Embedded Files
A PASSAGE TO INDIA
Surely one of the best ever movies on 20th century British Raj, as members of the British and Indian elites struggled to define relations with one another in a rapidly changing world. This is a film worthy of E.M. Forster's classic, written in the 1920s just as the pulsating campaigns for the British to "quit India" became vociferous.
KHARTOUM
Filmed in 1966, and set in the 1880s, this movie follows the legendary and much-revered Major General Charles George Gordon into Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, where he has been instructed to somehow deal with the rising threat posed by the religious leader, the Madhi. Though serving the interests of the British government, London is anxious to distance themselves from his potentially explosive manoeuvres. With the odds stacked against him, Gordon faces the ultimate danger with fortitude and courage.
ZULU DAWN
The might of the British Empire is challenged by the Zulus
in this exciting film. It centres on the battle
of Isandlwana 22 January 1879, deep in the heart of British-administered South Africa. With modern rifles, field guns and rockets, the 2000 British soldiers were very confident coming up against the 20,000 Zulu warriors who had mainly traditional spears and weapons. What followed was a dramatic, tragic and sobering lesson for all later colonial governments to take heed.
ZULU
A day after the battle of Isandlwana, 4000 Zulus attacked the small garrison of 150 British soldiers manning the post at nearby Rorke's Drift. The soldiers bravely staved off wave after wave of awesome attack, and etched the memorable victory into the history books. The film itself was made in 1964 and remains a benchmark for grand movies of the Empire.
The History Buffs provide a perceptive insight into the historical realities and background to the war with the Zulus. In addition, the producers of the film explain the details of the production here.
THE LETTER
The 1940 Hollywood version, starring Bette Davis, is adapted from Somerset Maugham's famous short story, written in 1922. The film is set in colonial Singapore and the plot revolves around a sensational murder case which invariably draws more attention to the colonial society than they would have liked. I discuss the short story, the film and the actual events on which it is based in my article "Reopening the Letter: The Proudlock murder case 1911 and its significance for British Malaya."
GANDHI
"What ...is happening? Who...is he?" So begins the official trailer of this epic film which very judiciously tracks the life of Mohandas Gandhi from 1893 (when he faced discrimination in South Africa) to his assassination in 1948. Can one man bring down the Empire? Or, as John Woodcock once asked in his book, Who killed the British Empire? The film goes some way to answer this intriguing question. It stars Ben Kingsley, who does an excellent job in portraying the Mahatma against a tumultuous backdrop of ethnic strife leading up to and from "the stroke of midnight" when India gained her independence.
MICHAEL COLLINS
Here's an unusual one, but very well made, and about the nationalist Irish resistance to British rule in what has been called Britain's first and nearest colony - Northern Ireland. The plot revolves around the tragic-heroic figure of Michael Collins, his rise to fame as Irish Republican leader, ensuing conflict with Eamon DeValera, and eventual death. The musical score is hauntingly beautiful and quite expressedly Irish.
VICEROY'S HOUSE
An unexpectedly good film. Magnificent scenery and setting in the last days of the British Raj. The drama intertwines political manoeuvres with inter-personal intrigues.Provides a useful glimpse into the difficult and complex task of decolonization. Read up on the historical background in the Guardian review.
Articles on the Viceroys's House in The Telegraph and The Guardian.
A UNITED KINGDOM
The film is based on the true story of the heir to the throne of Bechuanaland, Seretse Khama of the Bamangwato tribe, who studies law in London immediately after World War II. There he meets a white woman, Ruth Williams, whom he eventually marries, despite the protests of both their families and opposition from the British government, which is concerned about relations with South Africa and the stability of the entire region of Southern Africa.
GUNS AT BATASI
A rare black/white film made about the last days of empire in East Africa. Although a work of fiction, the dramatic events portrayed very real emotions and raw tensions which bristled wherever there was the transfer of power from colonial authorities to local administration.
This 1962 film showcased the remarkably fine talents of Richard Attenborough as the quintessential Regimental Sergeant Major, whose dedication to empire and personal courage are much to be admired, even today.
The full movie Guns at Batasi is here.
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
The epic movie paints a portrait of "T.E." Lawrence, easily one of the most enigmatic, mysterious yet wildly intelligent and attractive of all of Britain's imperial figures.
A military officer, whose dealings with the Arab kingdoms drew much criticism even from his own superiors, Lawrence played a large part in the transformation of the Middle East in those tumultuous years during and after the Great War.
Watch the excellent critical review of the movie here at Movie Buffs.
AN UNGENTLEMANLY ACT
One of very few movies made on the most recent of colonial conflicts, the Falklands War of 1982. Produced in 1992, on the tenth anniversary of the war, it provides a typically British perspective of the events, with an emphasis on the British "stiff upper lid" attitude towards adversity.
Click here for a clip on The Battle for Government House from the movie.
YOUNG WINSTON
A sensitive, if slow, account of the early years of Sir Winston Churchill. The movie takes us through his younger days as he served as an officer in the empire, which prepared him for the tough days ahead as Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War.
THE FOUR FEATHERS
I am still rather surprised that some six versions of this movie have been produced over the decades.
This includes two in the 1920s as "silent movies." The 1939 version is considered to be very good, although the 1977 and 2002 versions are more accessible today.
The plot, based on a 1902 novel by A.E.W. Mason, revolves around the British Army's Gordon Relief Expedition (1884-85) in Sudan, and tells the story of a young man accused of cowardice. The trailer here is for the 2002 edition. I found the pace somewhat ponderous, but thrilled at the battle scenes.
Here is the 1939 version. Very entertaining and spectacular.
And the 1977 edition, starring Simon Ward and Jane Seymour.
THE DRUM
Produced in 1938 by the Korda brothers, the film follows a typical plot, in which local rivalries between native parties spill over to threaten the peace in the British Raj.
When an uprising by the anti-British plotters is suppressed by overwhelming colonial military might, stability is restored.
An unabashed apology for empire, the movie also depicts the prominent roles played by native factions loyal to the British. An interesting feature of the film is the focus on Scottish regiments and music in the Raj. Accept this piece of film-making as a product of its own times - imperial times!
SIMBA
I think this is an under-rated film. Produced in 1955, it does a good job to depict the troubled Emergency years in Kenya, as the British fought to remain in control during the Mau Mau uprising.
VICTORIA AND ABDUL
Yet another evocative film produced recently, this time casting the attention on Queen Victoria herself, who in her later years, found renewed vigour and interest in the empire over which she rule, in her friendship with her Indian attendant Abdul Karim.
This move was always bound to be controversial, with critics calling it patronizing and condescending. However, I feel that these miss the point of the movie, that beyond the overt and innane prejudices of society, a true friendship blossomed right in the heart of the British Empire. Judi Dench is excellent as the Queen, whose dour life is revived with the introduction of the intelligent and interesting Abdul Karim.
Google Sites
Report abuse