‘THE FOUR FEATHERS’ IS EPIC MASTERFUL HISTORICAL PERIOD DRAMA
An adaptation of a novel, The Four Feathers, may not be considered a cinematic marvel, but it is worth the time.
The Four Feathers (2002) Film Review
Tight-knit and willing to do anything for each other, Harry Feversham (Heath Ledger) and Jack Durance (Wes Bentley) along with their three best friends have been training for weeks. Now, their regiment is about to be sent into battle, specifically to the Sudan, a place that is an especially brutal battle field. Harry is the son of a prominent military man (Tim Piggott-Smith), and a man who is proud to see his son wear the uniform and to eventually take up a leadership commission of his own.
Fearing the idea of being responsible for an entire company, Harry resigns his commission just before he would be sent out. He goes to the person who means most to him, his fiancée Ethne (Kate Hudson), only to find that three of his friends brand him a coward with the presenting of three white feathers, which symbolize cowardice. When Ethne too sends him a feather, this sparks an action in Harry to prove what he is capable of.
‘THE FOUR FEATHERS’ IS EPIC MASTERFUL HISTORICAL PERIOD DRAMA. See #HeathLedger in film about a man who overcomes his fears. #KateHudson #RupertPenryJones #PeriodDrama Share on X
One of those films that I saw years ago (probably more than once), since then it’s been years since I more recently saw this. In this rewatch, I discovered that this is based on a novel which I had forgotten or didn’t know. Since I’m not one apt to read classic literature or novels from X many years ago, I haven’t read it. To speak to this as an adaptation isn’t something I can do. However, as a historical epic period drama, this film is marvelous.
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Everything about this film, with perhaps exception to its length (parts of the film drag a little), is beautiful. Even the harshest moments have a sense of beauty given what they teach the characters. The darkness is balanced out by the life of Ethne during the battles the men have to fight and the stunning sequence with Harry and Ethne in the early parts of the film.
The film has tough lessons for its characters, but these struggles have value. Our hero learns what he is capable of and what he actually can do. I’m not sure how this film plays universally speaking, but it is something worth seeing. The cast is surprisingly lovely and in addition to the talents of Heath Ledger, there is also Kris Marshall and Rupert Penry-Jones as well. They all step into characters we want to see come out of this crisis, and then there is Djimon Hounsou, who is, well, a mysterious presence.
If you enjoy period drama, then The Four Feathers is easy to recommend. It is more dramatic than some of the soapier, more mainstream titles in the genre, but if you don’t mind a slower pace, it’s lovely.
Photos: Alamy
Stream, at publication, The Four Feathers on Pluto TV; or purchase / rent on places like Prime Video
Content: there are scenes of nude male bodies lying dead (it’s not a close up shot). The other scene is of male players nude (backside) in a locker room. Some minor innuendo is present, but it’s never abusive of its rating. Mostly, the PG-13 rating is for violence. There is at least one serious battle scene; a sequence that shows many men fall (after sustaining a gunshot wound or in hand-to-hand battle). There are many hand to hand combat scenes, most of which end with one person dying.
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