An Ungentlemanly Act

I was still a school when the invasion occurred and I recall watching this movie when it came out and was keen to watch it again once I subscribed to BritBox. Its as good as I remember and worth watching as it depicts how the conflict started and forms part of our history. It feels accurate although the humour is perhaps a little outdated, and the acting is good on both sides. It's amazing how few people died in the initial invasion but of course what followed was a different story altogether.

Politically the issue is still contested by Argentina, but hopefully we won't see a repeat anytime..

Nothing against him as an actor, he's a very good one, but I couldn't think of anyone less well suited to playing Rex Hunt. Ian Richardson is the English Home Counties personified (see him in Francis Urquhart) and Rex Hunt is a Yorkshireman. He could have least have dyed his hair - Hunt didn't have grey hair then, and for all I know, doesn't now!

I wasn't aware that it was filmed in the Falklands, which must have been more than a bit disconcerting for the locals. If I'd been there during the Argentine occupation, the last thing I'd want to hear would be the Argentine national anthem, and the last thing I'd want to see would be cars driving on the right!

User - "dinoangeloni" - I have this on DVD - leave a message if you still interested in owning it (20 years later).

A recreation of the first 36 hours of the Falklands conflict. Bob Peck plays Major Mike Norman, who has only recently arrived on the island to take over from Major Noot. Ian Richardson is Governor Sir Rex Hunt, who has only 70 Royal Marines to see off the entire Argentinian invasion fleet. Amid the confusion, several of the islanders simply go about their daily business; one lady offers the Marines tea over her garden fence.

Ian Richardson is excellent in the role of the Islands Governor. A well paced and directed film with excellent special effects, costuming, scripting and direction.

This was a very well made TV movie about the Falklands War. Up until that time, the war was depicted in very negative and anti-British terms with efforts like "Sink The Belgrano" (the British as war-mongers) and "Tumbledown" (the British army treats its men with contempt). This is a more balanced effort, and is all the better for it. The Falkland Islands and its people are depicted as a quaint, small town British community, almost like a corner of Somerset or Yorkshire. They live a life that almost embodies an earlier, stereotypical 1950's way far removed from cosmopolitan London. The theme of the film is that of violation. When the Argentinians threaten to invade, the locals close ranks and prepare for the worst; even though they're not sure what that will entail. The Royal Marines, professional to the last, won't give in that easily; they don't want their honour violated. The DJ refuses to have his station violated, the defenders of Government house don't even want the vegetable patch violated. The Argentinians are not the focus of the story and their point of view isn't really delved into; suffice to say General Mendoza comes across as a reasonable person, but a few of his officers are shown as brutal thugs who can't wait to impose their ways on the islanders.

The film came out when anti-Thatcher bias in the British media was high, and it's not an anti-Thatcher piece at all. It goes a little into the British seeming to reduce their commitment to the islands at the beginning, but the impression I was left with was that the islanders were absolutely horrified to be taken over by Argentina. It pits the olde-worlde British village life against the Banana Republic army boot. The acting is first rate (have Ian Richardson or the late lamented Bob Peck ever put in a bad performance?) and the production values are very good.