The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Overrated

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I was really looking forward to this film but it was a major, major disappointment. In fact, I utterly despised this film. I thought that it was absolutely dreadful from start to finish. It was incredibly boring and horrendously written. I understand what they were going for in (accurately) depicting the British military establishment as an overly bureaucratic, incompetent mess which seemed to think that they were still fighting Napoleon but not one of these scenes - or any other scenes in the entire film, for that matter - were in any way interesting. As with "Battle of Britain", I had no interest in any of the poorly written, distracting, clichéd, melodramatic "romantic" stuff. The fact that the people involved were real didn't make these scenes any more bearable. The Crimean War does not even begin until almost a full hour into the film. Admittedly, the details of the war are not as popularly known as those of the two world wars but it still seemed excessive. 20 minutes would have been more than enough.The film is almost as big a mess as said military establishment. There is no flair or energy in Tony Richardson's direction and it is not a particularly good looking film. It has a great cast such as John Gielgud, Vanessa and Corin Redgrave, Trevor Howard, Harry Andrews and T.P. McKenna but it takes more than good acting to save it a film this bad. Conversely, David Hemmings is not a good leading man as Captain Louis Nolan. I'm a leftie pacifist so I certainly agreed with the film's anti-war stance and it was likely intended as an anti-Vietnam War allegory but I would have preferred a good film over...this. If you want an excellent anti-war film, watch "Oh! What a Lovely War" (which also features Gielgud and the Redgraves). If you want an excellent film about a failed military operation, watch "A Bridge Too Far". Both of those films are directed by Richard Attenborough, probably the best British director of his generation.The only thing that I really loved about the film were the "Punch"-esque animations. Actually, I not only loved them but I adored them. However, they took up about three minutes of a well over two hour film. Let's see. Besides that and some of the acting, what else did I like about the film?....Um, there were some nice dogs in it. I love dogs. Yeah...At one point, Nolan says, "I had such hopes of this war, Morris." I know how he felt. I had such hopes for this film! Out of a grand total of 430 films since January 2014, I was more disappointed with this film than any other. Even "Excalibur", yet another Corin Redgrave film. However, there were a few - though only a few - which were worse.The only reason that I didn't stop watching after about 40 minutes is that I promised myself that I would watch every single film from beginning to end no matter what. In retrospect, I sort of wish that I had as 2+ hours of this awful rubbish was a very painful experience. If it were not for the talent or at least basic competence of most of the actors involved, I would give it a lower score. To coin a phrase, someone had blundered. On the bright side, I have not gotten this much pleasure out of writing a scathing review in about three years!

I've always liked this film since I first saw it in the late 1970's. There are so many interesting aspects of this movie from the dandified dialogue to the cartoon inserts which are done in the style of Victorian illustrators of the day.A lot of high caliber actors really shine with the material including David Hemmings with his highly strung manner, Trevor Howard who has the funniest scene in the film when he spanks Fanny Duberley and the Lord Lucan of Harry Andrews who is constantly at war with Lord Cardigan, both being related and despise each other. Even Geilgud shines as the confused Lord Raglan and his ineptitude in the role of commander really highlights the inadequacy of the British military of that age which, if you read the history books, were outclassed by the French management of their forces.The injustice of the class system is another facet of the film which really gets under the skin and leaves a lasting impression of the British Empire and the military which held it in place. This is particularly the case when one of the Sergeant Majors is flogged for being drunk on duty after Cardigan insists he spy on Nolan played by David Hemmings. All of this demonstrates the sort of internal politics that goes on within organizations but not just the military.The battle scenes are very impressive, especially the final charge of the Light Brigade and the explanation of how this failure in military decision making occurred, is made perfectly clear. Cinematography is first rate and the overall art direction delightful. One of the great anti-war movies largely under appreciated by the movie going public of the 60's and has gained much more respect in recent years when compared with the dross being put out today.

Awful movie. Just plainly awful. I do not know even where to begin. The whole feeling is set wrong, from the very beginning, with all its silly and utterly unnecessary cartoon segues, the film takes a wrong pace and never gets it right. The thick British accents are at least tiresome, and often they sound false. OK, maybe this is how the filmmakers wanted to show the false atmosphere of the upper class people, maybe. Nut it is all so overwrought and exaggerated that it serves all the wrong course. Vanessa Redgrave may be sweet there but never captivating. Two endless hours linger and drag till the war begins. And then, huge laughs begin. I never laughed so out loud as when I saw the way they depicted Russian army, and especially Cossack cavalry. Man, those uniforms, those hats, those lancets! Where did they get them? I wonder whey they didn't put bears in ushankas on bikes with jugs of vodka galore. Russian army was not clad like this, and was not behaving like this. The battles are one endless scream and then, most inappropriately, fun. This is so - the battles are simply sunny to watch, as the film crew fails to deliver real suspense and pain. Even the charge at the end is very fragmentary and badly cut. Russians never speak like this and the wording is all wrong. I am ending on one note - this is pathetic mess. Never watch it.

This is a superb account of the tragic charge of the Light Brigand during the Battle of Balaclava. It is a fine x-ray of the abusive British military and class system and a thoughtful and colourful exposure of the propaganda of war.I recall as a teenager reading Cecil Woodham Smith's famous book "The Reason Why", which first acquainted me with the event. I have long considered the tragedy as what happens when military intelligence is flawed or lacking.The film has a sixties tone—long on detail, with side stories and colourful little touches like splendid Richard Williams's animations of British publications from the time of the event.I am not certain how well the film narrative corresponds to a recent PBS documentary on the topic. My memory is not that good. It seem that the role of Captain Nolan might have been other than depicted here. He did not have an affair with Captain Morris' wife. However, I think the film is not only accurate for the most part but depicts the moment in history vividly and with great feeling.This is a great movie, a masterwork. Watching it moved me.