2002 - THE FOUR FEATHERS, another remake

This is a remake and an update of the 1939 film about honor, courage and duty in the British Army circa the late 1800's. 

Briefly, a British officer Harry Faversham along with his troop is ordered to the Sudan to put down a revolution by the Mahdi a religious zealot who is leading his "fanatical" followers against the occupying British forces.  Faversham decides he wants no part in this war and resigns his commission.   This prompts three of his army buddies and his fiance to send him four white feathers which in essence say he is a coward.  The rest of the story is about Faversham's attempts to redeem himself.

This is a well made film.  The photography and the settings are impressive.  The big battle scene is well staged.  The acting  when this film was released is that old stiff upper lip stuff the British like to convey in their war movies.  I think the problem with the film is that it is just a completely unnecessary remake.

 

The film definitely lacks a strong point of view.  Does it celebrate the tradition of British Empire building or is it a criticism?  Hard to tell since this point of view is all over the place.  When the original film was released in 1939 there was no question that it advocated the empire building fantasy the British embraced for a long time.  It least that film knew what it wanted to say.  This version just flip flops all over the Sudan as the viewer has to figure out it the British are the good guys or the bad guys.  In the end The Four Feathers is just a nothing film with nice desert photography.

The film was written by Michael Schiffer and Hossein Amini, the running time is 130 minutes.