OldFilmLover The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) is a beautiful, polished epic film.The cast is superb, and the script and editing are so well-done that even at over 115 minutes the film never drags. This is one of Errol Flynn's best roles, and one of Patric Knowles's best roles as well. Flynn is brave and daring as usual, but without the flippant characterization of some of his other roles -- and the more serious performance is suited to the gravity of the story. The supporting cast of fine British and American actors is just right, with Spring Byington turning in her usual sparkling performance, and Nigel Bruce, C. Henry Gordon, David Niven, Donald Crisp, and Henry Stephenson making real contributions as well. Olivia de Havilland is fine in her role as the love interest of two brothers, doing as well as her role allows in a film which is basically a film about men.The photography, set design and music in this film are beautiful, state of the art for the time, making the experience of watching it enjoyable even if one is not paying much attention to the plot or dialogue. The final battle scene is stunning.Why this film was not nominated for more Academy Awards, I have no idea. I'm also stunned that its IMDb average is only 7.1. A grade of 7.1 implies mediocrity. This is not a mediocre film, but a great one. Anything less than 8 out of 10 would be a gross injustice, and a case could be made for 9 out of 10. It was the equivalent in its day of the "blockbuster" films of our day, but unlike those of our day, it did not rely on computerized special effects, but on fine craftsmanship in every aspect of the film-making. In a vacuum, I would probably rate this film as an 8.1 or 8.2, but I give it a 9 here as a sort of counter-balance, because 7.1 is ridiculously low. It would help if IMDb allowed half-stars; in that case I would have gone for 8.5. The film is available in a slim-case DVD edition in one of the 5-DVD Errol Flynn collections. This edition has the full 115+ minutes of the film, as well as some interesting period extras in the Warner Night at the Movies feature. The image and sound in this edition are very good.

Theo Robertson This is a film that comes with a lot of baggage . Directed by Michael Curtiz and inspired by the immortal poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson it has been heavily criticised by the large number of horses killed during its action scenes and the callous disregard of historical fact , so much so Warner Brothers published a disclaimer caption that the film is heavily fictionalised This has done nothing to reduce the complaints but as a Briton watching this in 2013 I think I can safely say that after watching the likes of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and BAND OF BROTHERS that I failed to notice anything along the lines of " Mr Spielberg and Mr Ambrose wish to apologise for the very American-centric tone of this film . The crusade against Nazism was of course a joint effort and we wish to apologise for portraying the British as incompetent fools who were mere passengers and to the citizens of the Soviet Union for totally ignoring their sacrifice which was instrumental in defeating Hitler rather than the one sided Hollywood view that in was all down to American fighting prowess " I'm afraid a simple disclaimer is the best you can hope for It should also be pointed that no one should be watching Hollywood movies as a history lesson . That's what books and classrooms are for not film studios . Movies are all about spectacle and entertainment and if I remember correctly the problem with the 1968 British version of THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE is that it tried too much to be a history lesson of what life was like in 1850's Britain and the frontline of the Crimean War . Here everything is romanticised and gives a Hollywood eye view of the British Raj and one can't help thinking it's seen through somewhat envious eyes One point the film probably fails upon is to disguise the fact that it doesn't look like it was filmed in India but rather it was filmed in sunny California ( Hey guess what ? ) but I doubt if very few of the audience would have noticed or cared . Also considering the title the Crimean war in general and the charge in particular only takes up a small portion of the film . That aside it is a memorable film from the golden age of Hollywood and the horses that died in its making should be proud of that

mark.waltz This is a beautifully filmed adventure with a romantic triangle that sets up a rivalry between two brothers (Errol Flynn and Patric Knowles) for their commander's daughter (Olivia de Havilland). When the commander (Donald Crisp) finds out that Knowles is interested in his daughter, he hits the fan, sure that de Havilland and Flynn are certain to be married. His own daughter tries to correct him on the situation to no avail, and as a result, the two brothers become estranged. They learn that the local mountain leader (C. Henry Gordon in one of his most nefarious roles) plans an attack after initially greeting them warmly and is in cahoots with one of their Russian enemies. A surprise attack on their compound leaves hundreds dead, and the brigade must send for reinforcements which leads to one of the most exciting conclusions to a war movie ever made.While some movies like this tend to make the romantic aspect of the plot seem unnecessary to the structure as a whole, in this film, it is very well utilized, and as a result, the character that de Havilland plays is important overall, not just frivolous window dressing. That aspect (especially the frivolous part) goes to Spring Byington whose involvement seemed to be to supply comic relief that never came. As the nagging wife of Nigel Bruce, she comes off as totally obnoxious, always cheerful when demanding he take another pill and put down the drink, and always annoying. Bruce does get a good jab at her when he simply says in front of her to de Havilland and Knowles that she seems to get her jollies interfering in everybody else's life.If you have a slightly sardonic side (as I do), you may hear Alfalfa from "The Little Rascals" reciting the poem as he does in one of the "Our Gang" shorts. (I didn't know the poem by heart so it wasn't until seeing this again that I realized the poem starts off "Half a League", not "Half a Leg" as I could swear Alfalfa had said.) By the time the movie gets to the part where the poem comes up on the screen, you are emotionally entrenched in the outcome, and rather than make this dramatically silly, the usage of the poem makes it all the more riveting. In other supporting roles, David Niven and Henry Stephenson stand out, and Gordon's villain is quite memorable, his final moments destined to give you chills. Michael Curtiz directed this with aplomb, and photographer Sol Polito never lets the camera stand still at any moment. The outstanding art direction and costumes also deserve praise.

krishkmenon This Errol Flynn classic has some of the best war action on horseback ever filmed.The storyline is convoluted history and the scriptwriters conveniently mixed up dates but who cares just sit back watch and enjoy. The plot revolves around Major Vickers (Errol Flynn) and his adventures first in the British Raj serving at the North West Frontier defending it from the Afghans and Pathans. The area according to my father who served in the same area with the RAF from 1944 to 1947 does not justify the actual ruggedness, fearsome mountains and ravines of the Hindu Kush. I couldn't care less because to me the movie is a true classic and such details are irrelevant.Major Vickers, his fiancé and his deputy are first in Calcutta and then in the frontier where later their regiment is massacred by the Pakthoons and Afghans. This is etched in the memory of the regiment who swear revenge. They are provided the opportunity when the regiment is placed at the Balaclava Heights in the Crimean War. Major Vickers uses his position to forge an order and attack the Russian battalion which included the Afghan Sultan responsible for his regiments massacre. The resulting courageous but senseless charge is Lord Tennysons poem in action.In the background is the story of love, betrayal and sacrifice which adds to the romantic theme. Errol Flynn is rather subdued in his performance but shines in scenes where he loses his lady love. Olivia de Havilland is as ever beautiful. Patrick Knowles is not very effective or convincing. David Niven and Nigel Bruce are at their best. The background score of Max Steiner is terrific and was his first for WB. The action sequences are staged effectively and have been copied by later films. Not accurate history but great fun.