The 1939 version of The Four Feathers remains one of the best movies ever made, even 70 years on from its release. It seems strange that this particular story should see cinematic light once again in 2002 grand, colonial adventures of this kind don't seem to get made very often these days. Having said that, a director as innovative as Shekhar Kapur (of "Bandit Queen" and "Elizabeth") should ensure the film has the potential to approach its oft-told story from a few fresh angles. Kapur's slant on the story is visually breathtaking and has by far the most realistic battle sequences of any version made so far. But it also feels excessively studied and serious at times, with an occasionally unclear narrative and too many international actors trying (only partially successfully) to pull off upper class English accents. The end product is still a good film, but you can sense that somewhere inside there's an outstanding film trying to get out.
Men of the Royal Cumbrian regiment are told that they will be heading off to the Sudan to fight the armies of the Mahdi, a self-proclaimed religious leader whose disciples have slaughtered many British soldiers. The men of the regiment seem thrilled at the opportunity to go to war, but one soldier named Harry Faversham (Heath Ledger) finds himself questioning whether or not he feels passionately enough about Queen and country to give his life in their name. On the eve of departure, Harry resigns his commission much to the anger of his friends and family. Three of his closest friends Willoughby (Rupert Penry-Jones), Castleton (Kris Marshall) and Trench (Michael Sheen) are so offended that they send him three white feathers as a symbol of his cowardice. A fourth feather is later added by his fiancée Ethne (Kate Hudson), who breaks off her relationship with him. Ironically, the person with the greatest right to feel disgust towards Harry - his best friend Jack Durrance (Wes Bentley) - is the only one who doesn't send a feather of cowardice. Harry soon begins to feel personal shame for his actions, so he sails to the Sudan and disguises himself as a Sudanese fighter, blending in amongst the Mahdi's army at tremendous personal risk. He performs acts of incredible heroism, and saves several of his former friends' lives. In returning the feathers to each of them in turn, he restores honour to his name.
The book of The Four Feathers is a story which has been continually in print for a hundred years. Books which retain their popularity for that kind of time are invariably good, solid stories which somehow strike a chord with audiences and become part of a wider literary heritage. It is to this film's credit that it sticks to the original quite closely, fashioning a tale that explores lots of fundamental themes such as personal honour, rebuilding broken trust, believing in a cause and finding unexpected courage within. Anyone can relate to these ideas, and The Four Feathers taps into them effectively and presents us with a story which has us asking ourselves what we would do in Harry's position or, indeed, in Ethne or Jack's position. While it never really matches the 1939 version which was cast, acted, paced and scripted virtually to perfection Shekhar Kapur's remake remains a worthwhile re-run of the oft-told material.
Men of the Royal Cumbrian regiment are told that they will be heading off to the Sudan to fight the armies of the Mahdi, a self-proclaimed religious leader whose disciples have slaughtered many British soldiers. The men of the regiment seem thrilled at the opportunity to go to war, but one soldier named Harry Faversham (Heath Ledger) finds himself questioning whether or not he feels passionately enough about Queen and country to give his life in their name. On the eve of departure, Harry resigns his commission much to the anger of his friends and family. Three of his closest friends Willoughby (Rupert Penry-Jones), Castleton (Kris Marshall) and Trench (Michael Sheen) are so offended that they send him three white feathers as a symbol of his cowardice. A fourth feather is later added by his fiancée Ethne (Kate Hudson), who breaks off her relationship with him. Ironically, the person with the greatest right to feel disgust towards Harry - his best friend Jack Durrance (Wes Bentley) - is the only one who doesn't send a feather of cowardice. Harry soon begins to feel personal shame for his actions, so he sails to the Sudan and disguises himself as a Sudanese fighter, blending in amongst the Mahdi's army at tremendous personal risk. He performs acts of incredible heroism, and saves several of his former friends' lives. In returning the feathers to each of them in turn, he restores honour to his name.
The book of The Four Feathers is a story which has been continually in print for a hundred years. Books which retain their popularity for that kind of time are invariably good, solid stories which somehow strike a chord with audiences and become part of a wider literary heritage. It is to this film's credit that it sticks to the original quite closely, fashioning a tale that explores lots of fundamental themes such as personal honour, rebuilding broken trust, believing in a cause and finding unexpected courage within. Anyone can relate to these ideas, and The Four Feathers taps into them effectively and presents us with a story which has us asking ourselves what we would do in Harry's position or, indeed, in Ethne or Jack's position. While it never really matches the 1939 version which was cast, acted, paced and scripted virtually to perfection Shekhar Kapur's remake remains a worthwhile re-run of the oft-told material.