Rent The Virgin Soldiers (1969)

Bawdy But Dated British Comedy - The Virgin Soldiers review by GI

In some ways you could describe this bawdy British comedy as the UK M*A*S*H (1970) although this film, based on a successful novel by Leslie Thomas, is more in the Carry On vein. It does portray the life of young men, mostly just boys, on National Service, thrust into a strange country, poorly trained, bored and obsessed with sex or more accurately losing their virginity. Set in Malaya in 1951 where the UK was attempting to re-establish its colonial empire after the Second World War but facing armed rebels intent on securing their independence. The British army is made up of conscripted men who spend their time trying to find ways out of duty, in one sequence four of them ask for circumcision hoping for an extended period on sick leave for example! The narrative focuses on one young soldier, Brigg (Hywel Bennett) and the equally bored and sexually frustrated daughter of the Regimental Sergeant Major (Nigel Patrick) played by Lynn Redgrave. The array of characters get into various scrapes and try to buck the rules until they are thrown into combat with the rebels and soon see the consequences of battle. It's an interesting film in it's bold, for the time, take on prostituton, STDs and homosexuality. The film feels a little dated today but it's an interesting take on the issue of conscription that formed a big part of the lives of young British men in the 1950s. There's a host of familiar faces who went on to become big names in film and/or TV in later years including James Cosmo and blink and you'll miss him but David Bowie has a very small walk on part as a soldier.