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The Charge of the Light Brigade | Year: 1968 Classification: Action/Adventure Directed: - Tony Richardson A Masterpiece. Plain and simple I remember the day I stopped reading the New York Times, and also realized that most film revivers did NOT have a clue... and that's when I read the review for Tony Richardson's 'Charge Of The Light Brigade'. The Times Reviewer, a first stage imbecile went on and on about "how Richardson could have made such a glorification of war during the height of the View Nam conflict!" Was this man blind, or did he just sit in some bar drinking his lunch while the film was screen? For Light Brigade is perhaps the greatest ANTI-WAR movie ever made! I could go on for pages about this movie. One of the most amazing aspects is Charles Woods's screenplay. It is without a doubt the greatest piece of film writing ever. Now that's a big statement' but I promise you' it's not an exaggeration. From the very first speech of Trevor Howard, through scene after scene of perfect craftsmanship and dialogue, you are bombarded with a sumptuous love affair of the English language. Add to that one of the most opulently shot period movies this side of Barry Lyndon, and the most amazing animation sequences by Richard Williams (and for the love of God' if you still think this is a pro war movie after those sequences, you really need to be locked away for your own safety!)' and you have a cinema treat the likes of which you will find hard pressed to see anywhere else. From the first bars of John Addison's quirky emotionally charged, purposely overly blown score, to Williams animated lion's roar' to the last staggering image of the decapitated horses, silently rotting away in the 'Valley of Death', as only the sounds of flies can be heard' you realize you are watching greatest. You also realize you are watching history the way it really was. Never before or since has anyone dramatized 'blunders of great men' so magnificently. The parallels to today's world (and leaders) are terrifyingly accurate and prophetic! This is a movie that doesn't age gracefully, it ages with an explosive charge' a pressure cooker of artistic brilliance, that once uncapped, erupts in your face, grabs hold and doesn't let go until the last credit. Tragically, this movie was way ahead of its time, and has never been given its right dues. Long before the computer generated 'tension' of Private Ryan' Richardson and crew created a scene of battle terror that digs deep into your soul and is never forgotten. This is a movie you feel, and smell and taste. From the heat of the Turkish plains, to the stench of the English ships, to the flesh ripping sting of a whipping' 'Light Brigade' is truly in a class of its own. The balance of terror, humor, intrigue and human courage' and waste' there is no equal. The only one who 'blundered' in this movie was the distributor who ignored it, and the vapid reviewers without a brain, who didn't realize what they were seeing. But you can' rent or buy this masterpiece and see why I for one, fell in love with both the cinema, and the word. Cartoons in a war movie? Please! This movie is very good and the battle scenes are dramatic, just not long enough. The main flaw of the film is the ridiculous animations that drastically take away the power & value that this movie should have had to audiences. And although Capt. Nolan was a dashing and brave officer, his role was very limited in reality. Overall the film is very authentic in capturing the era of the Crimean War. Trevor Howard is great; he acts like he was made for this role. A lot of the dialogue at the end is what the real officers actually said. I wish the battle at the end could've shown in more detail how the light brigade fought against the vastly superior Russian cavalry and actually drove off many of them before being forced to retreat. This is far more accurate than the Errol Flynn versian although many prefer that over this versian. I admit Flynn was much better than David Hemmings's stale performance, but for history stick with this film. Terrible Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad... They should have negative star ratings for movies like this. If the British were such baffoons as this pictures makes them out to be, how did they have such an empire. Man, the rest of the world must have been filled with idiots. Terrible Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad... If the British were such baffoons as this pictures makes them out to be, how did they have such an empire. Man, the rest of the world must have been filled with idiots. Buy The Charge Of The Light Brigade at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Charge Of The Light Brigade Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Charge Of The Light Brigade This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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