


Attenborough gets sent to
Pier Angeli (above) is a stand-out here, in maybe her best role. (She and Attenborough were in the 1959 programmer SOS PACIFIC (review at Pier Angeli label), which maybe led to her casting her). Craig is reliable as usual, the film is scripted by Bryan Forbes (who also appears) from an idea by Craig and his brother Richard Gregson (who went on to marry Natalie Wood). It remains a riveting slice of life from that era. Directed by Guy Green (that ace cinematographer on Lean's GREAT EXPECTATIONS, who became a director).
KING & COUNTRY. The one Joseph Losey film which never
made any money, I had not seen it since its release in 1964 and it never
cropped up since (outside of Losey retrospectives at the BFI), but there it was on late night television,
along with BILLY LIAR and THE ANGRY SILENCE, on a minor cable channel.
During World War I, an army private is accused
of desertion during battle. The officer assigned to defend him at his
court-martial finds out there is more to the case than meets the eye.
This, from a play “Hamp” scripted by Evan Jones, and it seems star Dirk
Bogarde (back with Losey after THE SERVANT) also had a hand in it. It is the downbeat story of a private in the
First World War, tried for desertion and executed, as he simply walked away
from the guns and carnage, obviously shell-shocked. Confined to one set, we are
in the muddy trenches with the common soldiers (Jeremy Spencer and gang) as
officers Dirk Bogarde, Leo McKern, James Villiers prepare their case against
Private Hamp –
Tom Courtenay in another sterling performance as the innocent
who does not realise the enormity of what he did and what will happen to him,
in this brutal system.
This was an ‘X Certificate’ film at the time, I cannot see why now. It is strong stuff though, bleak and unrelenting, particularly that climax when Bogarde puts the injured soldier out of his misery. Made in 18 days and for not very much money, it is certainly one rare item it is good to see again, and how it fits into the Losey canon between THE SERVANT and MODESTY BLAISE and ACCIDENT.
KING & COUNTRY is now available on dvd, and, for UK viewers, is being screened again by Film4 this time, next Tuesday afternoon, 15th, and will be repeated the following week.

This was an ‘X Certificate’ film at the time, I cannot see why now. It is strong stuff though, bleak and unrelenting, particularly that climax when Bogarde puts the injured soldier out of his misery. Made in 18 days and for not very much money, it is certainly one rare item it is good to see again, and how it fits into the Losey canon between THE SERVANT and MODESTY BLAISE and ACCIDENT.
KING & COUNTRY is now available on dvd, and, for UK viewers, is being screened again by Film4 this time, next Tuesday afternoon, 15th, and will be repeated the following week.
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