The Four Feathers (Full Screen Collector's Edition)

Starring:Wes Bentley, Mohamed Bouich, Campbell Brown (III), Daniel Caltagirone, James Cosmo, Andy Coumbe, Angela Douglas, Karim Doukkali, Lucy Gordon, Megan Hall, James Hillier (II), Nick Holder, Djimon Hounsou, Kate Hudson, Alex Jennings, Alexandra Kabi, Heath Ledger, Julio Lewis, Craig McDonald, Lionel Mahop
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The seventh filming of A.E.W. Mason's classic 1902 novel, this near-epic production of The Four Feathers looks great, sounds great, and feels rather average. It would be difficult to diminish the rousing adventure of Mason's novel, and director Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth) certainly gets more bang for his buck, with massive battle scenes and rugged, sun-baked harshness enhanced by Robert Richardson's masterful cinematography. Kapur preserves the universal appeal of the story, set in the 1880s, in which a promising soldier (Heath Ledger) resigns on the eve of battle in Britain's Sudanese campaign, is labeled a coward by his fiancée (Kate Hudson), and redeems himself by posing as a Muslim warrior to rescue his best friend Jack (Wes Bentley) from certain death in the desert. For all its heroics, however, the film seems oddly passionless; Djimon Hounsou is excellent as Ledger's desert guardian, but these young Hollywood stars lack the authenticity of Zoltan Korda's 1939 film, which remains the definitive version. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

The Four Feather Bore.......2007-03-09

Sorry but if this movie gets better with time I wouldn't know. I was too impatient and bored to wait. If a movie doesn't capture me in the first 5-10 minutes I'm finished. This could be a five star movie for someone who has some patience and willing to invest the time.

Faithful to its source; just not very entertaining.......2007-01-31

Well, at least the movie is faithful to its source in its spirit. Based on a book written on 1902, it's nostalgia of the British empire belongs to that era. The plot deals with a soldier who is expelled from his regiment for refusing to go to fight a colonial war in Sudan because of his impending marriage. Not only his colleagues regard him now as a coward, but also his future wife. He had no choice then but to go to war to prove he is a real man and not a coward. The filmmakers try nothing in terms to bring the material up to date, to our more contemporary (and one hopes, more enlightened) attitudes. There's no post colonial guilt here whatsoever. In some ways, this speaks well of the filmmakers in terms of not trying to tamper with the original material; in another way, it is a bit shocking seeing such jingoism in a contemporary movie. All of this wouldn't matter much if the movie was entertaining; unfortunately, it is only intermittently so.

High production values, but doesn't make sense.......2006-12-17

Visually "The Four Feathers" is a gorgeous film; but nonstop action is so heavily emphasized at the expense of plot and character development, that the film makes almost no sense.

I could almost take it on faith that the focal character, Harry what's-his-name, might impulsively flee to the Sudan in an attempt to redeem his honor and help his former fellow officers and friends. However, it was never at any point clear what his overall plan was for helping them, or even if he ever had any. In one scene an Arab go-between tells Harry he needs to learn Arabic; and Harry apparently instantly and effortlessly learns enough Arabic, as well as enough about local culture, to pass as a Bedouin among both native peoples and the British. Worst of all, Harry and other characters are repeatedly abandoned in the most barren desert; and except for one instance (where they also get help from a native), with no transportation except their feet, no food or water, no guide, and no map, and usually when they're in bad physical shape to start with--yet somehow they always survive. Added to many other improbabilities, all this strains credibility too far, even for an action film.

It's a shame, because with a slower pace and more character development, this could have been an intriguing and much more subtle film. The theme is very much male love and comradeship--Harry's fiancee Ethne doesn't matter to him nearly as much as his male friends. So, when Harry's friend Jack announces to that same group of friends that he (Jack) is also getting engaged, and one of those friends congratulates Jack with pain and great reluctance--well, a modern viewer can't help but wonder exactly _how_ intimate these man-to-man relationships are.

Then there's Harry's cultural identity. There is a period when he is impressed into almost-slavery by a British regiment (to whom, for unexplained reasons, he has not revealed his true identity). The soldiers crack whips, and Harry and natives of various races spend days laboriously struggling to move the British baggage vehicles, etc. through the desert as fast as possible. Seeing the worst side of colonization, does Harry ever gain sympathy for the natives and lose sympathy for the British cause? Then there's Harry's incredibly faithful native sidekick, whose name I've forgotten. The native's deep devotion to Harry is owing to his even deeper devotion to Mohammedism; Allah has told him to protect Harry. Does Mohammedism ever look more appealing to Jack than the Church of England?

In other words, why doesn't Harry just chuck the whole British cause and go native? After all, there's "nothing left for him at home." His relationships with his father and his fiancee seem destroyed, his army career is over, he has no money and no prospects.

Logical as all these questions seem, "The Four Feathers" not only does not answer them, it doesn't even acknowledge that they exist.

What is the price of commitment?.......2006-09-20

This beautiful film is very complex, with a few flaws, but overall a good exploration of the concept of commitment.

Whereas the plot requires that the script be spun around the concept of cowardice, the four feather insult, and the lengthy redemption - there is an underlying and subtle theme of commitment that rings very true.

Commitment itself is a complex emotion since commitment to one person or idea may compete with commitment to other folks or ideas. This is the dilema that faces handsome Harry Haversham, played well by the ever changing chameleon Heath Ledger.

Harry has made a decision to join the army due to family commitments, specifically his father who is a general. He has made commitments to his buddies, his fellow soldiers. Thi is especially true for his commitment to his best friend, Jack Durrance (played beautifully by Wes Bentley). He has made commitments to his young fiance, Ethne Eustace, played by Kate Hudson. And he has commitments to himself, for he never wished to become a soldier and go to war. A British offensive in the Sudan is the catalyst for Harry to resign his commission as an officer in the army and leave the armed services.

Harry decides to honor the commitment to himself, imagining that his relationship with Ethne will not change. Yet she is deeply impacted and can not imagine their life together if they are social outcasts.

And so, by honoring his commitment to himself, Harry does not honor his commitment to Queen and country, to his father, to his fiance, and to his buddies. After the fellows become fully sunk in the wasp nest of the Sudan, Harry becomes greatly concerned at the report of the high number of deaths of British soldiers. He makes his way to the Sudan to save and protect his buddies and redeem himself in the eyes of others.

During this dramatic struggle Harry undergoes some of the trials and tribulations of the hero, many of which are explained in the writings of Joseph Campbell. For example, in many myths regarding heroes, the hero shows kindness to a lesser being and in turn is rewarded. Harry shows kindness to an African tribal princess who spares his life when her tribesman kills the camel train leader.

The struggles intensify as Harry becomes an observant pawn in a strategic struggle between Sudanese Islamic insurgents and British imperial troops.

At this point he meets Abu Fatma, played exceptionally well by Djimon Hounsou. Djimon is an absolute mountain of muscle, a giant imposing character. Here the film becomes Jungian for in many ways Abu is Harry's shadow, the confrontation with the dark side of the self which brings about a stronger integrated personality. In classic Jungian theory, the Shadow is at first feared,and then becomes a guide into deeper feelings, and finally is integrated into the personality resulting in a stronger character with greater insight and compassion. This is exactly what happens in this partnership between Harry and Abu.

In the end, Harry undertakes feats of incredible bravery and daring. He redeems himself in the eyes of those who saw him as a coward. He does this not only through brave acts but by integration of competing forces within his personality. Harry emerges a far more centered man after his encounter in the desert with his shadow.

There are other well developed sub-themes such as Jack Durrance's heroism and sacrifice first of his eyes and then of his relationship with Ethne.

The film ends with a fine speech by Jack Durrance about commitment to an abstract Queen and country as compared to commitment to the flesh and blood concrete reality of those comrades with whom we have bonded. And thus this parable tells us that our first commitment is to self, and then to those we love, but there is sometimes a steep price to pay for our commitments.

The grand sweeping palaces of England and the desolate prisons hidden in African deserts offer vastly different views of the world of the British Empire. The film takes us on a grand journey of the eyes and of the character.

Of Cowardice and Heroism.......2006-08-08

To me, this movie is neither about cowardice nor heroism. I think my views are a result of my time at Khe Sanh, Vietnam, almost 40 years ago.

I saw the 1939 version 50 years ago, and it has always been imprinted in my mind. That is why I bought the version which has the Director's comments included, which I think adds much to the enjoyment of the movie.

The reason I say this movie version is not about cowardice, regardless of Mason's intentions in his book, is because Harrys reason's for resigning are well stated in the movie: He is in love, and he never wanted to be a soldier. He is only in the army because his father is a general and he is compelled by family tradition and loyalty to follow in his father's footsteps. However, once he made the commitment to his buddies, he should not have resigned, and that is what compels him to go to Sudan-principally to fulfill his obligation to his buddies, and only secondarily to salvage his Victorian Era self-image. Jack Durrance's speach at the end, nicely, and quite cleverly I thought, ties this facet of the movie together.

As to political correctness, I failed to see where the movie suffered due to a few lines which could be critisized for this. When at Khe Sanh, more than a few times I must admit, I asked myself the question "What possible reason is there for a poor kid from a mining town in Arizona to be living like an animal in a red clay foxhole a few miles from Laos and the DMZ in Vietnam, firing his rifle at another poor kid he can't even see who is fighting IN HIS OWN COUNTRY for his country's freedom?" I thought the British military tradition, on both an Empire and an individual foot-soldier level was very well presented in a favorable light.

I believe the Abu Fatma chaacter contributed enormously to the success of the film. The Islamic obligation of courtesy, respect and charity (which I have personally experienced in my travels with my wife of 39 years in Turkey and the Middle East) was an enjoyable, and in my opinion essential, aspect.

No movie exactiy reflects the book, and some changes to plot, etc., don't bother me. It's the overall presentation which is important.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone.

Average customer rating:

The Four Feathers
The Four Feathers
A beautiful up-to-date film
Beautifully Restored
There is no place for cowards in England!

The Four Feathers
Starring: John Clements , Ralph Richardson , C. Aubrey Smith , June Duprez , and Allan Jeayes
Director: Zoltan Korda
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Four Feathers

ASIN: B00079ZACM
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Amazon.com

Some movies you just have to love. Oh, they may be well, even beautifully, made; wonderfully cast and stirringly acted; uplifting in theme and noble in motive. That's fine. In fact, that's great. For that, you admire them. But you love them because they are perfect distillations of a mood, of a moment in the history of filmmaking, of a breed of imagination that, like the best of fairy tales, transcends the tides of taste and empire, and certainly of political correctness.

Consider The Four Feathers, produced in England in 1939, at Alexander Korda's London Films studios, where a family of Hungarian expatriates aspired to exalt their newly adopted country, its history and traditions, and also to out-Hollywood Hollywood. With this film, they realized both ambitions, in spades.

A.E.W. Mason's novel of stiff-upper-lip honor and valor had already been filmed three times (and at least that many remakes have followed, superfluously). This is the only version that matters. On the eve of the British army's departure to reconquer the Sudan, a young lieutenant descended from a long line of military heroes resigns his commission and is tendered a white feather--the symbol of cowardice--by each of three brother officers. From his fiancée's plume he plucks a fourth, then fades out of their lives... to embark, a year later, on a private quest that will carry him down continents and through unimaginable sacrifice to hard-won redemption.

John Clements (who never had much of a film career) is excellent as the tormented Harry Faversham. But it's Ralph Richardson, as Harry's romantic rival John Durrance (wonderful names!), you'll cherish--he and that spitting image of the Duke of Wellington, C. Aubrey Smith, whose blustery recollections of the Crimean War strike a satiric yet affectionate keynote. Directed by one Korda brother, Zoltan--who shot spectacular sequences in the Sudan--and exquisitely designed by another, Vincent, The Four Feathers is a Technicolor milestone, and its music score is an early triumph by one of the Kordas's legion of Hungarian-expatriate helpmates, Miklos Rosza. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

The Four Feathers.......2007-05-14

A fairly good version, although rather stilted in execution. The best of the remakes is the Alexander Korda production starring Anthony Steele and re-titled, "Storm Over the Nile", which, unfortunately, is not available. RH

The Four Feathers.......2006-03-15

Without doubt a film far before its time! Excellent in alll departments, particularly the crowd scenes and the battle charges! A difficult time for British interests in the Middle East durung that period.
John Clements played his part with care, understanding, and an outstandingly gifted portrayal of a so called coward turned hero!
Ralph Richardson also showed us his acting skills with a great performance of a somewhat naive but highly patriotic British military Officer. King and country before anything.

Marvellous scenes in pre-second world war Britain together with the post-Kitchener era in the Sudan!

This film should have won the Accademy Award for that year 1939

A beautiful up-to-date film.......2006-02-01

Many a time I saw the cover of this DVD; the faces of the 3 leading characters, notably the stunning beauty of June Duprez, and the rich colour of the film shots somehow misled me to think this as a modern movie.

Finally I watched this 1939 classic - a breathtakingly beautiful film, both in terms of the cinematography and the natural flow of the plot. The combat scenes were real and visually capturing - they would not pale compared with its modern counterparts.

To top it all, the story was simple and enchanting. Four feathers were given to Harry Faversham for his apparent cowardice to withdraw, in the last minute, from his regiment which was set to battle in Egypt. To prove his own worth, he would go to Egypt, disguise himself and did courageous deeds to these 4 people so that they would take the feathers back and reinstate his reputation and courage. This is a story about noble characters, not only for Harry but also for his fellow officers.

What follows were as exciting as it was captivating. I like the ending most - the one courageous deed he did for his wife (the graceful June Duprez) proved to be the perfect comic twist for this otherwise heavy film. Highly recommend it!

Beautifully Restored.......2006-02-01

The quality of the print is outstanding. With apologies to Heath Ledger and the rest of the remake crew, this one is the definitive version of the story. You just can't get good stories out of C. Aubrey Smith these days! ;-}

There is no place for cowards in England!.......2005-12-19

After Gordon 's death Sudan is under dervishes 'power; meanwhile in England, a British gentleman refuses to join to the Army just the day before the invasion. His colleagues send him three feathers, which is considered synonymous of cowardice, additionally his future father in law and his fiancée reject him due this decision.

But his wounded self stem, proud and honor will transform him, and eventually he will prove all of them his convictions are nothing in common with his moral thoughts, in a sturdy exercise of heroism and redemption. The epic may nestle in the most unexpected places.

This film is - to my mind - the supreme masterpiece of Zoltan Korda without hesitating. One of the most admirable lessons of life ever expressed in screen.

Average customer rating:

An excellent movie, not so excellent battle sequences
A bit to Predictable
Better in some ways than the 1939 Version
simple is better
Good treatment of the AEW Mason book

The Four Feathers (TV Movie)
Starring: Beau Bridges , Robert Powell , Simon Ward , Jane Seymour , and Harry Andrews
Director: Don Sharp
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
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The Four Feathers (Penguin Classics)

ASIN: B00006BSDL
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Amazon.com

What it lacks in grandeur, this 1978 TV version of The Four Feathers makes up for in fidelity to A.E.W. Mason's classic novel. By cannibalizing the superior 1939 production for epic shots and sequences, this modest adaptation draws attention to its meager production values, relying heavily on casting and chemistry to compensate. That it succeeds, more or less, in capturing the essence of Mason's grand adventure is largely due to the appeal of Beau Bridges and Jane Seymour in the prime of their early careers. (Bridges's film career was gaining momentum; Seymour would rise from here to the similarly romantic Somewhere in Time.) Bridges is the shamed soldier Harry Faversham, transcending cowardice by rescuing his closest friends during Britain's bloody campaign in 1870s Sudan; Seymour is his beloved back home, torn between Harry and the seemingly braver Jack (Robert Powell). TV veteran Don Sharp provides tepid direction, while screenwriter Gerald DiPego would continue his prolific career for decades to come. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

An excellent movie, not so excellent battle sequences.......2004-09-14

This version of "The four feathers" is excellent, the story is much deeper than the newest version (starring Heath Ledger).
Other reviewers have told you what the story is about, so I won't go into that.
This movie has an excellent cast including the following: Beau Bridges, Jane Seymour, and Robert Powell.
All of the actors do an excellent job at making you believe that they are who they are.
The battle sequences leave more than a little to be desired, but they are excellent for the day.
The Love story is very believable and does not include any sexual scenes or unecessary nudity.
The man who plays the father is also very good, and I'm glad for all of the back story on why Beau Bridges character is the way he is.
Overall, the story is really very good, but it's battle sequences are a saddning part.
You can clearly see that a men are not stabbed in several sequences.
Well, that is a minor quibble.
Anyway, see the movie, it doesn't contain any sexuality (unlike the new version) and that should be a plus for most parents and adults.

A bit to Predictable.......2003-09-08

The story line was interesting and intriquing at first but than it became to predictable. It also seems a bit far fetched that each man that gave him the white feathers, for what they took as pure cowardice, were all in such dire needs of rescue. How could he be there at the exact time they were in need and be the only one who could take over the feat of saving them from their eventual demise. The ending was to much of a predictablility. If I were the man, even if I am a woman, I don't think I would want to see the girl again, the girl he was in love with betrayed him and also gave him a white feather for cowardice. The one thing that I did get from the movie was how a parent can take something that a child finds interest in, being a soldier, setting up strategy for wartime, as witnessed in his childhood playtime, and making it seem inferior. He seemed to not be able to reward his child's imaginings but almost to compete with them. This in turn tainted the boys interest and replaced it with fear or negative energy. The movie only touched on this at the beginning and at the very end. This was what made the movie worthwhile to me. Also I like Jane Seymore as an actress and she is quite beautiful in this film. Beau Bridges does a good job in his role, seemed different as compared to other films I have seen him in.

Better in some ways than the 1939 Version.......2003-01-25

First let me say that this movie DOES NOT use footage from the original. This is a rumor that has been spread for some reason and it is incorrect ... It does depict the fuzzy wuzzies in a very realistic light and their assault on the british square is quite good. They really look the part and they are actually bounding which as any good reader of kipling knows they did quite well,, "The Bounding Beggars!" Their hair really fits their nick name to ;)

simple is better.......2003-01-03

Although this modest TV movie lacks the big budget and huge numbers that make up the 2002 cinematic version of the A.E.W. Mason novel, it is nonetheless superior in terms of casting and storytelling. The strength of the casting is self-explanatory. As for the storytelling, it is more straightforward and stays closer to the focus of the novel - a young man trying to prove his courage to others after evading the call of duty. Whereas the recent theatrical adaptation goes off into tangents, such as showing audiences the harshness of the Sudanese slave trade and desert climate, this TV movie takes these realities as a given and prefers to concentrate on the European characters instead of the African ones. I personally prefer this TV movie because it gives much more attention to the relationship between a proud soldierly father and a son who never wanted to follow the family tradition. In sum, a simple but effective visual treatment of a basically simple story of bravery, romance, and coming of age.
However, the DVD has less than ten tracks, picture quality that is not really enhanced, and some rather poor sound quality. I watched the DVD with headphones and heard slight hissing that one would expect from a dated VHS recording. For these technical reasons, I can't give full stars to this DVD recording.

Good treatment of the AEW Mason book.......2002-12-31

This remake of the 1930s version of The Four Feathers remedies some of the deficiencies of the first film.

Harry Faversham is a young officer tired of the military, having grown up in the army - his father is a general. He is engaged to a woman who is also of the army, but more inclined to accept it. This then is the basis of the story. Two people, similar backgrounds, different goals. He wants his children to grow up without the Army, she is impressed with a regimental wedding.
War breaks out again in the Sudan and Harry is put to the test - does he stay with the Army. However, before he can have his resignation accepted, a recall of officers occurrs and telegrams arrive at his engagement party demanding the return of Harry and his officer guests to the regiment. Harry burns the telegrams and is seen by one officer.

When the officers discover what he has done, each of the three send him a white feather, a sign of cowardice. His fiancee, when she sees this is at first outraged that they would do this, but when Harry tells her what he did, she adds her feather to the other three - making a total of four feathers. The movie is the story of how Harry redeems his honor by giving the four feathers back to their senders, after an act of courage in each case.

This movie has better role definition for some charecters that is missing in the '30s version. The general, played by Harry Andrews is exceptional. Jane Seymour as Ethney is also excellent as the woman who scorns a man for a percieved act of cowardice but doesn't see the inner turmoil he is suffering. The three officers do well. They give off the feeling of priviledge leaders common to the British Army of the time.

Corners were cut by slicing footage from the 30s edition into the current film. It is grossly apparent and detracts from the current film. It is clumsy and takes away from the quality of the film.

Beau Bridges as Harry seems an odd choice. Trying to be British, he doesn't come off as very convincing. His acting is good but I think he is rather miscast in this film.

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The Four Feather Bore.......2007-03-09

Faithful to its source; just not very entertaining.......2007-01-31

High production values, but doesn't make sense.......2006-12-17

What is the price of commitment?.......2006-09-20

Of Cowardice and Heroism.......2006-08-08

Average customer rating:

The Four Feather Bore
Faithful to its source; just not very entertaining
High production values, but doesn't make sense
What is the price of commitment?
Of Cowardice and Heroism

The Four Feathers
Starring: Wes Bentley , Mohamed Bouich , Campbell Brown (III) , Daniel Caltagirone , and James Cosmo
Director: Shekhar Kapur
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Customer Reviews:

The Four Feather Bore.......2007-03-09

Faithful to its source; just not very entertaining.......2007-01-31

High production values, but doesn't make sense.......2006-12-17

What is the price of commitment?.......2006-09-20

Of Cowardice and Heroism.......2006-08-08

Average customer rating:

The Four Feathers

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Average customer rating:

The Four Feather Bore
Faithful to its source; just not very entertaining
High production values, but doesn't make sense
What is the price of commitment?
Of Cowardice and Heroism

The Four Feathers [Region 2]
Starring: Wes Bentley , Mohamed Bouich , Campbell Brown (III) , Daniel Caltagirone , and James Cosmo
Director: Shekhar Kapur
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006LA7J

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Customer Reviews:

The Four Feather Bore.......2007-03-09

Faithful to its source; just not very entertaining.......2007-01-31

High production values, but doesn't make sense.......2006-12-17

What is the price of commitment?.......2006-09-20

Of Cowardice and Heroism.......2006-08-08

Average customer rating:

THE FOUR FEATHERS/ dvd

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

RARE ORIGINAL THE FOUR FEATHERS

Average customer rating:

The Four Feather Bore
Faithful to its source; just not very entertaining
High production values, but doesn't make sense
What is the price of commitment?
Of Cowardice and Heroism

The Four Feathers
Starring: Wes Bentley , Mohamed Bouich , Campbell Brown (III) , Daniel Caltagirone , and James Cosmo
Director: Shekhar Kapur
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Ned Kelly
The Four Feathers
The Order
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ASIN: B000089QCA

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The Four Feather Bore.......2007-03-09

Faithful to its source; just not very entertaining.......2007-01-31

High production values, but doesn't make sense.......2006-12-17

What is the price of commitment?.......2006-09-20

Of Cowardice and Heroism.......2006-08-08

Average customer rating:

The Four Feathers
The Four Feathers
A beautiful up-to-date film
Beautifully Restored
There is no place for cowards in England!

The Four Feathers [Region 2]
Starring: John Clements , Ralph Richardson , C. Aubrey Smith , June Duprez , and Allan Jeayes
Director: Zoltan Korda
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Four Feathers

ASIN: B00008AWV3

Amazon.com

Far too many film versions of the The Four Feathers have been made over the years, which is especially surprising considering that this 1939 Korda brothers production is surely definitive. The film simultaneously celebrates and pokes fun at British imperialism, showing the kind of dogged stiff-upper-lippery that forged an Empire, but also the blinkered attitudes and crass snobbishness of the ruling classes (and those accents--did people ever really talk like that?). Whatever political subtext may or may not be read into it, though, the film is best celebrated for its magnificent vistas: partially made on location in the Sudan, as well as at the famous Denham Studios, this is British cinema from the days when it thought to rival Hollywood for sheer spectacle. Vincent Korda's production design and the glorious early color cinematography are helped greatly by fellow Hungarian émigré Miklos Rozsa's epic score.

John Clements is the notional hero, the man who determines to show the world that he is not a coward after resigning his commission (even though it would surely have saved everyone a lot of bother if he had just stuck with it) but the film is stolen by Ralph Richardson, magnificent as an officer struck blind and led to safety by Clements' Harry Faversham. The later scenes when Richardson's Capt. Durrance realizes the truth and its implications are the most poignant and emotionally truthful in the film. C. Aubrey Smith is delightful as the old buffer who relives his battles on the dinner table; to a modern audience, however, the "blackface" casting of John Laurie as the Khalifa strikes a discordant note. But adjusting some expectations for its vintage, this is a triumph of derring-do and far and away the most gripping version of this oft-told story on film. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews:

The Four Feathers.......2007-05-14

The Four Feathers.......2006-03-15

A beautiful up-to-date film.......2006-02-01

Beautifully Restored.......2006-02-01

There is no place for cowards in England!.......2005-12-19

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