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

Colour:

Colour

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:

The uniforms in the battle scenes were distressed, for authenticity. Later, when the London scenes were filmed, fresh uniforms had to be made.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the first battle, the British infantry's bayonets can be seen wriggling as the soldiers advance - showing that they are rubber rather than steel.

Quotes:

Mogg: (when a young officer faints at the sight of a man being flogged): Always one of your younger type of hofficer fetches up or flops over. They fades away like Lily at bedtime.

Movie Connections:

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

Accurate and brilliant

My favourite subject is history (especially the Victorian era)and I was very pleased that Tony Richardson made this excellent film historically accurate.No Hollywood style poetic license.Some of the quotes that Capt.Nolan said were apparently excerpts from a book he wrote on cavalry warfare (which I have never found).I wondered how he (Richardson) would handle the fact that no one actually knows whether Cardigan reached the Russian guns or not and at what stage (if any) he turned back,but he seems to have glossed over that issue.I can only give this film 10 out of 10 because it is simply brilliant.The casting was superb with what I think was Trevor Howards best ever role,and Harry Andrews as Lord Lucan was perfect.I watched the Errol Flynn version of the events the other day and they seemed to have gone out of their way to make it as far from the truth as possible,right down to the uniforms and regiments involved.So well done to Tony Richardson etc.for making what is so far my favourite war film.Since writing my earlier comments I have discovered that Capt.Nolans book is still available "CAVALRY,ITS HISTORY AND TACTICS"and I would dearly love to read it but it costs £80!.I have also been told that the scene where Cardigan does actually reach the Russian guns was in fact edited from the final version.I thank other people for the comments and my learning more about a fascinating event in military history