ianlouisiana Review of The Last Post

The Last Post (2017)

"The Colonel's Lady and Rosie O'Grady are sisters....

[8/10 · 2 October 2017]

...under the skin".Well,"The Last Post" is certainly a sufficiently Kipling - esque tale of crumbling Empires and deep undercurrents lying behind the façade of a Military Police Post in Aden where Colonial and Post - Colonial sentiments rub uneasily together. A local uprising is being fermented and the first rumblings coincide with the arrival of the new Captain and his honeymoon bride who has some naïve ideas about Army Life that must quickly be eradicated if her husband is to maintain authority over his troops. The C.O.'s wife is a brilliant portrait of a woman married to a career soldier.Patient,intelligent,calm and strong she has subordinated her life to encourage and support his career. In the appalling language of the day there is a " Bicycle - Officers for the use of" who,ten minutes into the programme is getting- also in the appalling language of the day "A good seeing - to" from the departing Captain who barely has time to make an unlikely speech about his "love" for his men before he is blown up by a terrorist/freedom fighter armed with with an ancient bazooka. As if that's not enough for Episode One there is the promise of cross - cultural love between an MP corporal and a Muslim girl working at the base and the "Bicycle - Officers for the use of" is also a drunk and married to a rather elderly Lieutenant who likes to wear a dish - dash and mix with the natives.No good will come from that I fear,a sentiment shared by the C.O.incidentally. By 1965 National Service had ended,an event welcomed by both the Services and the Conscripts,so all the soldiers were Regular Army with full - time soldiers' sentiments and attitudes which are well - portrayed. Provided we aren't ground down with Anti - Imperial lectures disguised as dialogue I think I am going to enjoy "The Last Post". It's "Our Girl" for grown - ups.