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"Charge of the Light Brigade" Topic


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Personal logo Flashman14 Supporting Member of TMP13 Apr 2004 7:15 a.m. PST


Is this movie any good? It's all over the place for $9.99 on DVD but if it's a clunker I think I'll pass ...

Para Bellum13 Apr 2004 7:21 a.m. PST

I have always heard that the charge is one of the best war movie scenes ever.

Highland Guerilla13 Apr 2004 7:30 a.m. PST

Its almost like a Brit.version of a spaghetti western for grittyness and realism and great fun to watch,all the more so for being factual.Bit o controversy over whose mistake(or non mistake) it was.

Steve Hazuka13 Apr 2004 7:36 a.m. PST

I enjoyed it but I don't much about the period myself. I thought I moved pretty well. I owned it on VHS so I'll have to get it on DVD. Did they enhance it at all?

PeteMurray13 Apr 2004 7:58 a.m. PST

Find out what you can about the DVD transfer. Some old Hollywood movies have been done over to DVD and they're unwatchable.

jizbrand13 Apr 2004 8:01 a.m. PST

The history is wretched. The uniforms are grand. And the charge is spot on! For ten bucks, it is worth it just for that.

Kepplock13 Apr 2004 8:12 a.m. PST

Is 'The Light Horsemen' a remake of this or are they unrelated?

I saw the Light Horseman years ago and have been unable to find it again and wondered if it was available under another name.

Dan Beattie13 Apr 2004 8:16 a.m. PST

One of the best war movies ever and reasonbly accurate.

rmaker13 Apr 2004 8:17 a.m. PST

Unrelated. 'The Light Horsemen' is about the Australian Light Horse in the Middle East in WW1. 'Charge of the Light Brigade' is about the Crimean War.

dBerczerk13 Apr 2004 8:33 a.m. PST

Which version?

Errol Flynn (1930s) or John Hemmings (1970s)?

Either would be a bargain for $10.00 USD on DVD.

Believe there was a silent version done earlier too, but have never seen it.

vtsaogames13 Apr 2004 8:42 a.m. PST

The Errol Flynn version is a stirring movie with almost no relation to the actual events. The Light Brigade wins, for starters.

Tony Richardson's later version is way more accurate, if not so grand. Gielgud as Raglan is wonderful to watch, and makes you glad you weren't commanded by this chap.

$10? Get it, whichever one it is.

John the OFM13 Apr 2004 9:43 a.m. PST

"All over the place" ... Where?

John the Eager

Porthos13 Apr 2004 10:38 a.m. PST

I wouldn't buy the Errol Flynn's version if interested in history. Tony Richardson has captured the Victorian Flavour very nicely (IMHO), this movie is full of small interesting parts (the Brown Bottle incident, the enormous difference between the classes, the various battles (not only Balaclava). A must-have for every person even vaguely interested in Victorian Age.

Regards,

Luc.

Porthos13 Apr 2004 10:41 a.m. PST

Oh, and "dBerczerk": I 'm afraid it's David Hemmings (playing captain Nolan), not John....

Personal logo Flashman14 Supporting Member of TMP13 Apr 2004 10:47 a.m. PST

It must be the 70's version ... You know I didn't look but it may be Pan & Scan in which case I'm passing ... I'll check it out ...

In NYC we have this small chain called Entertainment Outlet - everything - even new releases is cheaper than the usual Virgin/Borders/B&N options ... But I have seen this exact disc at the other places for $14-19.99. I think even Suncoast has it for 10 ...

You want I should get you a copy John? (Watch - once I make an offer it will be NOWHERE)


Bran Mak Morn13 Apr 2004 11:42 a.m. PST

Is it the one where the 17th Lancers used their lances as javelins or the one with the whole Light Brigade in pink overalls? My memory might be failing me, please bear with me :-)

Personal logo Nashville Supporting Member of TMP13 Apr 2004 12:43 p.m. PST

Wonderful film and worth the 10 bucks AND when are ready to game the war come visit us at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/CrimeanWargame/

mweaver13 Apr 2004 3:55 p.m. PST

The 70s version is not bad history. It addressed (in passing) some interesting military social issues - "India" officers vs. regular officers, the plight of soldiers' wives married "off the strength", etc. One of my favorite bits was the section of animated Victorian-style cartoons.

The Errol Flynn version was an interesting fantasy.

Personal logo Flashman14 Supporting Member of TMP13 Apr 2004 7:51 p.m. PST

Good! I'm glad to hear it's not laughable history. I don't mind a few details being off but I want a reasonable portrayal of battlefield events ...

rmaker13 Apr 2004 8:03 p.m. PST

The history isn't laughable, but it is filtered through '60's-'70's pseudo-radical politics.

CeAcatl14 Apr 2004 4:02 p.m. PST

Bran Mak Morn

Remember seeing a documentary about the making of the movie where they talked about the months of research they did on the history and uniforms to get it right. (My theory is they mixed there colour at the laundrette and the reds from the infantry coats ran into the blues of the lancer's strides and voila pink cavalry) well if it's anything like my local laundrette.

rmaker

Documentary also pointed out they tried to make it in part anti-sixties radicalism. David Hemmings the lead character in any other movie of the era would have been anti the futility of war sympathetic character, instead they made him a gung ho war lover.


Anybody remember the cartoons in the movie? I think the animated bits are the best bits of the movie.

RICARDUS3515 Apr 2004 4:47 a.m. PST

No- the producers decided that all British cavalry would wear Cherry red trousers so as to help audience identification. There was an article by Mollo in a mag with loads of pictures of cast and extras in uniform

mweaver15 Apr 2004 5:45 a.m. PST

I used to have the soundtrack a billion years ago, as an LP. Not one of the best, but it did have some good tracks on it. I wonder what ever happened to that album?

John the OFM15 Apr 2004 7:24 a.m. PST

The DVD, the Richardson/Gielgud version, IS available on Amazon.com. I just checked. It is the US/Canada version.

skink master18 Apr 2004 4:32 a.m. PST

Trevor Howard was great as Lord Cardigan.They even got the dislike between him and Lord Lucan right.I almost fell out of my chair the first time I heard the "knackered donkey" comment.I was lucky enough to get this movie on tape off a cable channel.

Graycat23 Jan 2017 6:27 a.m. PST

Has anyone got a clear link to the song version of the poem from the movie? I used to have an LP of it, but I think it went the way of the rest of the LPs I had (Halp Price books throws LPs directly into the dumpster).

Great War Ace23 Jan 2017 2:40 p.m. PST

Thread necromancy, of the first order!

Thanks. I didn't even know there was a later version. Necromancy just took $7.03 USD out of my checking account. I look forward to seeing this one.

Reading the most popular (2004) review: the comment (2012) warns that this is not the original 139 minute version, but "only" the 131 minute version. Hmm. I wonder what got edited out? Any help on this?……………

skinkmasterreturns23 Jan 2017 9:19 p.m. PST

Wow a 13 year old post of mine.

Captain Gideon26 Jan 2017 9:26 a.m. PST

I've seen both films and have the 1970's film on DVD.

This film though more historicly accurate is very boring.

Now say what you will about the Errol Flynn version but when the Light Brigade made their charge it was fantastic and reminded me of the Alfred Lord Tennyson Poem:

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

Old Wolfman27 Jan 2017 7:41 a.m. PST

Seen both,enjoyed both.

Great War Ace29 Jan 2017 8:27 a.m. PST

Last night ended with me watching "The Charge of the Light Brigade", the 1968 "satirical" version, not the Errol Flynn version. It suited my mood very, very well. It satirized British life in the midst of the Victorian era; which is to say, the film satirized the socio-political structure of British life as it interlaced with the military elite. The newspaper reporters did not escape. The women joined hip and thigh to the military (married to military men) did not escape. The degrading of friendship, companionship and the virtues of such did not escape. And most of that ethos is alive and well today, just with a different set of masks to put on to try and conceal the ambition and havoc of power in high places.

Old Wolfman01 Feb 2017 7:39 a.m. PST

And,Porthos,it was a black bottle. Supposed to be filled with Moselle,but Cardigan believed it was beer.

Great War Ace02 Feb 2017 4:04 p.m. PST

The Moselle was "politically" incorrectly housed in a beer bottle. Captain Nolan's veracity was called into question and he refused to disabuse his bossy commander of his assertion. Pride prevented either man of budging an inch. The newspapers loved it. And so did I. It was one of the well crafted scenes reeking of inscrutable period flavor. Almost the entire film is mostly alien to me, vis-a-vis the Victorian elements. The bombast, propaganda and prejudices, are, of course, timeless…………..

tkdguy14 Feb 2017 2:21 a.m. PST

"You are drinking Porter beer!"

I preferred the David Hmmings movie to the Errol Flynn movie. Of course, I saw it first, on the big screen.

According to Wikipedia, it was Captain Reynolds, not Captain Nolan, who was involved in the "black bottle" affair.

link

But I still pretend I'm drinking Moselle when I order Porter beer. wink

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