The Charge of the Light Brigade **** (1968, Trevor Howard, John Gielgud, David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Jill Bennett, Harry Andrews) – Classic Movie Review 4724

Director Tony Richardson’s last great film is a superb reworking of, as well as antidote to, the old romantic and heroic fictionalised Errol Flynn film The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), seen through the jaundiced anti-war eyes of script-writer Charles Wood.

Made with verve and style, and Berthold Brechtian devices like the stupendous animations by Richard Williams, the film boasts a jaundiced yet clear-eyed screenplay with a remarkable command of the complex story and immaculate performances from Trevor Howard (Lord Cardigan), John Gielgud (Lord Raglan) and Harry Andrews (Lord Lucan) and a well-cast and well-used David Hemmings as the troubled hero, Captain Nolan. Vanessa Redgrave and Jill Bennett also star as Clarissa and Mrs Duberly.

Just as it was in 1936, the disastrous tragic battle when it comes is breathtakingly filmed. Richardson’s film is an epic with a tenacious, sharp-eyed viewpoint of Victorian society and war. Richardson persuades the audience that this is how it must have been, thanks partly to the script’s basis in Cecil Woodham-Smith’s classic historical book The Reason Why.

Tony Richardson’s and Vanessa Redgrave’s daughters, Joely and Natasha, appear as extras. Vanessa’s brother Corin Redgrave and mother Rachel Kempson also have roles.

Also in the cast are Peter Bowles, Mark Burns, Howard Marion-Crawford, Mark Dignam, Alan Dobie, Willoughby Goddard, T P McKenna, Norman Rossington, Ben Aris, Leo Britt, Helen Cherry, Peter Woodthorpe, Donald Wolfit, Valerie Newman, Andrew Faulds, Barbara Hicks, Mickey Baker, John J Carney, Chris Chittell, Ambrose Coghill, Chris Cunningham, Michael Dillon, Georges Douking, Clive Endersby, Derek Gray, Richard Graydon, John Hallam, Ian Hanson, Michael Miller, Declan Mulholland, Roger Mutton, Valerties Newman, Roy Pattison, Dino Shafeek, John Trenaman, Colin Vancao and Margaret Flint.

It is beautifully shot in widescreen by David Watkin and Peter Suschitsky. It is produced by Neil Hartley, scored by John Addison and designed by Edward Marshall.

It originally ran 139 minutes, with the theatrical general release version at 112 minutes.

It was hugely expensive to make at $8,000,000.

Laurence Harvey planned to film the same story but agreed with Woodfall Films not to and was cast as a Russian prince but his part was cut, though he can be seen in the theatre audience sitting near Howard.

The 1912 silent version is a DVD extra.

Tony Richardson (1928-91) is best known for Look Back in Anger (1959), The Entertainer (1960), A Taste of Honey (1961), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) and Tom Jones (1963).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4724

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