King and Country
Directed by Joseph Losey
Written by Evan Jones from a stage play by John Wilson
1964/USA
B.H.E. Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Captain Midgley: A proper court is concerned with law. It’s a bit amateur to plead for justice.[/box]
With a line up like Joseph Losey, Dirk Bogarde, and Tom Courtney, I couldn’t resist. This anti-war film does not disappoint.
The setting is the trenches of WWI in France. Foot soldier Private Arthur James Hamp (Courtney) can’t stand another day of the mud, shooting, and hardship and simply starts walking toward home. He is apprehended after several days and court-martialed. The penalty for desertion is death. Captain Hargreaves is assigned as “soldier’s friend” to defend him but holds out little hope of prevailing.
Between some powerful courtroom scenes we experience the day-to-day misery in the trenches and plenty of gallows humor from those bearing up better than poor Hamp.
I liked this a lot. Bogarde and Courtney are superb. The film effectively uses still photos from the Imperial War Museum to show the horrors of the war. Recommended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1CZZJkyTaY
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