this is about the fall of the Sudan, so be prepared to check out the 1939 – or at least the made-for-TV 1977 version instead for the full effect and to complete the story.

Action: ***
Authenticity: ***
Plot/Story: ***
Acting: ***
Directing: ***
Available on DVD


Gunga Din (1939, Directed by George Stevens)
Part swashbuckling adventure, part light-hearted romp – what’s not to love about this George Stevens film that stars Gary Grant, Victor McLaglen an Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as three fun loving sergeants, who fear their lives will change when one plans to leave the service. Set in British India during the Thuggee uprising, the film is based very loosely on the poem by Rudyard Kipling. The story is far from gritty but still manages to pack just enough punch with a showdown between the Thuggee’s and the British army in the film’s climax. Remade as the Rat Pack film “Sergeants Three,” this original is much better and bolder.

Action: ***
Authenticity: ***
Plot/Story: ****
Acting: ***
Directing: ****
Available on DVD


Khartoum (1966, Directed by Basil Dearden)
A hopeless lost cause and a heroic last stand can best sum up this film about Charles “Chinese” Gordon’s (Charleton Heston) defense of the city of Khartoum. While Heston is as miscast in the role of Gordon as John Wayne as Davey Crockett in “The Alamo,” both make for memorable – if not accurate or even believable – performances. Speaking of stretches, Laurence Olivier as The Mahdi, the leader of the Muslim Sudanese army, is on par with Wayne’s performance as Genghis Khan in “The Conqueror.” Olivier is jus as over the top, and while at times captivating he seems utterly inappropriate for the role.
If you can get past the absurd casting, Khartoum isn’t a bad film. It is a nail biter, which has you hoping the relief column will make it in time to break the Mahdist siege of the city. While there are numerous liberties with the facts; Gordon and The Mahdi never met in person, despite the scene in the film; the story is full of intrigue, action of course that heroic last stand.

Action: ****
Authenticity: ***
Plot/Story: ****
Acting: ***
Directing: ****
Available on DVD


The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935, Directed by Henry Hathaway)
When it was released in 1935 this was hailed as one of the greatest war films ever; albeit it is dated by today’s standards – and not a terribly authentic look of colonial rule in India – it remains a true classic, and one of Gary Cooper’s better preformances. As Lt. McGregor of the 41st Bengal Lancers, Cooper is charged with training two new officers: Lt. Forsythe, who is a bit pompous, and Lt. Stone, who is a little green, and also the son of the Lancer’s brusque commander. Of course father and son have a rocky relationship, and that is one of the key plot points throughout.
The film is light on character development and story, but packed with enough action to keep things flowing towards a predictable outcome. Filmed in California this one has an exotic look that manages to double for the northern frontier of India during the era of the Raj. Like many of the swashbuckling and cowboy of the films of the 1930s the when and where aren’t so crucial to the central theme of the movie. Seen in that context it is one of Cooper’s best, and fittingly is available in a deluxe box set that also includes “The General Died at Dawn” and “Beau Jest.”

Action: ****
Authenticity: ***
Plot/Story: ****
Acting: *****
Directing: ****
Available on DVD (as part of the Gary Cooper Collection)


The Man Who Would be King (1975, Directed by John Huston)
Not so much a story of the British Empire, but rather a fascinating tale of its soldiers after there are no wars to fight. Instead of heading back to England, Daniel Dravot (Sean Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Michael Caine) remain in India, surviving as grifters and petty thieves – that is until they hatch a scheme to head to the isolated land of Kafiristan to conquer the country, and become kings in their own right. After a treacherous journey they arrive, but Dravot isn’t merely accepted as a King, he is mistaken for a god!
Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling, who is portrayed in the film by Christopher Plummer, the tale could be transplanted to practically any era. If it were set in America following the Civil War, no doubt it would be an epic, yet fun-spirited western in some Aztec valley; instead the Middle Eastern flare makes the film especially poignant and timely today.
While not overly action packed, the film is filled with adventure and one reasonable engagement. Thanks to solid the casting, and acting of Connery and Caine this film of a ‘would be king’ rules the day!

Action: ***
Authenticity: ***
Plot/Story: ****
Acting: ****
Directing: ****
Available on DVD


Young Winston (1972, Directed by Richard Attenborough)
Actor Simon Ward practically made a career out of playing Victorian Era British soldiers during the 1970s, appearing in the often forgotten 1977 TV remake of “The Four Feather,” as well as “Zulu Dawn.” But his performance as teenage and early 20-something Winston Churchill while as a soldier in the service of his Queen remains his strongest performance.
Intermixing Churchill’s boyish youth with his early military exploits, Young Winston is a bit jarring and at times confusing. This was no doubt an attempt to help better explain the character, including his difficulties with studies and his strained family life. These help foreshadow to the greatness he would become; but the story could have been better served by focusing on Churchill’s military service in a more linear fashion. Here the film follows the future prime minister as he heads to boarding school, to the military academy of Sandhurst, and as a young officer to the Indian Frontier, then to the Sudan Campaign and then finally to his days as a correspondent during the Boer War, including his time as a prisoner of the Boers and his heroic escape!
Even if a bit slow in parts the film is a must-see, if only for the recreation of the cavalry charge at Omdurman – often considered the “last classic cavalry charge of the British Empire.” Unavailable on DVD, but occasionally broadcast on television, this is the story of the young man who would become the most famous soldier of Queen Victoria.

Action: ****
Authenticity: ****
Plot/Story: ***
Acting: ****
Directing: ***
Not available on DVD


Zulu (1964, Directed by Cy Endfield)
From the opening sequence showing the aftermath of the battle of Isandhlwana, the worst defeat by a European army against a native force, to the final moments where the few defenders of the mission station at Rorke’s Drift proudly sing “Men of Harlech” while waiting for an assault by thousands of Zulu, this one arguably remains the definitive film of the British army in the Victorian Age. Based on the actual events, Zulu is akin to the British version of “The Alamo,” but with an almost unexpected outcome!
Michael Caine and Stanley Baker bring the characters of Lt. Broomhead and Lt. Chard (respectively) to life, and although the rest of the supporting cast is almost reduced to caricatures, with “the criminal,” “the coward,” and “the pacifist,” the film doesn’t suffer in the least. Instead these established “roles” help convey the story – even criminals and cowards need to do their part if there is any hope to survive! More than any of the other films in this round-up, Zulu is greatly aided by the music, from the Zulu’s tribal chants to the aforementioned Welsh war song to John Barry’s pounding and intense score.
There are some minor oversights, such as plates on the front of the Foreign Service Helmets (something that would have never been worn), and the fact that the Zulu didn’t use Martini-Henry rifles picked up from British dead when attacking the mission station. However, these problems aside, Zulu is the sort of film that manages to capture this one battle so well, without dragging out the story either, that you’ll practically want to pick up a rifle yourself to join the defenders!

Action: *****
Authenticity: ****
Plot/Story: *****
Acting: ****
Directing: ****
Available on DVD


Zulu Dawn (1979, Directed by Douglas Hickox)
This film is of course an ideal companion piece to “Zulu,” for which it is a prequel, depicting the events at Isandhlwana, where 1500 British soldiers were defeated by an army of Zulu. It is also an excellent overview of how many of Queen Victoria’s little wars began. The British army marches off to what they believe to be a quick victory, which instead ends in disaster. The results of which are a wake up call for the rest of the campaign. So too is this film, but unfortunately it just ends. While “Zulu” works so well because it doesn’t try to be part of a larger story, Zulu Dawn fails for some of the same reasons. If this had been part of a larger mini-series on the war it would make for a great first and second act. On its own it is too hard to understand the reasons for the war, or even the impact it had on the South African colonies.
As British Empire films go, Zulu Dawn, which was also written by “Zulu” writer/director Cy Endfield, is ripe with historical liberties and plenty of inaccuracies to satisfy the most hardcore nitpicker – such as the fact the troopers use carbines instead of Martini-Henry rifles during the climatic battle. Likewise, the film has too many villains within the British ranks; everyone from Lord Chelmsford (Peter O’Toole), who splits his force in enemy territory, to Quartermaster Bloomfield (Peter Vaughan), who is unable to keep the men adequately supplied with ammunition during the heat of battle.
It isn’t the perfect movie, but it is worth watching to get you excited for the thrills of “Zulu.”

Action: ****
Authenticity: ***
Plot/Story: ****
Acting: ****
Directing: ****
Available on DVD

[Peter_Suciu]

Two more films that were included in a different article:

The Tiger and the Flame (Jhansi Ki Rani)
1952, Directed by Sohrab Modi
While this year's Academy Award Winning Best Picture Slumdog Millionaire may have put India on the map when it comes to mainstream cinema, in fact the nation has a long history in the movie business. Much of the films are romances and love stories, but it is worth noting that The Tiger and the Flame was actually one of the nation's first historical epics, and was also the first picture shot in Technicolor in India. This film is also notable as being among the only films to cover the events of the 1857 Indian Mutiny.
The Tiger and the Flame focuses on the Indian side of the uprising against the British East India Company, yet is hardly an unbalanced film. In fact, it actually strives to present both sides of the story with reasonable accuracy. And while this isn't exactly a Bollywood movie - known for the extravagant dance numbers - this does include a few musical performances. The story focuses on a young girl, Jhansi Ki Rani (which happens to be the Indian title of the film) as she grows up and eventually becomes one of the leading figures in the mutiny. Thanks to the help of Hollywood cinematographer Ernest Haller and English film editor Russell Lloyd the production is top notch. However, much of the equipment is anachronistic - notably the British uniforms and firearms - and unfortunately only a heavily edited pan-and-scan version is currently available on DVD. This detracts from the visuals, but the story remains strong, especially for anyone interested in learning more about these fascinating events.

Action: ***
Authenticity: ***
Plot/Story: ***
Acting: ***
Directing: ****

The Rising: The Ballad of Mangal Pandey
2005, Ketan Mehta
This film serves well as a companion piece to The Tiger and the Flame, as it looks at the key events leading up to the legendary 1857 Indian Mutiny. Central to the story is Indian Sepoy (soldier) Mangal Pandey, who befriends his British commanding officer William Gordon during the Anglo-Afghan Wars. During the story Pandey, who was a real life character and became the catalyst of the mutiny, witnesses the introduction of the Enfield rifle musket and its infamous "greased cartridges." These of course contained pig and cow fat, which was affront to the Muslim and Hindu soldiers of the East India Company.
Bollywood star Aamir Khan's performance of the title character is impressive, and viewers can easily understand his desire to be loyal both to his British superiors while staying true to his religion. The film follows the Bollywood tradition of including a few musical and dance numbers, but remains a serious drama with lush settings and some of the most impressive recreations of period uniforms and costumes. As it follows the life of Pandey it ends before the actual mutiny, and thus is not overly heavy on action - but it is never short on military drama.

Action: **
Authenticity: ****
Plot/Story: ****
Acting: ****
Directing: ***

Available on DVD