Four Feathers, The (1939) [Blu-ray]
Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]

Tagline: See...The Dreaded Dervishes! - Kipling's Famous FUZZY WUZZIES!

This spectacular Technicolor epic, directed by Zoltan Korda, is considered the finest of the many adaptations of A.E.W. Mason's classic 1902 adventure novel about the British empire's exploits in Africa, and a crowning achievement of Alexander Korda's legendary production company, London Films. Set at the end of the nineteenth century, The Four Feathers follows the travails of a young officer (John Clements) accused of cowardice after he resigns his post on the eve of a major deployment to Khartoum; he must fight to redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow officers (including The Fallen Idol's Ralph Richardson) and fiancée (The Thief Of Baghdad's June Duprez). Featuring music by Miklos Rozsa and Oscar-nominated cinematography by Georges Perinal, The Four Feathers is a thrilling, thunderous epic.

Storyline: A British army officer who resigns his commission on the eve of his unit's embarkation to a mission against Egyptian rebels seeks to redeem his cowardice by secretly aiding his former comrades disguised as an Arab. When his unit is overwhelmed and captured by the rebels, the hero finds an opportunity to return the 'feathers' of cowardice sent to him by his former comrades by freeing them. Written by Anonymous

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov on October 14, 2011 -- Nominated for Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Zoltan Korda'a "The Four Feathers" (1939) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailer; new video interview with the eldest son of director Zoltan Korda, David Korda; early promotional film focusing on the London Film Productions' studios at Denham; and a new audio commentary by British film historian Charles Drazin. The disc also arrives with a leaflet featuring an essay by Michael Sragow. Region-A "locked".

The 1880s. Fifteen-year-old Harry Faversham (John Clements, Convoy, The Mind Benders) dreams about being a poet. Naturally, he prefers reading over his father's (Allan Jeayes, At Dawn We Die) glorious war stories. But Harry's future is already predetermined - like his father and grandfather, he is expected to be a soldier.

Ten years later. Harry has joined the Army and fallen in love with the beautiful Ethne Burroughs (June Duprez, The Thief of Bagdad, And Then There Were None). But a few days before his regiment is dispatched to fight in Sudan, he resigns because he does not want to have the life his father had. Almost immediately his best friends hand him three white feathers - a clear sign that in their eyes he has become a coward. Then they head to Sudan.

Realizing that he has indeed become a coward - but as far as he is concerned for all the wrong reasons - Harry follows his friends in Sudan to regain his honor. However, first he stops in Egypt, where a local doctor (Henry Oscar) helps him become a Sangali tribesman - he scars his forehead and shows him how to blend in with the locals. This way he can move from country to country without speaking Arabic because the evil khalifa's (John Laurie, Hamlet) men have cut the tongues of all Sangali men.

In Sudan, British and Egyptian forces are already fighting the khalifa. Eventually, Harry meets his friends again. His chance to redeem himself comes during the great Battle of Omdurman in which the British and Egyptian forces are vastly outnumbered by their enemies.

Based on A.E.W. Mason's famous novel, Zoltan Korda's The Four Feathers is a fine period adventure film with some glorious battle scenes and a main protagonist impossible not to admire. It was shot in Technicolor and under some truly grueling conditions in the deserts of Sudan.

The film is divided into various uneven episodes, each with a mini-climax that leads to the next episode. The young Harry is always present but the focus of attention occasionally shifts to his friends. Important facts about the ongoing war are highlighted as well.

The film's unquestionably positive attitude towards British imperialism is its Achilles' heel. The various characters are carefully profiled and key sequences filmed in a way that effectively highlights British cultural and intellectual superiority. The most problematic sequences appear during the second half of the film, after Harry becomes a Sangali tribesman.

Still, the visuals are striking and the acting uniformly good. The great Ralph Richardson is outstanding as Captain John Durrance, who hands one of the three feathers to Harry and later on meets him again in the desert. C. Aubrey Smith is also excellent as the patriotic general who never gets tired of telling his friends about his greatest battles at the dinner table.

Osmond Borradaile and Georges Périnal's cinematography is striking. The panoramic vistas from the desert, in particular, remind about the big scenes from Lawrence of Arabia. The emphasis on detail is also impressive. There are some great costumes and (bright red) uniforms as well as lavish period decors. The film also benefits from an excellent music score courtesy of famous Hungarian composer Miklós Rózsa (Double Indemnity, Ben-Hur).

Note: In 1939, The Four Feathers was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film festival. A year later, the film also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography (Georges Périnal, Osmond Borradaile).

Zoltan Korda's The Four Feathers is arguably the best adaptation of A. E. W. Mason's popular novel. Shot in beautiful Technicolor on location in Sudan, it is an old-fashioned adventure film that has literally been given a new life by the folks at Criterion. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed also features a new and very informative audio commentary by British film historian Charles Drazin. RECOMMENDED.

[CSW] -3.3- I don't know if it's a Hungarian thing, or some sort of special gene, but the Korda brothers (directors) knew how to tell stories, especially stories that defined courage and adventure. This version of "The Four Feathers," remote in time and difficult in current sensibility, defined for a generation what commitment, sacrifice and heroism were about. It was a Korda familty specialty. From the opening dinner where young Harry Faversham is revolted by tales of military bravado to the closing scene of the grown Faversham deflating such a dinner table fable, the movie gives us a blueprint for taking what you're born with, and making what you want of yourself. It's a gallant passage, full of models: Richardson's determination to rise above disability; Clemens' pledge to redeem the feathers; June Duprez' resignation to continue with her duty when she knows she's making the wrong choice. It may be that you had to experience this young to appreciate it now, but it's still a stirring and passionate tribute to human spirit. The production is certainly spectacular, the cinematography is amazing. The cast is terrific, John Clements (Harry Faversham), Ralph Richardson (Captain John Durrance) and especially C. Aubrey Smith (General Burroughs) and Frederick Culley (Dr Sutton) were stand outs. It totally captured the (at the time) spirit of the British "Stiff upper lip" which displays fortitude in the face of adversity, and exercises great self-restraint in the expression of emotion.
[V4.0-A3.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.


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