When deciding which film adaptation of A.E.W. Mason’s classic novel The Four Feathers was best, you have a number of films to choose between, and each has their own set of pros and cons. The 2002 and most recent iteration had modest performances with outstanding visuals, but set against a poorly plotted take on the tale. While not an utter trainwreck, when compared to Zoltan Korda’s iteration, it’s impossible not to see how the 1939 classic easily outclasses its sanitized 2002 counterpart in acting, storytelling, and direction. Shot in Technicolor, The Four Feathers stars John Clements as the shamed soldier Harry Faversham who takes upon an epic quest across continents to redeem himself in the eyes of his friends and fiancée. Now, 72 years later, The Criterion Collection has brought the beautifully restored film and all its themes of honor and social class to Blu-ray with a restored version which, while bringing crystal clarity to the tale, can’t do much to fix color distortion issues that plague its entire duration.
Harry Faversham’s (Clements) hard work in life has paid off, seeing him rise both in military rank, as the leader of his troop, and socioeconomic status with the recent announcement of his engagement to the well-off darling Ethne (June Duprez). With so much going for him, Harry casts off the military shackles representative of his blue collar roots, resigning from the cavalry on the eve of their deployment. The news of his choice shocks Ethne, as well as Harry’s three closest friends, Lieutenant Willoughby (Jack Allen), Captain John Durrance (Ralph Richardson), and Lieutenant Burroughs (Donald Gray). To express their shame of their friend’s cowardice, the three enlisted men and Ethne give him four feathers. Before he can explain his actions, Harry’s friends ship out to Khartoum, in the wake of General Gordon’s fall, only to be similarly routed by the Dervishes who scatter the three men to the wind and leaving them in need of rescue. To prove his mettle and regain his honor, Harry sets out to bring his friends home and win back the friendship and love he lost on that fateful night.
What follows is one man’s odyssey through sand, river, and gunfire that simultaneously shames British imperialism and proves that a man’s honor is never so much beholden to an outside force, such as duty or patriotism, as it is to his own conscience. Perhaps the most perfect analogy the film presents is the blindness of Durrance whom, for the sake of pride and nothing more, hides his affliction and mounts his horse to lead his men blindly through the desert, with none of them aware. A better metaphor for Britain’s overseas campaigns can’t be made, and to have that metaphor then be rescued by the man it called a coward for refusing to march to the frontlines makes for a powerfully bittersweet punch line. Of course, Harry’s shaming wasn’t without some justification, but the point of the story is that his three friends, high on a sense of honorable superiority, mistake his resignation as a fear of dying in war when in fact it was Harry capitulating to a fear composed of multiple factors – none of which had anything to do with battle. Harry Faversham illustrates the crushing pressures of social expectation as a greater and more debilitating force than the fear of death.
The heartbreaking part of this Criterion Blu-ray release is the sad state of the film. For all its grandeur as the story sweeps across sandy slopes, it’s incredibly detailed in what it shows us of textures and contours. So even as the borders of the film flicker with discoloration, at its best, the Blu-ray restoration lets us see the film with a level of clarity we never have before.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
As is customary for Criterion Collection releases, The Four Feathers includes an essay in its liner notes. The essay is Michael Sragow’s “Breaking the British Square”, an excellent summary of the film’s commentary on Britain’s floundering morale and sense of purpose. The extras on the disc include a full-length audio commentary by film historian Charles Drazin, and, the highlights, a video interview with Director Zoltan Korda’s son David and A Day at Denham, a 1939 film which roughly equates to a production featurette showing Zoltan on the set of the film. It’s not the most loaded Criterion Blu-ray release, and honestly that makes it a bit disappointing considering the film itself is in somewhat poor shape.
"The Four Feathers (The Criterion Collection)" is on sale October 11, 2011 and is not rated. Adventure, Drama, Romance. Directed by Zoltan Korda. Written by A.E.W. Mason (novel), R.C. Sherriff (screenplay). Starring C Aubrey Smith, Ralph Richardson, John Clements, June Duprez, Donald Gray, Jack Allen.
