Privates on Parade

Starring:Patrick Pearson, Michael Elphick, Joe Melia, John Standing, Nicola Pagett, Simon Jones, David Bamber, Bruce Payne, Robin Langford, Denis Quilley, Neil Pearson, Steve Dixon, Jasper Jacob, Leonard Preston, Peter Hutchinson (II), Neil Phillips, Vincent Wong, John Cleese, Philip Tan, Ishaq Bux
Director: Michael Blakemore
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Hey, troops, let's put on a show! Befuddled, uptight John Cleese reluctantly commands the Song and Dance Unit South East Asia, a motley troupe of barnstorming performers who dress in drag to entertain the commie-fighting British jungle troops in 1948 Malaysia. Based on the satirical stage revue by Peter Nichols (Georgy Girl), the oddball mix of Carry On farce, military buffoonery, and backstage shenanigans makes an awkward transition to the screen. Behind the double entendres and broad gay caricatures (especially Dennis Quilley, who embraces his flamboyance with gusto as the unit's musical director and star performer) rumbles a murky political satire of the British Empire in decline. The idea is better than the execution, but even as a curiosity it has its moments. Don't skip the credits--a musical reprise with Cleese's only song and dance: a gangly legged goof that draws upon his time with the Department of Silly Walks. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Famed British comedian John Cleese (A Fish Called Wanda) leads a hilarious ensemble in this bawdy military satire that is lethally funny (The New York Times)! The year is 1948, and Major Giles Flack (Cleese) has been ordered to organize a song-and-dance unit to entertain the beleaguered British troops in Southeast Asia. But while he's transforming the front line into a chorus line, his entertainers are being used as a cover operation to sell illegal arms to Malaysian guerillas!Will Major Flack's musical band of brothers be able to raise military morale while dodging bullets and shrapnel or will their show become the ultimate bomb?

Customer Reviews:

Schizophrenic.......2006-11-19

The problem with this movie is that it can't decide what kind of a movie it wants to be. I was expecting a manic comedy in the style the British handle so well. This is not a comedy. I don't want to give anything away for those of you who want to see this film, but I won't betray any surprises if I say that this is a mixture of musical numbers in drag, pathos, and very, very, heavy drama with only momemtary glimpses of humor. I found this film to be very much of a downer, so don't look here if you're looking for a good laugh.

Coulda been so much better.......2006-01-25

I got this because the video box photo and liner notes made it look like a comedy starring John Cleese. It's neither. It took a long time to gel into a disappointingly predictable plot. The only thing that saved it was the unexpected attack scene toward the end--unexpected mostly because I was misled into thinking this was a slapstick farce instead of a mediocre drama with some funny bits. They did nothing with the "intelligence" officer except use him as a foil for Denis Quilley's character (which wasn't necessary) and a badly focused romantic interest. They could have used him to add some intrigue. Likewise, they totally wasted the Mata Hari-like female lead. It was as if the writers just didn't want to do anything to awful to all these nice people, for fear that the viewers wouldn't have enough sympathy for them when they were attacked. Even the evil one gets away. And the feel-good ending feels too...good.

Though I didn't think it was a great movie, I did find the characters easy to like, and the musical numbers were well done and funny.

And I can't fault John Cleese's performance. He plays the "God-King-Country" bit to the hilt, but not for laughs, and I liked that. He comes across as an idealistic but clueless bit of military deadwood, which is exactly what that character should be. Likewise, Denis Quilley nailed his character perfectly.

The sun never sets...on Englishmen in drag.......2005-09-12

A war dramedy that plays like an awkward hybrid of "How I Won The War" and "The Producers". John Cleese is the officer who leads a troupe of Special Services actors on the British equivalent of a USO tour of the 1948 Malaysian conflict. Hilarity ensues? Somewhat. Most of the belly laughs come from the actual stage numbers (you have to listen closely to the lyrics for full comic effect). Portrayal of the grim realities of war tempers the comedy somewhat. Veddy veddy British, which means that if you are already tuned into the Python/Red Dwarf/Benny Hill sensibility, you'll likely find the film an entertaining diversion. Other viewers may find it puzzling and uninvolving. Personally, I thought the most interesting aspect was the backdrop-the Malaysian confilict itself, which is rarely reviewed in history books and documentaries (possibly due to its close proximity to the end of WW 2). MGM's DVD sports a good transfer and decent audio. A guarded recommendation-to history buffs, Anglophiles, and Ptyhon completists.

Amusing and Acerbic...But Something Of A Mess.......2005-04-07

This is a movie which at times is very funny and very black, worth watching and for some worth having, but which also can't seem to decide which sacred cows it wants to gore or which messages it wants to deliver.

It's 1948 and the British are fighting a Communist insurrection in the Malayan jungles. For the British Army in Malaya, WWII has hardly stopped. Acting Captain Terri Dennis (Denis Quilley) heads up a ragtag group of inept soldiers whose job it is to improve morale by staging song and dance shows for the troops. Since there are few women available, most of the troupe doubles in full drag, including -- with great enthusiasm and queenly putdowns -- Dennis. The troupe is under the command of Major Giles Flack (John Cleese), a Bible quoting anti-communist Army man who is more inept than the soldiers under him. However, it seems British arms are being stolen from a depot and being sold to the guerillas. The ringleader is an Army sergeant. One thing leads to another and soon the troupe is on a tour of remote outposts in the northern jungle. Unbeknownst to them, they are transporting one last big haul of rifles and ammo.

Privates on Parade started life as an acerbic British review that interspersed dark themes with music hall pastiches. And that's what we have here. The troupe led by Quilley puts on songs and dances that parody Fred and Ginger, Marlene Dietrich, marching production numbers and Vera Lynn-type icky ballads ("When the shadows creep, over fields of sheep, with a love that's deep, you and I will go to sleep, doing all those little things we used to do."). The dialogue is full of sexual innuendo, bawdy one-liners and gay stereotyping, especially in Denis Quilley's great performance. But in between the numbers are increasingly bitter messages targeting the British empire, the behavior of British officers, the repression of gay love, the hypocrisy of some men toward women, and so on. I suspect that, like Oh, What a Lovely War, it was a far more effective stage review than it turned out to be a movie.

Denis Quilley is the heart of the movie as the flamboyant queen with a great heart and second-rate talent. He's the lead in drag in several of the musical numbers and is first-rate. John Cleese does John Cleese, and he's a welcome part of the movie. I suspect he took the role because he liked the point of view, and the producers (including George Harrison) wanted him for some star power. Among the soldiers in the troupe is David Bamber playing a somewhat talented young soldier whose companion, a rough-speaking but funny sergeant, is killed in a fire-fight. I remember Bamber for his wonderful performance as the oily Mr. Collins who lives for Lady Catherine de Bourgh's condescension in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice.

The movie is something of a curiosity piece. I liked it, but it never seemed able to settle down and pick its targets.

Privates on Parade - Funny stuff!!!.......2001-12-27

Excellent movie. Serious subjects, lighthearted but not romanticised view of wartime. Great viewing!

Privates On Parade [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

Average customer rating:

Privates On Parade [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]
Director: Michael Blakemore
Manufacturer: Rainbow
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000FT62MG

Product Description

Australia released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Surround), SYNOPSIS: This kooky British comedy chronicles the zany and occasionally dramatic exploits of the Song and Dance Unit, Southeast Asia (SADUSEA, pronounced "sad-you-see") assigned to entertain troops stationed in the Malayan jungle during WW II. It is based on a play by Peter Nichols. The entertainers are led by the rigid Major Giles Flack. Much to Flack's discomfiture, most of his unit is gay and enjoys dressing up in drag. The film also contains a serious subplot about a treacherous cad in the group who gets the only real woman in the troupe pregnant and then abuses her. He also steals ammo and information to give to the enemy. In the end, a terrible battle ensues at his hands.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Scene Access, Interactive Menu, Film Credits,

Average customer rating:

Schizophrenic
Coulda been so much better
The sun never sets...on Englishmen in drag
Amusing and Acerbic...But Something Of A Mess
Privates on Parade - Funny stuff!!!

Privates on Parade [Region 2]
Starring: Patrick Pearson , Michael Elphick , Joe Melia , John Standing , and Nicola Pagett
Director: Michael Blakemore
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video