Rent The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)
3.4 of 5 from 89 ratings
2h 5min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- One of the most famous blunders in military history, which sent the Light Brigade to its doom at the Crimea, provides the climax to a passionately felt and provocative British film. Tony Richardson creates a sweeping panorama of mid-Victorian England in all its complacency and callousness, and a biting screenplay by Charles Wood brings wit as well as anger to dramatising the gulf between the leaders and the led. The film affords memorable roles for Trevor Howard and John Gielgud as the incompetent Lords Cardigan and Raglan who drive the men to their death, and stars David Hemmings at the height of his career.
- Actors:
- Trevor Howard, Vanessa Redgrave, John Gielgud, Harry Andrews, Jill Bennett, David Hemmings, Ben Aris, Micky Baker, Peter Bowles, Leo Britt, Mark Burns, John J. Carney, Helen Cherry, Chris Chittell, Ambrose Coghill, Howard Marion-Crawford, Christopher Cunningham, Mark Dignam, Mick Dillon, Alan Dobie
- Directors:
- Tony Richardson
- Producers:
- Neil Hartley
- Writers:
- Charles Wood, Cecil Woodham-Smith, John Osborne
- Others:
- Kevin Brownlow, Edward Marshall, David Watkin, Simon Kaye, John Addison
- Studio:
- BFI Video
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- A History of Cricket Films, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: John Mills, Getting to Know: Vanessa Redgrave, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 Films About Trains: Westerns and War Movies, Top 10 Films By Year, Top Films of 1968
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 19/07/2021
- Run Time:
- 130 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
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Reviews (1) of The Charge of the Light Brigade
Class warfare at its worst - The Charge of the Light Brigade review by TE
They don't make 'em like this any more (and maybe that's just as well). Tony Richardson clearly had a huge budget to work with on this epic portrayal of the disastrous cavalry charge during the Crimean War. The bill for the extras alone must have been huge.
The film is good at exposing the criminal lunacy of the aristocratic generals who thought nothing of sending hundreds of brave men to certain death. Trevor Howard is good as the inflexible, vindictive Lord Cardigan, though his performance verges on a rehearsal for his crusty old fogey in 'Sir Henry at Rawlinson End'.
As in 'Zulu Dawn', the arrogance of the British class system is revealed as the main reason for military disaster.
Even the more sympathetic characters are little more than caricatures. It almost comes as a relief when the strident, egotistical Captain Nolan (David Hemmings) is cut down at the start of the fateful charge.
The film's main weakness is the mystifying decision to include chunks of light-hearted animation. The animation sequences are by the excellent Richard Williams, but they are horribly misplaced here. The cartoons devalue the seriousness of the gory incompetence and waste of human life that the film portrays.
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