Great British Army films

[carl]

I just was reviewing my own favorite movies

and 4 immediately came to mind:

Bridge on the River Kwai

Tunes of Glory

The Hill

Zulu

They all have a study in leadership in the British Army.

I am certain they were all British productions.

Alec Guinness' acting as Jock Sinclair and Colonel Nicholson

will never by surpassed.

Ian may remember Harry Andrews who was

outstanding as the Sgt Major in "The Hill".

[quincannon]

Of those four Tunes of Glory was my favorite, although I must say I was moved greatly on the way home from the doctor's yesterday, when my classical station here in CS played about a half hours worth of the score from Zulu, including both of the occasions when Company B sung. That is as good as it comes.

You know Holden was not at all bad in Kwai, but Guinness just blew him away. I always liked the Jack Hawkins portrayal as well.

I would add "In Which We Serve" to those four though.

[yanmacca]

Good morning Carl, yes I am the proud owner of all four of those films, much to the dismay of my missus who views the boxes and boxes of DVDs as clutter and should be given away once viewed.

I have been collecting old WW2 films, many of which were really flag wavers for the moral back home, my two favorites are "the way back" and "went the day well"

I also have a large collection of Sherlock Holmes DVDs, some of which are quite rare.

Andrews was great in the Hill, but a actor who also stands out in that film was Ian Hendry, he was brilliant as the sadistic Sgt Major.

[quincannon]

I suppose I should have taken heed of the word Army in the thread before I decided to like "In Which We Serve" so much.

Colonel Nicholson in Kwai is a manifestation of what would be later called Stockholm Syndrome, a clear identification with his captors, which leads him, bound by a distorted sense of duty to cooperate with them, and in so doing lend aid and comfort to the enemy.

It is clearly a morality play, and the tipping point in the moral crisis is the scene between Nicholson and the Holden character early in the movie when both are sitting at the table in Nicholson's quarters.

If anyone wonders. A soldier in captivity has one primary duty, that being to escape, and baring that, present a constant impediment to his captors. You don't stop being a soldier when you enter Stalag 17, you just find new ways to confound your enemies.

[yanmacca]

Hart's War is another good film featuring American POWs, The Colditz story, The wooden horse and Albert RN are three good British films which tell the story of life as a POW.