The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I really should hate this film. Like other Flynn films of the time, most notably "They Died With Their Boots On", it plays fast and loose with the known facts of a historical event to the extent of creating a fictitious pretext for the actual charge of the Light Brigade itself and creating imaginary characters like Flynn's Major Vickers and Indian warlord Surat Khan as the main protagonists in the battle, even the Chikoti massacre which triggered the bloody conclusion is based on events which happened three years after the Battle of Balaklava. More importantly, the now known facts about the production's incidental slaughter of numerous horses in the climactic battle scenes can make it somewhat distressing to view, as I found myself inadvertently watching for the deadly trip-wires which sent so many of them to a no doubt nasty death.That's a lot to put aside but still I can't help but admit that this is another golden-age Hollywood classic, utterly entertaining in the "Boy's Own" tradition of so many great films of that era, many of them of course synonymous with Flynn as the leading man. Here, he's at his dashing best as the honourable Major Vickers, for once giving up the love of his betrothed, the ever-present Olivia De Havilland in favour of his weedy brother, in a turn of events as hard to believe as anything else in the fanciful script, who, to revenge the slaughtered innocents by the barbarous Khan, countermands official orders to lead the suicidal attack of his brave 600 cavalrymen into the valley of death, where Flynn inevitably expires in the knowledge that he has at least avenged Khan personally.Excusing director Curtiz's heartless treatment of the poor horses, one can't deny his ability in managing the sheer spectacle of both the massacre at Chikoti and especially the final carnage at Balaklava. In the days before C-Gen special effects capable of creating imaginary thousands in battle, here you actually see, especially in the long-shots, the actual blood and thunder of war in the raw, which makes the heart race just to watch it.Flynn is of course imperious as the gallant Vickers and there's good support for him too in the familiar forms of De Havilland, Nigel Bruce and in a fairly brief role, the young David Niven. No, they don't make them like this anymore, thankfully in respect of the treatment of animals on set, but regrettably in terms of sheer action and story-telling.

. . . is the main takeaway from THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE. Victoria's secret was that she had an affinity for pricey lingerie, akin to Mary Todd Lincoln's passion for gloves or Imelda Marcos' yen for shoes. During the Great Silk Shortage of the 1850s, undergarment prices sky-rocketed so much that Parliament could not fund BOTH the coverings for the royal derrière AND foreign aid. To keep the Queen from needing to "go commando," they cut off a yearly 150,000-pound payment to a crucial Muslim leader (which is depicted at the beginning of BRIGADE). This movie's title suicide attack arises after Muslim terrorists rip a page from today's headlines, indiscriminately slaughtering all of the men, women, and children of a Christian and Sikh community in an attempt to force Vicky into adopting the Burka and restoring their annuity. The British lancers' ill-fated revenge attack is like a scene from BLACKHAWK DOWN, in which a small group of Westerners--out-numbered 50 to 1--must fight against impossible odds to keep their Queen in bloomers. Composer Max Steiner verges on his GONE WITH THE WIND motifs of a couple years later while Olivia DeHavilland preps for her "Melanie" role in WIND here as the extraneous Jezebel hussy who leaves Errol Flynn with nothing for which to live, and Vicky's Sweet Nothings for which to die.

At the beginning the tale is set in Suristan , it could be seen as part of the "Great game" that was fought for nearly a century between the British and Russian empires for control in the Middle East . After that , a massacre takes place at Chukoti , it seared into the minds of the 27th Lancers , a livid scar never to heal . International events , however , were soon to overshadow it in the world at large ; for the hounds of war had been unleashed and England was pouring troops into the Crimea to oppose the Russian hordes , the wave of war preparations swept into Calcuta . This drama deals with the chronicle of events that led to the British involvement in the Crimean War against Russia . In Balaklava is the Allied Headquarters , Army of the Crimea , and the new post of the 27th Lancers . Later on , occurs the siege of Sevastopol and the fierce ¨Battle of Balaklava¨ on October 25, 1854 which climaxed with the heroic, but near-disastrous cavalry charge made by the British Light Brigade against a Russian artillery battery in a small valley which resulted in the near-destruction of the brigade . As military minds blunder and six hundred Britishers , sabers flashing , ride to their deaths . The film is dedicated "to the officers and men of the Light Brigade who died victorious in a gallant charge at Balaklava for Queen and Country - A.D. 1856." It is based on Lord Tennyson's famous poem : Half a league , half a league onward , all in the valley of death rode the six hundred . Cannon to right of them , cannon to left of them , cannon in front of them volley'd and thunder'd . ¨Forward , the Light Brigade ¡ Charge of the guns¨ he said , into the valley of death rode the six hundred . When can their glory fade ? O the wild charge they made ¡ All the world'd . Honor the charge they made ¡ Honor the Light Brigade , Noble Six Hundred ¡ . Good film with lavish production values dealing with events leading up to British involvement in Crimean war with stunning final battle sequence . This epic movie contains feats , a romantic love story , adventures , thundering action , thrills , and historical events . The film was originally set entirely in India, but the Crimean War was added due to fears by Warner Brothers that the story was too similar to Paramount's The lives of a Bengali Lancer (1935). Exquisitely made battle scenes being magnificently directed by action specialist B. Reeves Eason . Although during the filming of the charge sequence, a stuntman was killed when he fell off his horse and landed on a broken sword that was lying on the battlefield . The original script used the real-life siege of a British fort at Cawnpore , and subsequent massacre of its survivors , during the Sepoy Rebellion -, a nationwide mutiny of Indian soldiers in the British army - as the reason for the famous Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava during the Crimean War . The second of nine movies made together by Warner Brothers' romantic couple Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn , here playing star-crossed lovers . The success of this film set the seal on Olivia and Errol Flynn's super-stardom . The support cast is frankly excellent such as Patrick Knowles , David Niven , C. Henry Gordon , Henry Stephenson , Nigel Bruce , Donald Crisp , EE Clive , Roger Barrat and J. Carrol Naish . The picture climaxes with one of the most dramatic and immortal cavalry charges in history . For the filming of the climactic charge, 125 horses were trip-wired ; of those, 25 were killed outright or had to be put down afterward . Superb and evocative cinematography in black and white by Sol Polito , though is also shown in a lousy computer-colored version . Breathtaking score by the maestro Max Steiner in his first one for Warner Brothers . The motion picture produced in big budget by Hal B. Wallis , Harry Warner and Jack Warner was compellingly realized by Michael Curtiz .

This Errol Flynn classic has some of the best war action on horseback ever filmed.The storyline is convoluted history and the scriptwriters conveniently mixed up dates but who cares just sit back watch and enjoy. The plot revolves around Major Vickers (Errol Flynn) and his adventures first in the British Raj serving at the North West Frontier defending it from the Afghans and Pathans. The area according to my father who served in the same area with the RAF from 1944 to 1947 does not justify the actual ruggedness, fearsome mountains and ravines of the Hindu Kush. I couldn't care less because to me the movie is a true classic and such details are irrelevant.Major Vickers, his fiancé and his deputy are first in Calcutta and then in the frontier where later their regiment is massacred by the Pakthoons and Afghans. This is etched in the memory of the regiment who swear revenge. They are provided the opportunity when the regiment is placed at the Balaclava Heights in the Crimean War. Major Vickers uses his position to forge an order and attack the Russian battalion which included the Afghan Sultan responsible for his regiments massacre. The resulting courageous but senseless charge is Lord Tennysons poem in action.In the background is the story of love, betrayal and sacrifice which adds to the romantic theme. Errol Flynn is rather subdued in his performance but shines in scenes where he loses his lady love. Olivia de Havilland is as ever beautiful. Patrick Knowles is not very effective or convincing. David Niven and Nigel Bruce are at their best. The background score of Max Steiner is terrific and was his first for WB. The action sequences are staged effectively and have been copied by later films. Not accurate history but great fun.