Sunday, May 22, 2016

Beau Geste

DVD Cover

It has been so long since I saw this movie (Beau Geste), that I forgot what it was about. The 1939 version starring Gary Cooper, Robert Preston ("The Music Man"), and Ray Milland was probably a TV staple during my high school years or so.

My interest in seeing this film again was triggered by watching Laurel & Hardy's homage, Beau Hunk.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and wanted more. The DVD that I borrowed from the library had no extra features other than the trailer. Thankfully, it did have closed captions/subtitles for the hard of hearing (i.e., me).

The movie is based on a 1924 novel by P. C. Wren. It is reported that the 1939 version was a shot-by-shot remake of a 1926 silent movie. It is too bad that the silent version was not included in the DVD because it is not readily available.

The synopsis on the back cover of the DVD says:
"The Classic Tale of Courage, Duty & Devotion. When three brothers joint the [French] Foreign Legion to escape a troubled past, they find themselves under the command of a sadistic sergeant deep in the scorching Sahara. Now the brothers must fight for their lives as they plot a mutiny against tyranny and defend a desert fortress against a brutal enemy."
Movie poster

I was surprised to read in several review criticism of the idealism portrayed in the movie. Obviously, in today's times, self-sacrifice, honor, and family are sadly not in vogue.

The nearly two hour long movie sped by quickly especially for one like me who tends to lose interest after an hour or so. Highly recommended.

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