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Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1, Spanish, Subtitled, Original
This satirical account of wartime Victorian England elicits brilliant performances by John Gielgud and Vanessa Redgrave in a tale of the contrasts between aristocracy and the squalor of the lower classes.System Requirements:Running Time: 131 Min. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2002 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE
"Fine cast." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
"Excellently made... Stunning battle sequence..." Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
"An extraordinary film!" New Republic
"A wonderfully ferocious film!" Saturday Review
Editor's Note
Tony Richardson's revisionist version of the oft-filmed romance of empire stars Trevor Howard as the arrogant Lord Cardigan. In 1854, the leading officers of the British military seek an opportunity for military glory, Cardigan chief among them. He plans on taking a military force into the Crimean region of Turkey, with the ostensible purpose of protecting the Ottoman Empire from an invading Russian army. Lord Cardigan and his army set sail for Turkey, and, en route, he becomes involved in a dispute with Captain Nolan (David Hemmings), an officer recently returned from India who questions the actions of the high command. Despite substandard rations and a cholera epidemic, the British score a quick victory over Russian troops before its leaders fall into inertia and confusion. The nearly senile Lord Raglan (John Gielgud) temporizes while Cardigan is distracted by the charms of Miss Duberly (Jill Bennett), the paymaster's wife. When the Battle of Balaclava begins, the combination of pompous stupidity in Whitehall's state men and incompetent officers on the battlefield results in Cardigan's taking his fabled Light Brigade down the wrong valley and directly into the heart of the Russian artillery. A comment on America's involvement in Vietnam, Richardson's satire on military and political blundering features an excellent cast and exceptionally convincing battlefield photography by David Watkin.
Plot Summary
This satirical film explores England's involvement in the Crimean War, which resulted in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in 1854. Among the characters are unstable commander Lord Cardigan, Commander in Chief Lord Raglan, and Captain Nolan, an expert soldier who often disagrees with his superior officers. The offbeat movie mixes animation with live action to tell the fascinating story.
| Features | Subtitles: English, Spanish, French | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Access | | Widescreen Version Enhanced For 16x9 TVs | | Original Theatrical Trailer | | Audio: English Mono, French Mono |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: MGM |
| Release Date: 5/12/2009 |
| Running Time: 131 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1969 | | Catalog ID: 1003427 | | UPC: 00027616875761 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
British Academy Awards (1969) | | | Trevor Howard, Nominee, Best Actor | | | Edward Marshall, Nominee, Best Art Direction | | | David Watkin, Nominee, Best Cinematography | | | David Walker, Nominee, Best Costume Design | | | Kevin Browlow, Nominee, Best Film Editing | | | Simon Kaye, Nominee, Best Sound Track | | | John Addison, Nominee, Anthony Asquith Award For Film Music |
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| | Professional Reviews | Uncut
"[C]ompelling." 10/01/2004 p.153Sight and Sound
"There is plenty to savour here....The charge into the valley of death is brutal but handled with a flair worthy of David Lean." 10/01/2004 p.75 Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "Tony Richardson's satirical anti-war epic, skewering the deranged incompetence of Victorian society." 02/01/2009 |
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