The Virgin Soldiers

I had assumed that The Virgin Soldiers would be a light-hearted, bawdy slice of British sexploitation in the vein of the Carry On, Confessions and 'Adventures of…' series, but it turned out to be a far more realistic affair, and actually proved all the better for it. The film stars Hywel Bennett as Brigg, a young conscript in the National Service, stationed in Singapore during the early 1950s. Working as a clerk, Brigg hopes that the only action he will see is with the local ladies and a sergeant's daughter, Phillipa (Lynn Redgrave), but he finds himself in mortal danger when he and his fellow conscripts see active duty against rioters and bandits.

While there are some mildly funny and a few sexy moments to be had, the film works best as a touching coming of age drama and a poignant anti-war film: as Brigg counts down the days to his return to good old Blighty, he makes the transition from untainted youth to worldly-wise young man, experiencing camaraderie, love (of sorts), fear, and even death, forced to kill or be killed. Bennett is brilliant in his role, displaying just the right amount of wide-eyed innocence, and he is given able support from a raft of familiar British faces, including Nigel Davenport as Sgt. Driscoll, Christopher Timothy (All Creatures Great and Small) as Cpl. Brook, Geoffrey Hughes (Coronation Street) as Lantry, Jack Shepherd (Wycliffe) as Sergeant Wellbeloved, and Wayne Sleep as Villiers, the toughest soldier in the platoon (nah, just kidding).

'The Virgin Soldiers' concerns a collection of new recruits (in national service) and their exploits in a far-off, exotic Singapore. Deals with the endless boredom, fear of fighting an enemy they had no knowledge or concept of (they were never meant to have seen any action) and the endless pursuit of sexual conquests. Sterling cast of Lynn Redgrave, Hywel Bennett and Nigel Davenport. Based on the highly successful novel of the same name.

Having seen this again i must say it gets better. I view it from the perspective of a soldier serving in Malaya, as it was at the time, in the mid-1950's the period in which the film is set. So much of the behaviour is very true to the real thing. In fact i almost see it as a commentary on army life at the time. The plot is almost credible , you would have to have been there. The 'atmosphere' of the period and place is captured in the b+w format. If anyone wants to know what army life was like in mid 1950's Malaya then this film will tell you more than any academic study. It certainly reflects the peculiar fun and horrors of National Service life. The plot thins towards the end but what precedes it makes viewing worth while.

So long since seeing this film I can hardly remember it. However, I have since learnt that a very young David Bowie has a tiny cameo. It's on Youtube if you're interested.

Not a normal war movie, this is a well acted study about the unpredictable fortunes of life. A British Army private in Singapore during the Malaysian uprising experiences the boredom of garrison duty, the search for sex and love, and finally the terror of combat. The movie has many interesting twists and turns that illustrate the random quality of luck. The private's girlfriend finally decides to surrender her virginity - only mistakenly offers it to the wrong soldier! Soldiers die accidently, without reason. And when the private panics, and flees combat, he ends up becoming a hero! At the end of the movie the private paraphrases his discoveries - "That's life, isn't it".