The Four Feathers (1939)

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 Amazon.com

The Four Feathers

I first saw this movie with my older brother in 1939, when it was released.
I was nine years old then and I can't count the times I'd been able to see it again and again when it would be released in the theaters over the years.
Now with modern tech. were able to see it again whenever we want.
I think this is a great movie and a beautifully filmed one also.
What else can I say?
I just love it and you will too when you see it. September 14, 2008

Life Changing Film

I was 8 years old when I saw this film in 1939. I wanted to become a man of honor such as Harry Faversham. Near the same time I also saw the "Prisoner of Zenda." Those two films changed my life. After high school I was accepted at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and graduated in the top fifth of my Class of 1955 B.S. Marine Engineering. This led me to a career as a rocket engine designer/manager for 15 years followed by law school and 32 years as a sole practitioner CA attorney, 4 years as Judge of the Superior Court, Pro Tem and 2 years Presiding Judge of Municipal Court in AZ. I am also a Major, U.S. Army, Ret. Driven by two films about HONOR! August 30, 2008

better four feathers

A classic genre film of subsection Empire: pieces of it show up in Westerns, Costume Picture and so on: blind in the desert, called a coward by his fellow officers, saved by a bloke in disguise, BASHIBAZHOUKS. SEE IT. December 12, 2007

great movie

sorry to say that the vhs movie did not work in 3 of my machines. The tracking was off. Had to ship back to vendor. September 3, 2007

The Four Feathers

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 May 14, 2007

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