Tempesta sul Nilo

One Sunday afternoon in 1982 BBC 1 broadcast STORM OVER THE NILE . Nothing remarkable in itself with this scheduling but later that evening the ITV channel broadcast THE FOUR FEATHERS remake from the late 1970s ! Two different versions of the same story broadcast a few hours within each other on the two network channels ! Amazing , and not something that was unnoticed since myself and several school colleagues remarked upon this the next day . We were all in unanimous agreement that STORM OVER THE NILE was the much superior movie . Strangely over the years every time Terence Young's version is broadcast the TV guides don't have kind words for the 1955 film version of AEW Mason's story and after seeing the original 1939 version of THE FOUR FEATHERS I understand why - It's a rip off !

In the past I have criticised movies like CRITICAL MASS and RANGERS that use extensive film footage from other movies like TERMINATOR 2 and NAVY SEALS . With STORM we see the exact same thing . The truly great battle scenes weren't directed by Young they were directed by Zoltan Korda almost 20 years earlier . To be fair I don't think the producers are claiming that this is an entirely original movie hence the credit for both Korda and Young in the directors slot but I did see the 1939 version a week earlier on channel 4 and this spoils the enjoyment of STORM since the script is identical as are most of the action scenes . If you've never seen the original you'll like this movie but if you remember the unforgettable 1939 version by the Korda brothers you'll be left with a cynical feeling watching this

Although you wouldn't guess it from the title, Storm Over the Nile is a version of Four Feathers. This is the fourth film version I have seen, and it is quite good, with only one problem: Laurence Harvey is not the hero, and he is far too likeable. In the other versions, the leading actor is the likable one, so you are able to easily root for him to win back the affections of his fiancé and live happily ever after. In this one, though, Anthony Steel is the lead. He is not unlikable on his own, but Laurence Harvey's performance is very sensitive and sweet, and you can't help but like him better. You hope that he is the one who can win back affections of Mary Ure and live happily ever after. Even though the story clearly revolves around Anthony's quest for honor, Larry is the one you care about.

Besides that, it's a solid period drama. The music tries to evoke Miklos Rozsa's original themes, and Zoltan Korda's direction reminds us how well he directed the earlier 1939 version. If the casting were reversed, it probably would have been a very good movie. Love Larry in this? Check him out in The Alamo or Walk on the Wild Side.

Sweeping new adaptation plenty of idealism ,heroism , friendship , redemption and overwhelming battles. It's a great classical movie of the British imperialism adventure , a genuine ripping yarn picking up several stunning images and with some stirring action taken from the quite better 1939 version . This fifth rendition about known story by A. E. W. Mason concerns a British young officer named Harry Faversham (Anthony Steel). Resigning from Army , he's rejected by his father-in-law (James Robertson Justice) and his engaged fiancée (Mary Ure), branded a coward and sent four white feathers by his friends (Ronald Lewis, Laurence Harvey, Ian Carmichael) . Determined to save his honor he heads to Sudan campaign against Derviches who previously (thirteen years before) had murdered General Gordon in Karthoum. There arrives the expedition of help commanded by General Wolsey and Kitchener for stifle the rebellious Sudan's tribes ruled by 'the Madhdi' , the ¨expected one¨ (events developed in ¨Khartoum¨ film -1966- with Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier , directed by Basil Dearden) . The Madhi along with Arab tribes had besieged Khartoum (1884) and vanquished General Gordon . Faversham disguised himself as a native will save his friends from certain death and he will retrieve the lost honors .

This is a spectacular adventure detailing the epic feats of a brave hero, containing noisy action, idealism , romance , unlimited courage , breathtaking battles and impressive landscapes . It's a typically polished British and packs real enthusiasm of the imperialist arrogance along with standard heroic issues . Anthony Steel as stubborn officer is fine , Laurence Harvey as his best friend is convincingly played and Mary Ure as his girlfriend is enjoyable . Special mention for James Roberson Justice as swagger general Burroughs . Solid performances all around and excellent plethora of secondaries as Christopher Lee , Ferdy Mayne , Michael Hordern , Geoffrey Keen , among them . Sensational battle scenes staged by means of thousands of extras , though partially taken from former film directed by Zoltan Korda . Evocative cinematography in superb Technicolor camera-work , showing the late 1800's and sunny African landscapes by two cameramen : Edward Scaife and Osmond Borradaille for exterior photography in Sudan and interior filmed in Shepperton studios . Rousing and impressive musical score by Benjamin Frankel . The motion picture was professionally directed by Zoltan Korda and Terence Young with imagination and fair-play enough .

Other adaptations about this famous story are the following ones : the old and silent renditions filmed in 1915 , 1921 , and 1929 directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper with Richard Arlen, Fay Wray and Clive Brook ; the classic rendition by Zoltan Korda (1939) with John Clemens , Ralph Richardson and Jane Duprez ; and for TV (1978) by Don Sharp with Beau Bridges , Jane Seymour , Robert Powell and eventually , a modern rendition with Heath Ledger , Kate Hudson , Wes Bentley , and Michael Sheen .

I had the advantage of watching Zoltan Korda's 1939 'The Four Feathers' on one afternoon and this his 'Storm over the Nile' on the next and since there have been at least 5 versions filmed cannot understand why it was not issued as 'The Four Feathers' or more appropriately 'The Two Feathers' as those given to Lieutenants Thomas Willoughby and Peter Burroughs were largely irrelevant to the plot although getting Harry Faversham flogged in the original and just incarcerated in the second ? One could believe John Clements considered himself a Coward but not Anthony Steele. I would cross the street and a few deserts for Mary Ure but not June Duprez- she deserved the far from noble Ralph Richardson but not Laurence Harvey who started off the sequel. Laurence Harvey started off with a reddish brown rat on his forehead which might well have saved him from Retinal damage when his lost his Hat. Indeed it is hard to select a single Actor or Actress who was better in the original and usually considered superior version but that is after we have watched both. As a stand alone Storm over the Nile is both more watchable and allowed Zoltan Korda to clean up several nonsenses from his original. Such as how and why John Durrance became sun blind. Ralph Richardson leading his troops keeping that he was blind a secret. The hovering vultures and other reasons why LH tries more convincingly to shoot himself. How Harry Faversham passed over the so important File and the Mahdi's guards searching them for it. All in all certainly not deserving the criticism - who shouldn't any Director use the same footage twice or shoot an overlong schedule and then divide it into two ? Nobody has to pay to watch any Film or spend the time glued to the telly.

If the name The Sudan is familiar today it is probably on account of the constant references to the exploits of his youth by Jonesy in 'Dad's Army' of the time he spent engaging the Mad Mahdi, briefly seen played by John Laurie in footage from the 1939 version.

Here you get a chance to see the thing played straight in this CinemaScope remake by Zoltan Korda of his classic thirties Ripping Yarn back in the days when Britain still had an empire.

Anthony Steel is a colourless substitute for John Clements as Harry Faversham and the less said about Lawrence Harvey in the role originally played by Ralph Richardson the better; but the late Mary Ure makes a charming and gracious heroine, while Osmond Borradaile's original location footage continued to give good value in this and a subsequent seventies version.