What I like about this film is its uneven pacing in terms of character introduction, as well as the genre. It opens with a fortress full of dead soldiers (what a sight!), continues with idyllic childhood scenes that look like out of The Chronicles of Narnia, then there's a hint of screwball and we're back to the fortress. I must admit for the first 45 minutes I was trying to decide which one is more handsome: Gary Cooper or Ray Milland, but then I gave up and perhaps coincidentally the drama became more compelling. It's a film about heroism without superheroes and a good reminder that heroes do exist on this planet and they happen to be soldiers who kill other soldiers, not otherworldly creatures. So I'll stick with Classic Hollywood since I want to see films for grown-ups.
Review of Beau Geste
