MovieChat Forums > Gunga Din (1939) Discussion > Gunga Din's Eulogy (Some Spoilers)

Gunga Din's Eulogy (Some Spoilers)

posted 18 years ago by mbphilly
22 replies | jump to latest

Anyone else cry a bit as the Colonel (played very well by Montague Love) read the eulogy/Kipling's poem about Gunga Din over the body of the fallen hero? I did a little, especially when I saw Cary Grant wince out some tears. And when the Bagpipers start playing the marching song, and the ghost of Din in the full uniform of a British soldier hovers over? Heartfelt ending. I was cheering for Din. It cost him his life, but he did truly save the regiment from slaughter. The least they could have done was give him a posthumous military rank.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!
--Michael Palin (Monty Python's Flying Circus)

[–] DelendaEst 17 years ago

yeah the ending hit me like a freight train. such an awesome serious ending in an otherwise pretty funny movie.

[–] carnimirie-1 17 years ago

Yep. What a great ending.

[–] RichN36 17 years ago

I agree what a great ending. Didn't mist up but did get that lump in the Throat at seeing the Ghorst of Gunga Din. What a way to grab the audience.

so i'll meet 'im later on
at the place where 'e is gone
Where its always double drill and no canteen,
'e'll be squatin' on the coals
Given' drinks to poor damn souls
and I'll get a swig in Hell from Gunga Din!
Yes Din! Din! Din!
you lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!
though I belt you and flayed you
by the lvin' Gawed that made you,
your a better man then I am, Gunga Din.

Rudyard Kipling

[–] Milton_Hall 17 years ago

Yes, I got a little misty-eyed at the end, I always do.

The ending is a great tribute to courage, duty and true camaraderie.

"Do you think I'm slipping?" Norman Maine as Fredric March

[–] brownblur 17 years ago

Havent seen it for years, unfortunately, but I remember that lump in the throat...

No! I’M Spartacus….& so is my Wife…

[–] bucksix 17 years ago

I'm getting choked up reading your comments.
Not a joke or a smart alec comment. I'm serious.

[–] stealthman 16 years ago

I always do.
They just don't make movies like that anymore.

"WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND THEY IS US"

POGO

[–] stealthman 16 years ago

Listen closely to the Colonel's speech.
They do.

"WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND THEY IS US"

POGO

[–] matt_garth 16 years ago

And they did give him military rank, as the Colonel proclaims that he will be made a corporal and his name will be listed with their honored dead. His spirit remains, and the last image shows Din finally be able to present a perfect salute.

"Take 'em to Missouri"

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Skye_Reynolds 15 years ago

When the 'ghost' of Gunga Din gave his salute, I couldn't help but salute back.

[–] bluegrassdude5601 15 years ago

I was very, very moved by the end. The image of him in uniform, the Auld Lang Syn tune, and what he did was very soul-stirring and emotional, so much that I actually returned his salute.

[–] YGoodwriter 15 years ago

Very touching ending. I've heard that it was originally filmed without the ghost image of Din. However the preview audience found the finale a bit too sad so they re-edited it to include the smiling ghost of Din in full uniform and perfect salute.

[–] lmh-10 15 years ago

For what it is worth: according to George Macdonald Fraser Berolt Brecht choked up at the end of Gunga Din, even though he knew he shouldn't (for political and historical reasons.)

Brecht himself on this via Google Books http://books.google.com/books?id=shBEabmZMrcC&pg=PA151&lpg=PA1 51&dq=brecht+gunga+din&source=bl&ots=igum51sEbV&sig=AM 9SXKCq2gx2dYJASohOaro-BUM&hl=en&ei=rTtzStf3FYf-M5uF8bAM&sa =X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=brech t%20gunga%20din&f=false

[–] Tresix 14 years ago

I hope one of the revival houses here gets this. I'd love to see an audience reaction to Din's salute at the end. They used a similar ending for The Return of the Jedi and I had the same reaction...dabbing at my eyes while applauding (at least in the original version where they used Sebastian Shaw as the ghost of the elder Anakin Skywalker instead of replacing him with Hadyn Christiansen).

s to the left of me.
s to the right.
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you!