Surat Khan's betrayal
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The betrayal of Surat Khan (alternative title: The attack of the Light Brigade) |
| Original title | The Charge of the Light Brigade |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1936 |
| length | 115 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Michael Curtiz |
| script |
Michael Jacoby Rowland Leigh |
| production | Hal B. Wallis |
| music | Max Steiner |
| camera | Sol Polito |
| cut | George Amy |
| occupation | |
| |
The betrayal of Surat Khan (alternative title: The attack of the light brigade , in the original The Charge of the Light Brigade ) is an American adventure film against a historical background by Michael Curtiz from 1936. The script is based very freely on the historical attack the Light Brigade and the poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson . The premiere in Germany took place on October 24, 1950. A 25-minute longer television version appeared on ZDF on October 14, 1989 under the title The Attack of the Light Brigade .
action
In 1854 Captain Geoffrey Vickers and his brother Captain Perry Vickers were stationed in Calcutta . On a diplomatic mission, Geoffrey saves the life of the tribal chief Surat Khan when he is attacked by a leopard. In Calcutta, his fiancée Elsa Campbell has fallen in love with his younger brother. He tells Geoffrey about it when he returns. But he only believes in a one-sided love of his brother. Surat Khan also arrives in Calcutta and indicates to the British to switch to the Russian side in the Great Game . Before Elsa and Perry can enlighten Geoffrey, Geoffrey has to go to Persia to buy horses for the troops in the Crimean War . There he is attacked by local tribes. Geoffrey returns to India, is promoted to major and transferred to Chukoti on the North West Frontier . Elsa's father is in charge there. Again, Geoffrey and Elsa fail to reconcile because Surat Khan attacks the under-occupied garrison. The Khan offers his lifesaver to let him go. In the following attack, Geoffrey and Elsa escape, while Surat Khan has the members of the garrison and their families massacred.
The survivors of Geoffrey's regiment are sent to the Crimea . Geoffrey's brother also serves there. The battle of Balaklava takes place . Geoffrey exchanges the written orders from Sir Charles Macefield to the light brigade commander, Sir Benjamin Warrenton, for his own. In it, Geoffrey orders an attack on Russian positions, which are protected by artillery and in which Surat Khan is. In a letter to Macefield, Vickers explains his motivation. Geoffrey instructs his brother to deliver the letter. The battle goes in favor of the British, who can reach and destroy the Russian artillery positions. There Geoffrey represents Surat Khan, who has allied himself with the Russians. The Khan shoots Geoffrey, while he is killed by his lance. After Macefield receives Geoffrey's letter, he takes responsibility for the attack. He burns the letter to protect Geoffrey's reputation.
Reviews
“In the longer TV version, the reference to the famous poem by Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892) about the 'Noble Six Hundred' emerges more clearly, but this does not change the pathetic glorification of heroic death on the battlefield. What remains is a brilliant adventure film with an impressively present star: Errol Flynn. "
"Great heroic epic with some of the most exciting action scenes in film history."
Awards
- Oscar in the now defunct Best Assistant Director for Jack Sullivan
- Oscar nominations in the categories of Best Sound for Nathan Levinson and Best Film Music for Max Steiner as composer and Leo F. Forbstein in his capacity as musical director
Trivia
More than 200 horses died in the filming of the film, leading the US Congress to issue new laws to protect animals while filming. A stuntman also died while filming when he fell into an accidentally abandoned sword in a controlled fall from a horse. Shortly before the film villain falls from his horse, you can see how he kicks an extras lying on the ground, at least slightly in the head.
The approximately 1.2 million US dollar production by Warner Bros. was filmed entirely in California, with the scenes being filmed at Khyber Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Although the best film music was nominated for the Oscar, in the event of victory the musical director Leo F. Forbstein and not the composer Max Steiner, who won the Oscar in the category last year, should accept the award.
There is a mistake associated with Flynn's film death: First you see him falling to the ground, his head banging against lying lances or flagpoles, behind which is a sack. In the next second these things are gone and behind Flynn's head lies a fallen man.
Errol Flynn's double in the riding scenes was Yakima Canutt . The film's military advisor was Captain E. Rochfort-John.
In 1968 Tony Richardson directed a historically more accurate film with the same original title. ( The attack of the light brigade ) .
Historical background and differences
The Battle of Balaklava took place on October 26, 1854 during the siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War. Opponents were an alliance of 20,000 British, French and Ottomans on one side and 23,000 Russians on the other. The attack of the light brigade depicted in the film took place with great losses. The battle ended in a draw, with 600 casualties for the Allies and 1,000 for the Russians.
In contrast to the plot of the film, the attack by the light brigade was not an act of revenge for a Surat Khan massacre. The assault on the Russian positions was triggered by communication errors, not deliberate manipulation. The attack was not, as described in the film, decisive for the outcome of the Crimean War.
Actual characters were assigned to fictional roles in the film. The position of Louis Edward Nolan in the attack corresponds well Geoffrey Vickers, James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan is Sir Benjamin Warrenton and the role of Richard Airey, 1st Baron Airey is Sir Charles Macefield. Only Lord Raglan is actually called Lord Raglan.
literature
- Astrid Erll: Premediation - Remediation. Representations of the Indian uprising in imperial and post-colonial media cultures (from 1857 to the present) . WVT Wissenschaftlich Verlag Trier, Trier 2007, ISBN 978-3-88476-862-4 .
Web links
- The Betrayal of Surat Khan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Movie posters from USA, Germany, Spain, Australia and Belgium
Individual evidence
- ↑ Surat Khan's betrayal. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ cinema.de
- ↑ imdb.com
- ↑ imdb.com