The film is largely Trevor Howard's. The entire film revolves around his character and his fascinating if inaccurate portrayal. David Hemming's Nolan is just Howard's contrast who is just as equally inaccurate and watchable. However, the film does work, and as such is entertaining and has a Dickensian period feel. The Richard Williams animations are entertaining but run counter to the flow of the film. The first time I saw the movie I was taken aback by their sudden intrusion into the story. The subplot with a young and attractive Vanessa Redgrave does lend a "homefront" setting to contrast the aspects of military life, but it is merely fantasy as others here have pointed out the inaccuracy of the Nolan character's portrayal. The actual battles are fun to watch, and again, largely inaccurate, as are the uniforms and equipment. Military buffs will be miffed at the glossing over of important details of The Alma and Balaclava, but it still is a decent war film. Overall I still can't say what the film really was. Yes, it is anti war and anti military. There are several quotes by Nolan and Raglan on how war is changing in the industrial age as the old Napoleonic (Waterloo) order is surpassed - "soldiers shouldn't know too well their business. It smacks of murder", etc. Certainly the charge itself is bloody and must have killed or injured many tripped horses during the filming. The last image of the film is a slaughtered horse. But the film also tries some social commentary, with the poor who take the Queen's shilling, the pompous officer barracks and fancy dress balls, contrasting with the life of the other ranks and NCO's. This is effective to some degree, but there isn't a lot of time or detail to make the effort rise above the level of a caricature. And that leaves us with the Richard Williams animation interludes again. They are unusual, they portray the political situation but lend a strangeness to the film. What to make of this film? It is an inaccurate but entertaining glimpse into a period of history that was on the cusp of great social and military change. Highly inaccurate but entertaining, this film is a light buffet for history buffs, and not a full course meal.
Review of The Charge of the Light Brigade
