The Four Feathers (1939)

The Plot of the Four Feathers: The background of the drama is the determination of the British government to punish the Mahdi in Sudan for the death of General Gordon in Khartoum in 1885. A decade later General Kitchener is assembling forces with the intention of taking on the Mahdi at Omdurman. At the time of the assignment of his regiment to Sudan Lt Harry Faversham resigns his commission causing this three friends Capt Durrance and Lts Burroughs and Willoughby to send him a white feather, as sign of cowardice. Harry also forces his now former fiancée, Ethne, to give him a feather. The regiment departs, but Harry, having taken an anti-war stance, realises that he has actually been cowardly, so privately goes to Sudan and, disguised as a mute Sangali, joins the native army.  Durrance is blinded by sunstroke and his small force overcome by “Fuzzy Wuzzis”, but he is saved by Harry and returned to the British. Later Harry is able to help Burroughs and Willoughby escape from the Sudanese. Meanwhile it becomes apparent to Ethne when Durrance, to whom she has become engaged accidentally pulls his own white feather from his wallet. All become aware that Harry is probably still alive.

Content:  There is no sex or nudity, but a lot of smoking and drinking. Lets face it, at the time of this production that’s what anyone who could afford it did. The young Harry is invited to dine with his dad and a lot of other military guys who talk a lot about courage. Later in the military there are similar discussions. When the regiment gets to Sudan we see them marching about in the desert and being transported on dhows on the Nile. Durrance’s company are overcome by the Sudanese, despite courageous fighting all are killed except Durrance, thereafter he, blind, and Harry, mute, walk across the desert. Harry has unpleasant adventures and a mute native, ending up in jail with Burroughs and Willoughby, but with a file with which they free themselves from their chains. Finally we have the battle of Omdurman where the British faced up to the Sudanese.

A View: I had first seen this film back in the 1950s so I was interested to see it again. Of course it is old and creaks a bit, but it has apparently been remastered. It is in colour which makes it more watchable. There were versions before and more later but this is said to have been the best. It is vaguely anti-war and anti-empire, the writer, R.C.Sherriff, being best known for the distressing trench warfare play “Journey’s End”. Apparently the film crew spent three months on location making it all seem very authentic, so even for that making it worth a watch.

Fun Fact: I have studied a bit of the history of the fleet of small ships which took part in the battle of Omdurman, and think that one of the survivors, which was for years the Khartoum Yacht Club, actually features in the film.