Last night, while folding laundry, I watched on Hulu's treasure trove of the Criterion Collection the 1939 version of The Four Feathers, directed by Zoltan Korda.  I had seen the 2002 version and didn't think much of it.  Looking on IMDB, there have been multiple versions.

The 1939 film is shot in technicolor, still a very new and somewhat shocking technology at the time.  It is also filled with on-location scenes and large crowd scenes with great ethnic diversity.  Much of the filming looks newer than 1939.  I felt the film was a decade or two ahead of its time in these regards.

As with many early films, particularly in color, there is a great appreciation for visuals that people have not before experienced.  I miss that in much contemporary filmmaking.

There are elements of the story I preferred to how they were told in 2002 and others less so.  The propogandistic aspects burden the film as well.

One of the best, most harrowing scenes, is after the battle when Harry and John are the sole survivors left alone in the desert with the vultures swirling and calling.  Very well done.

Sir Ralph Richardson delivers a fine performance.

I felt that this film had to have had some influence on David Lean, particularly in Lawrence, and maybe on some American westerns as well.

4 1/2 film reels
3 1/2 popcorn kernels