I've always liked this story. There is a 1977 TV version with Beau Bridges that I liked very much and a 1939 film version that I have not yet seen. I picked up the 2002 version at my library recently but did not expect too much from it. I had originally been looking for the 1977 version.

Heath Ledger is in the lead and I went into viewing it prejudiced. Anyone who saw the Three Musketeers with Charlie Sheen from 1993 vs. the 1973 version with Oliver Reed knows exactly what I mean here. My bias changed immediately during the opening scene which is a rugby match. When you watch a film and see that the production values are over the top it fills you with hope for the rest. I was not disappointed.

I won't give you the blow by blow but Heath Ledger really does a great job. He had far more depth in this early role than I would have thought he had in him. I kept thinking about the career he had in front of him and his death really saddened me. Comments being made now about his turn in Batman, just add to that. What a loss.

This doesn't however get in the way of what a great movie this is. I will confess that I am a British Empire depiction film buff. The Man Who Would Be King, Zulu, Breaker Morant, etc., just keep them coming. This one does not disappoint either in that regard and truly can sit on the shelf alongside them. It is well crafted from front to back and the pacing right on target. All the performances are good and the story keeps moving.

Back to the production values; there is a scene when the British are attacked in the Sudan by Muslim horseman, an overwhelming force. You'll know it when you see it too. I went "Oh my God!" so loudly my wife wanted to know what was happening from upstairs. This moment is so visually arresting it made me gasp. I don't recall ever seeing anything like it in a film before either. It is only on screen a moment but if you are into battlefield epics (Gladiator, Braveheart, The Patriot) this one moment is spectacular and puts the entire scene in scale!

Yeah, I like this film a lot.

:thmbsp:

http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/fourfeathers-ledger-bentley.jpg

http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper851/stills/3d8e9f20a20cb-5-1.jpg

http://images.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2002/09/20/four_feathers/story.jpg

http://www.cinemablend.com/moviereviews/images/fourfeathers/fourfeathers_2.jpg

You must see the 1939 Korda film with the great score by Miklos Rozsa.....made just as the British Empire was about to face its greatest crisis...war is about to break out in Europe so Korda moves the production to America and Rozsa comes with him....the rest is history.

Hungarian producer and director and Hungarian writing the score about the British "situation" in the Sudan leading to the battle of Omdurman to revenge the death of Gordon at Khartoum. And that's another epic in itself: Heston and Olivier in "Khartoum" (1966)...be sure you see it in letterbox....

And that's another epic in itself: Heston and Olivier in "Khartoum" (1966)...be sure you see it in letterbox....

Seen it, like it.

Only film I can ever recall that shows a Maxim-Nordenfelt actually in operation -

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/560/E/87/E8769.jpg

It was a very good movie. Heath will be sorely missed and will be hard to watch him in Batman knowing it was his last movie.

Great actor who passed on too soon...

You must see the 1939 Korda film with the great score by Miklos Rozsa........And that's another epic in itself: Heston and Olivier in "Khartoum" (1966)...be sure you see it in letterbox....

Both good films. :thmbsp: I've never seen the more recent Four Feathers, but have seen the old version repeatedly (taped it years ago, before getting it on Laserdisk! :D )