The novel was a satire but is filmed as a straight drama.
It's grim, and not at all funny.
The "Dr. Strangelove" approach might have been more effective.
A Handful of Dust was, upon its release, Evelyn Waugh's most serious novel to date though I agree, it is primarily satirical.
Only rarely does the film capture the novel's humor.
Not surprisingly, the one section of the film that works just as well for me as the novel is that involving the comically sinister character played by Alec Guinness.
"I've got six black Cordelias. Isn't that lovely?"