The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)

Michael Curtiz and Errol Flynn's take on the Battle of Balaclava is one of the great '30s adventure films, on a list with The Four Feathers and Gunga Din. Unabashedly romanticized, politically correct and historically ridiculous, it holds up surprisingly well as a piece of pure, balls-out entertainment. It's a historical joke compared to Tony Richardson's 1968 version, but it's more consistently entertaining, and really no more dated.

Major Jeffrey Vickers (Errol Flynn) is an officer of the 27th Lancers, who accompanies an Anglo-Indian official (E.E. Clive) on a mission to Suristan, realm of Surat Khan (C. Henry Gordon). During the visit, Vickers saves Khan from a leopard, leaving the ruler in his debt. Years later, however, Khan leads a violent rebellion against British authority, resulting in the massacre of a garrison's worth of women and children. Vickers, caught in a romantic triangle with his fiancee Elsa (Olivia de Havilland) and brother Perry (Patric Knowles), is devastated, vowing revenge on the Khan. He gets his chance a year later, when the two men find each other on opposite sides of the Crimean War, with Vickers ordering the titular charge to avenge the previous atrocity.

The Charge of the Light Brigade is so ridiculously entertaining that its overly convenient plot and myriad historical inaccuracies don't really matter. The movie really stretches things to combine the Central Asian "Great Game" between Russia and England into the Crimean War. Even Dickens would blanch at the coincidences necessary for an Indian khan to find himself halfway across the world at Sevastapol - in what capacity, a military observer? One might wonder why they bothered incorporating Balaclava instead of keeping with a wholly fictional story.

Being able to accept these leaps in credulity and logic is a pre-requisite for enjoying the film, and many viewers may not. Of course, the glorification of imperialism, the scheming, murderous "brown-faced" Indians, and the fate of the equestrian cast may be off-putting for other reasons. The problems are less serious here, perhaps, than in a serious drama like Gone With the Wind, but they still exist. This film is a litmus test for tolerance of old-school film making: if you can't abide these things, then Light Brigade and its ilk are not for you.

None of this matters to me, though, as, aside from the meldoramatic romance plot, the film is a perfect, brisk-paced adventure film. Political correctness and historical realities matter not a whit with our tough, noble, spiffy Brit heroes kicking Russo-Indian ass for two hours. The movie works perfectly on its level as an adolescent male fantasy, with perfectly-staged battle scenes, loveable Brit heroes (and the women who love them) in neat uniforms, and a rousing Max Steiner score. Even today, there's a place for this type of film, and its level of pure, unpretentious, unadulterated fun is extremely appealing.

As always, Curtiz's direction is fine. Curtiz makes great use of California locations, which are almost convincing as the mountains of India. The action scenes are among the best ever filmed, from the exciting shootouts and sieges to the explosive, expansive final charge. Modern viewers may be put off by the tragic background - dozens of horses, and at least one stuntman, were killed during this scene, victims of cruel trip-wires and explosives. If you can put this fact out of your mind, the final battle remains one of the most jaw-dropping spectacles in cinema history.

Errol Flynn gives one of his best performances, mixing his usual dashing charm, athleticism, and nobility with righteous anger. Olivia de Havilland and Patric Knowles are pretty much wasted in a pointless subplot. C. Henry Gordon gives an excellent turn as the villainous Khan, chewing scenery with relish. A young David Niven (The Guns of Navarone) has a small but showy role. A plethora of fine character actors - Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, E.E. Clive, J. Carrol Naish - flesh out the cast.

The Charge of the Light Brigade is the ultimate piece of vintage, matinee fun. If you can get past the political incorrectness, the historical inaccuracies, and the murderous horse falls, it's ridiculously entertaining.