Les quatre plumes blanches

In 1885 the rebellious army of cruel Dervishes enslaved and killed many thousands of defenceless natives in Sudan . Then laid siege to Kartooum , the scanty garrison's heroic commanded General Gordon appealed for help from England , but no help reached him . The film deals about Harry Faversham (John Clemens), a British officer young man . He resigns from military army and being rejected , he is branded as a coward , receiving four feathers as symbols of cowardice by his engaged fiancée (Jane Duprez) and his three comrades friends . Determined to save his honour , he heads towards Suakin on the red sea (Sudan) . His purports are the helping his friends from uprising ¨Madih¨ who had defeated to General Gordon (deeds narrated in ¨Karthoun¨ by Basil Dearden with Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier) . He's determined to prove his courage and retrieve the lost honors . Meanwhile , the Kitchener army heads for Ondurman to fight against the Dervishes and Fuzzy Whuzzi rebels .

This is the best version of A.E.W Mason novel and contains a plethora of adventures , heroism, a love story and breathtaking battles. John Clemens as brave hero is memorable and Jane Duprez as gorgeous heroine is charming . Ralph Richardson as the blind comrade is awesome . Touch of humor is supplied by C. Aubrey Smith as the resourceful veteran military . Special mention to cinematography in a colorful and glimmer Technicolor at charge of George Perinal . Spectacular musical score by the classic musician Miklos Rozsa . The film has been magnificently realized by Korda brothers , Zoltan (direction) , production design (Vincent) and production (Alexander Korda). Other versions of Mason novel are ¨Storm over the sand¨ (1955) by Terence Young with Laurence Harvey, Anthony Steel and Mary Ure ; 1977 Television remake with Beau Bridges , Robert Powell and Jane Seymour and last adaptation (2000) by S. Kapoor with Heath Ledger , Wes Bentley and Kate Hudson . The motion picture will appeal to adventure genre fans and classic cinema enthusiasts .

I have seen both the 1936 and 2005 versions of this film. Of the 2, the 1939 version is far preferable as it is a film about bravery, cowardice, duty, and devotion rather that a psycho-politico voyage about retribution, consequences, and punishment. The 1939 film is nonapologetic and does not need to be, as it is an exploration of one man's duty to friends and not a political statement.

I believe that the main reason this film is not given more credit is that it happened to be made in the watershed year of 1939, a year of legendary films, filmmakers, and stars. (Think "Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz", among others.) The action scenes are as good as you can get. The technical direction is well done and the cinematography excellent. While the camaraderie is, at times, a little forced, it is probably fairly accurate.

The travails of the protagonist are straightforward and unimpeded by the burdens of political overtones or ethereal punishments for current retrospections on political transgressions and apologetic political correctness. I'll forego the 5.1 surround sound for the far better entertainment factor of the real "Four Featers" made in 1939

A young English army officer resigns his commission just as war in Africa breaks out. His 3 best friends, officers all, and his fiancée each give him a white feather - the sign of the coward. Shunned & ostracized, he undertakes a mission to clear his honour & prove his courage.

This is a wonderful British adventure film, equally on a par with anything Hollywood was to produce in that golden year of 1939. Shot in color, with spare-no-expense filming in the Sudan, THE FOUR FEATHERS is a paean to the glory days of Victoria's Empire & the men who fought to build it.

Sir John Clements is excellent as the young hero. Although virtually unknown to American audiences his entire career, Sir John was a very fine actor with a warmly distinctive voice which he uses here to advantage. Sir Ralph Richardson appears, terrific as always, as one of the friends; so does John Laurie, very good as the troublesome Khalifa. Sir C. Aubrey Smith, magnificent as a curmudgeonly old general, provides the final hurdle Sir John must jump to regain his reputation.

In my 71 years I still hold "The Four Feathers" as my all time favorite movie. The acting is outstanding and the photography is beautifully done. You'll never see anything like this again if you live to be 200. It's too bad that this was released in 1939 when so many block busters were released by Hollywood.

This is one of the best from the now happily recovered & preserved great Korda collection(for some years blocked by much litigation)when the huge Denham Studios were on a roll,having arisen from the embers of an earlier fire. Under the sheer dedication of the hungarian Kordas, they simply couldn't fail until in the middle of what must be their most popular hit, The Thief of Baghdad,they were forced to move to the US by the outbreak of WW2. Each brother has left much to posterity. Alex, the entrepreneur was subsequently knighted for his contribution to British films. In a fascinating but poignant BBC documentary of the 70s,on the great studio's rise & fall, Elizabeth Bergner {another European import) referred to him as "a prankster". This vividly technicolored remake is splendid adventure, its Sudan locations compare well with those of Lawrence of Arabia and as in "Thief" the object of my attention had to be the beautiful, husky young June Duprez.

As in Stanley Baker's "ZULU" these giant black warriors are fearsomely portrayed with the scenes inside the primitive prison where the "dumb" spy Harry Faversham eventually finds himself are quite grim. And as another reviewer has commented, crusty Sir Aubrey as ever is the perfect & amusing retired tactician at the start & finish. A glare from under those bushy eyebrows was always enough! Great entertainment.