This is a good film, which I much enjoyed. But prospective viewers should not expect, as I did before seeing it, a shoot-em-up adventure. There is very little violence; in some ways the film is a comedy, especially the "action scene" near the end involving the Bofors guns. RSM Lauderdale is a great character, and the film is a great character-study of this interesting man; but don't expect some sort of Rorkes Drift in post-colonial Africa.
share I thought the ending would have been more of a shocker/surprise if Lauderdale or Wilkes, or both, blew up the guns and were killed trying to get back to the sergeants mess. They think they're doing something important, but in reality they're part of a fight that didn't need to happen.
Pretty good movie though overall, although I agree another action scene here or there could have helped.
"Congratulations, Major. It appears that at last you have found yourself a real war." Ben Tyreen
I found the film extremely disappointing.Wouldn`t call it a comedy but very little drama,grit,tension and frankly quite boring.Only worth watching for Sir Dickie and that`s about it.(worth listening to an excellent commentary track on the U.S. r1 dvd by John Leyton)
Really enjoyed it.Extremely accurate picture of what happened in Africa after we pulled out.Arrogant bastards like Boniface did take over-and we all know what followed.
share[deleted]
I think it was the fact that the chap entered the mess "with is at on is ead"-that really bristled Attenborough`s moustache.Need to watch this again- maybe I was unduly harsh the first time around.I`d rate it as one of Sir Dickie`s best performances - 10 Rillington Place certainly being one of the others.
share[deleted]
That's all too true Marltayloruk.
As one who grew up in the Colonies this film has it all. Those who have poo-poohed it have no idea of character, colonialism or the might of the Warrant Officers [I or II].
We've seen it already, Idi Amin, Lt Jerry Rawlings, Robert Mugabe and Linden Forbes Samson Burnham* wrecking their particular countries.
*Burnham was Affro-Guyanese and President of former British Guiana [BG] now Guyana.
Attenborough's character was spot on for the RSM for they are the men who run the Army, the officer corps merely manage it.
Same here. I was expecting an Assault on Precinct 13 situation and the whole thing ended up as kind of a huge slapstick comedy, in a weird way. I still liked the movie a lot and thought the acting was great, but it's not even really a war film, per se.
shareWould've loved to introduce RSM Lauderdale to RSM Young of the "Wild Geese"-the ultimate soldiers?
share