The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)

Director:

Tony Richardson

Writer:

Charles Wood (writer)

Release Date:

11 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

"Theirs not to reason why..."

Plot:

A chronicle of events that led to the British involvement in the Crimean War against Russia and which...

Plot Keywords:

Crimean War | Anti War | Animated Title Sequence | Political Cartoon | Bare Chested Male

Awards:

Nominated for 6 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Trevor Howard	...	Lord Cardigan
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Mrs. Clarissa Morris
John Gielgud	...	Lord Raglan
Harry Andrews	...	Lord Lucan
Jill Bennett	...	Mrs. Fanny Duberly
David Hemmings	...	Capt. Louis Edward Nolan
Ben Aris	...	Capt. Fitz Maxse
Mickey Baker	...	Trooper Metcalfe (as Micky Baker)
Peter Bowles	...	Paymaster Capt. Henry Duberly
Leo Britt	...	Gen. Scarlett
Mark Burns	...	Capt. William Morris
John J. Carney	...	Trooper Mitchell (as John Carney)
Helen Cherry	...	Lady Scarlett
Chris Chittell	...	Trooper (as Christopher Chittel)
Ambrose Coghill	...	Lt. Col. Douglas

Runtime:

139 min | West Germany:112 min (theatrical version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo | 6-Track Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Anatolia, Turkey

Company:

Woodfall Film Productions

Trivia:

Tony Richardson was a notoriously difficult director. At one stage he wanted the Guardsmen at the Battle of the Alma to wear blue tunics, which he thought would look better on screen than the authentic scarlet. He only relented when his military/historical adviser, Boris Mollo, threatened to resign.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nolan falls from his horse in the final charge he falls on his right side with right arm above his head. However when we see him at the end, as his friend Capt. Morris is walking past, he is now on his left side with his left hand above his head.

Quotes:

Lord Cardigan: [of his soldiers] If they can't fornicate they can't fight, and if they can't fight I'll have them flogged.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Spectacular, but not history!

Anyone who is looking for an historically accurate depiction of the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava, and the events that preceded it, had best leave this one on the video store shelf. Visually, the movie is well done and the cavalry action scenes are nearly as good as those portrayed in Sergei Bondarchuk's "Waterloo" - despite the fact that Bondarchuk had most of the Russian Army as extras. Unfortunately, director Tony Richardson couldn't make up his mind whether he was making a movie or a social commentary and his indecision pervades the story line from beginning to end. I notice that some other commentators here have praised the film for its accuracy. In reality it was anything but - most of the sub-plots were fabricated and some of the actual battle scenes are either gross distortions of what actually happened or improbable speculations. Captain William Morris (17th. Lancers), for example, was not foppish dilettante soldier portrayed - rather he was a tough, seasoned professional who had attended the Royal Military College, served in three previous campaigns and had taken part in the charge against the Sikh guns at Aliwal, India. Nor did he ride back wounded to the British lines after the charge as the movie would have it - in fact he was so badly wounded that he was left on the battlefield and was rescued much later by two of his comrades, both of whom received the Victoria Cross. And Captain Louis Nolan certainly didn't have an affair with Morris' wife (Vanessa Redgrave) as the plot implies - Nolan had never met Morris before they were both sent to the Crimea.

It was much in vogue to make iconoclastic war movies in the late '60s - "Oh! What a Lovely War", was another - probably because of Vietnam. It's a great pity that Richardson choose 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' as his protest vehicle since it leaves an enduring stain on the memory of 700 very gallant men. Yes, there were 700, not 600 - Tennyson got it wrong.