Joseph Losey's 1964 screen adaptation of John Wilson's stage play is a powerful, claustrophobic depiction of the horrors of the 1st World War trenches and the inhuman treatment of combatants. In this respect, King And Country is a natural companion-piece to other 'anti-war' films, most notably Stanley Kubrick's 1957 masterpiece Paths Of Glory, with which Losey's film shares its grainy (and gloomy) black-and-white look - cinematographer Denys Coop's work here being outstanding, from the film's haunting slow pan across a war memorial, to the sound of Larry Adler's haunting harmonica and the increasing volume of 'background warfare', through to repeated close-ups of the rat-infested puddles at the front. Losey's film also excels in bringing to together an outstanding (near perfect, I would say) cast of British acting talent from the period.
At the film's centre is Tom Courtenay's award-winning performance as the 23-year old Private Arthur Hamp, on trial for desertion and being defended (for his life) by Dirk Bogarde's officer, Captain Hargreaves. These two outstanding British actors are at the top of their game here - the former as the semi-literate, subservient ('You know best, sir'), disturbed, deluded optimist (whose wife back home has, ironically, deserted him) - often captured by Coop staring into the middle distance as he reflects on his living nightmare - whilst Bogarde again demonstrates his position as one of the finest actors of his generation, here as the 'conflicted officer' - increasingly sympathetic to Hamp's 'pathetic specimen', but unable to free himself entirely from his 'sense of duty'. And it is, of course, this sense of duty that is at the core of the film - and Losey (and Wilson) are actually very even-handed in their depiction of the 'officers vs men conflict', focusing rather more on 'the system' - the 'rules of war' as James Villiers' prosecuting counsel, Captain Midgley, devastatingly summarises, 'A proper court is concerned with law, it's a bit amateur to plead for justice'.
Elsewhere, Losey sets up the film's milieu brilliantly as the 'men' banter, clear rats from their infested mud-hole, kowtow to bellowing superiors, gossip cynically, indulge in illicit supplies of food and booze, and (in one of the film's lighter moments) put their 'captured rat' on trial. As well as Bogarde and Courtney's central pairing, also outstanding are Peter Copley's casually officious commanding officer, Leo McKern's aggressively defensive doctor (witness for the prosecution) Captain O'Sullivan, whilst Barry Foster is also good as the floundering Lieutenant Webb.
Whilst the film succeeds, for me, principally on the strength of its message and the totally convincing acting turns, I can't help but return to Coop's camera, which is frequently outstanding, such as during the brief sequence in which a dead body 'disappears' under the mud and rain or where the soldiers 'excavate' rats from the body of a dead horse.
King And Country is a must-see film and a classic of its genre.
At the film's centre is Tom Courtenay's award-winning performance as the 23-year old Private Arthur Hamp, on trial for desertion and being defended (for his life) by Dirk Bogarde's officer, Captain Hargreaves. These two outstanding British actors are at the top of their game here - the former as the semi-literate, subservient ('You know best, sir'), disturbed, deluded optimist (whose wife back home has, ironically, deserted him) - often captured by Coop staring into the middle distance as he reflects on his living nightmare - whilst Bogarde again demonstrates his position as one of the finest actors of his generation, here as the 'conflicted officer' - increasingly sympathetic to Hamp's 'pathetic specimen', but unable to free himself entirely from his 'sense of duty'. And it is, of course, this sense of duty that is at the core of the film - and Losey (and Wilson) are actually very even-handed in their depiction of the 'officers vs men conflict', focusing rather more on 'the system' - the 'rules of war' as James Villiers' prosecuting counsel, Captain Midgley, devastatingly summarises, 'A proper court is concerned with law, it's a bit amateur to plead for justice'.
Elsewhere, Losey sets up the film's milieu brilliantly as the 'men' banter, clear rats from their infested mud-hole, kowtow to bellowing superiors, gossip cynically, indulge in illicit supplies of food and booze, and (in one of the film's lighter moments) put their 'captured rat' on trial. As well as Bogarde and Courtney's central pairing, also outstanding are Peter Copley's casually officious commanding officer, Leo McKern's aggressively defensive doctor (witness for the prosecution) Captain O'Sullivan, whilst Barry Foster is also good as the floundering Lieutenant Webb.
Whilst the film succeeds, for me, principally on the strength of its message and the totally convincing acting turns, I can't help but return to Coop's camera, which is frequently outstanding, such as during the brief sequence in which a dead body 'disappears' under the mud and rain or where the soldiers 'excavate' rats from the body of a dead horse.
King And Country is a must-see film and a classic of its genre.