wowhd.co.uk

From director Tony Richardson (Tom Jones, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, The Hotel New Hampshire) comes this brilliant retelling of the tragic events during the Crimean War. Starring Trevor Howard (The Third Man, Mutiny on the Bounty, Gandhi), John Gielgud (Arthur, Julius Caesar, Murder on the Orient Express), David Hemmings (Blow-Up, Gladiator, Barbarella), and Vanessa Redgrave (Julia, Howard's End, Atonement), this epic political satire is an impressive achievement (Boxoffice) that will forever be revered as moviemaking at it's best. British Captain Nolan (Hemmings) is a devoted officer disgusted with his commander, Lord Cardigan (Howard), whose reckless arrogance threatens the lives of his men. Lord Raglan (Gielgud), a foolish officer with misguided war strategies and a fading memory, struggles to command as they are sent to Turkey in response to a Russian invasion. As egos and incompetence collide, the infamous charge into battle unfolds in a climax that is both harrowing [and] magnificent (Time). Rounding out the cast are Harry Andrews (The Hill, Moby Dick, Equus), Jill Bennett (For Your Eyes Only, Moulin Rouge), Mark Burns (Death in Venice, Stardust, Exodus), and Ben Aris (Get Carter, The Three Musketeers), all delivering gripping performances in this unforgettable war epic.