MovieChat Forums > The Four Feathers (2002) Discussion > Social accuracy

Social accuracy

posted 12 years ago by d-phillipson-446-481929
2 replies | jump to latest

The main contrast with the 1939 Korda film is that that got the social environment right and the Hollywood film badly wrong, e.g.
1. The regiment's "shipping out" = US 20th century usage.
2. Hero Harry appears in London in civilian clothes first wearing a cloth cap (worn by gentlemen only for hiking or shooting sports, never "in town,") secondly hatless. No gentlemsn ever appeared hatless in public.
3. The desert march shows officers on camels (OK) armed with rifles (wrong.) Rifles were rankers weapons; officers carried only pistols and sword.
4. In Egypt, the army buys materials with paper currency. It should have been gold coin.
5. After the disaster, an officer in uniform addresses a public meeting about government policy. This was strictly forbidden (and officers did not wear uniform when in civilian society.)
The general point is that Victorian army officers followed a strict code of behavior that governed what they did. This is what the story The Four Feathers is about. The Hollywood version ignored or obscured this.

[–] Ridgeback08 11 years ago

You sir, are correct

[–] ccorraliza 9 years ago

Officer could use a long gun. Burnaby has a hunting shotgun in the actual canpaign.

I believe some British officers used carbines when in the mounted rifleman role in the Zulu War. Hlobane comes to mind.

But yes I thought it was unusual as well. Mounted rifleman column I thought.