Directed by Joseph Losey, "King and Country" (1964) stars Tom Courtenay as Arthur Hamp, a British soldier who deserts his unit during World War 1. Court-martialed for desertion, Arthur is defended by Captain Hargreaves (Dirk Bogarde).
Well-meaning but overly melodramatic, Losey's film associates soldiering with muddy trenches, lost-causes and mean commanders. Here the British class-system treats working-class volunteers as cannon fodder, and military leaders are constantly demonstrating their class prejudices. Like the similarly themed "Paths of Glory" and "Breaker Morat", the film ends with an execution, pawns sacrificed so that others may think twice before betraying kings. The film was based on a play by John Wilson, who, as a lawyer, defended a similar client condemned to death.
7.5/10 – Overly wordy, but powerful at times. Worth one viewing.
Well-meaning but overly melodramatic, Losey's film associates soldiering with muddy trenches, lost-causes and mean commanders. Here the British class-system treats working-class volunteers as cannon fodder, and military leaders are constantly demonstrating their class prejudices. Like the similarly themed "Paths of Glory" and "Breaker Morat", the film ends with an execution, pawns sacrificed so that others may think twice before betraying kings. The film was based on a play by John Wilson, who, as a lawyer, defended a similar client condemned to death.
7.5/10 – Overly wordy, but powerful at times. Worth one viewing.