Customer Reviews

Lighthorsemen [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It has been called,the 'last great cavalry charge in history,' and this film, like the famous charge at Beersheba on 31 October 1917, is an epic event that relates the courage of the Australian 'digger' (soldier).

In fact the charge was not carried out by cavalry but instead by mounted infantry (who do not have sabres) and also the Poles would dispute the claim because their cavalry charged the tanks of the Wermacht in the 1939 conflict which ushered in the second great global conflagration.

The authentic nature of the film is highlighted not only in the classic charge but in small details such as the map in the Turkish commander's office being in Arabic-which was the alphabet the Turks were using in World War 1.

'Lighthorsemen,' like two other Aussie war films, made in the 1980s, (Breaker Morant and Gallipoli) reflected some antagonisms that existed between Australian and British troops, and which have been heightened by film makers of the modern generation. Fortunately, this is not over-played in this fine film and when it does surface it is obvious that the astute British intelligence officer, Major Meinertzhagen ( played superbly by Anthony Andrews), deliberately wants to foster such feelings as part of his plans of deception against the Turks. The real-life importance of a letter from a female army nurse, in an attempt to deceive the Turks into withdrawing a division from Beersheba to Gaza, is also highlighted by a fine piece of acting between Andrews and Sigrid Thornton.

The ride into hostile territory by the bird-loving Meinertzhagen and an Aussie soldier is a interesting sub-plot and will give American viewers some indication of the cultural differences between egalitarian Australia and the class society of Britain.

Perhaps it is also worth noting that the appointment of Australia's Lt. Gen. Sir Harry Chauvel as commander of the Desert Corps, was derisively greeted by one British brigadier with the words, " fancy giving command of the biggest mounted force in history to an Australian." Fancy that!
(Fortunately such views were not held by the two British commander-in-chiefs, Murray and, his replacement, Allenby).

Maybe that explains why, when Chauvel was faced with a choice between assigning British cavalry (under Fitzgerald) or the Australian mounted infantry ( under Grant), to lead the momentous charge on Beersheba, he quietly said to Gen. Hodgson, "put Grant straight at it."

The stage was then set for one of the most dramatic rides in history and this film captures the lighthorsemens ride into the pages of history.

FOOTNOTE: Chauvel's two boyhood heroes were Saladin and JEB Stuart. Like the great Islamic leader of the Crusades the Australian leader would strike hard at tired and isolated armies and also like the great Confederate cavalry leader, Chauvel's armies covered great distances-in 1918 he isolated 2 Turkish armies after travelling 640kms in 12 days. Chauvel referred to it as his "Jeb Stuart ride."

It was the last great cavalry charge in history. But ironically, the Australian Light Horse were not cavalry, but mounted infantry with rifles. They had to charge armed with bayonets, not swords or lances.

One of the great tragedies of the Light Horse was the fate of the horses. Most of the horses were the men's own, brought overseas from farms, sheep and cattle stations across the continent. Because of Australia's tough quarantine laws, at war's end the soldiers were given the option of selling their horses in the Egyptian markets or shooting them. Most, tearfully, took the latter option as a fairer fate for their "mates" who had carried them through the desert campaign. Lighthorsemen continue to weep at the thought of having left their brave equine companions behind. Of the 14,000 horses that departed Australia, only one returned.

Some US viewers have wondered exactly what was cut from this epic movie in the truncated US version, minus 15 minutes! Well one immediate clue was the inclusion of the lady's name on the complete film credits found on <www.us.imdb.com> who played Dave's Mother. After the scene of Dave at the station talking to the sgt on the trainload of horses & then unsaddling, jumping the gate & riding home, we lose the entire scene at the supper table when his mother, mute, worries about his joining up & his father says "If he wants to join, we can't stop him". A photo of his dead brother already kiled in action is in the backgound, but we don't know of this until later when the group are talking after tucker & Taz upsets Dave not knowing the brother is dead. Another important spot is just as the regiment is moving out, prior to the patrol when Frank gets shot, a Bedouin spy watches them ride off! Later still before the big push, Taz is writing a belated letter home to his wife & Chiller comes over to ask what his mate is doing? Taz is short with him & he backs off. This is perhaps our first intimation that Taz is at risk? The scene that follows when the postal orderly refuses to take Taz's letter & Chiller obliges, thus getting back in his good books I think WAS included in the US cut, now not too well understood due to the early part being missing. I need to run both versions side by side & compare them to be sure that the ultimate charge was not emasculated perhaps for US viewers as being too graphic??? There are some great horse falls & stunt riders' "deaths" falling out of the saddle at full gallop! One man has his bandolier of ammunition across his chest explode when hit by a Turkish machine gun bullet. In the fierce hand to hand trench fighting there's a Turk getting his throat cut by bayonet, others on both sides being bayoneted in the belly, the one horse seen being blown up in mid air was a rubber dummy. Suntmen even rode this for some shots I understand. When Simon Wincer reused the climactic charge in the "Young Indiana Jones" tv episode "Daredevils of the Desert", in the end credits poor Jon Blake was given a stunt credit for the fall he seemed to make when the nearby well blew up in Beersheba just before he found the wiring. It wasn't him! It was the lead stunter on the film. Of interest was the late eldest daughter of General Sir Harry Chauvel, who was both a well-known Australian writer of childrens' books & a wonderful rancher up into her eighties, loaned a copy of her fine book on the Light Horse to Wincer when he was preparing the film. The opening sequence of the horse round-up was shot on her family property with its magnificent scenery. In fact Wincer's much earlier film "PHAR LAP" was filmed on a race track adjacent to that property! I'm hoping he may be able to engineer a new DVD release of that classic racing film at least Down Under, as he has recently done with a much improved new DVD version there of "The Man from Snowy River", which he produced. Both his "The Lighthorsemen" & "Quigley Down Under" starring Tom Selleck seem currently to be undergoing a huge renewal of interest on the part of viewers in North America. Nobody can overlook his immense success either with the "Lonesome Dove" Us mini=-series or the two Selleck westerns. sincerely, John.

Our Melbourne viewer who wrote "True Story" last May 16th 1999 was not entirely accurate re the fact that at the end of the WWI Desert Campaign in Palestime the men shot their own horses to prevent them falling into native hands! First off they were government property. But yes quarantine regulations prevented any being repatriated at war's end! They were made into 3 groups, the finest & fittest were sold to the Indian army, the next were disposed of, perhaps some locally? The third group, the sick & war wounded were humanely put down under the supervision of veterinary officers. Were it not for the Meinertzhagen business I referred to in my review & author Brian Garfield's discoveries about that actual person now known to have lied & misrepresented his own wartime career & falsified his so-callled avian discoveries! (The FBI got onto those!), I would certainly have given this fine film 5 stars. As it is I have seen it a myriad of times in the complete version & never tire of it! As Ricotto of Vienna, Austria has reminded us here it ran originally for 131 minutes, not the 115 or so of the butchered US cut! Unfortunately the terms of Simon Wincer's agreement with RKO to gain initial financing before it was made demanded the cuts. The saddest & most tragic thing was on the very last day of filming at Hawker, star Jon Blake who played the real life man who saved the wells at Beersheba from being blown up, had a horrendous car crash driving home when he ploughed into an illegally parked car on the highway. Today he remains a bed-ridden human vegetable in a coma! A massive financial grant made for his ongoing care, the largest ever granted, has been whittled away over the years by grasping lawyers & government officials so today his continued care is in doubt! This can still be researched I think on "Google". Anyone who was thrilled by "The Lighthorsmen" should go to the website of the "Australian Light Horse Association"! <www.lighthorse.org.au". If you are keen on US cavalry movies & other equine subjects don't miss <www.militaryhorse.org> While some characters in the film were fictional or combined from real people, Ian Jones' brilliant handling of them in the film & the acting by a largely unkown outside Australia cast, given Simon Wincer's direction & the terrific cinematography, & editing music (Mario Millo ) the men came off as completely real for the time, period, feeling & action! A truly great achievement by Wincer & everyone else concerned. Documented on both that gatefold Lumivision laser disc album & the more recent Australian Region 4 PAL DVD. Sincerely, John.

US/Canadian viewers should be aware that the VHS version of the film which is still available happens to be cut by a vital 15 minutes. Due to director Simon Wincer's original agreement with RKO, who got world rights to the film. Only the Lumivision laser disc version now long off the market was the complete director's cut being made from the original Australian negatives. I had a hand in persuading that firm to go for the original film & also told them of the copyright holder's of the 1940-1 "40,000 Horsemen" by the late Charles Chauvel. They were able to include the climax from the earlier black & white fictional film as an addition to the gatefold two laser disc album. Wincer did a commentary on the one analog sound track. Stills were shown on the album & the original Aussie trailer was included on the discs. The film is available in Australia on DVD complete, but of course is PAL Region 4 DVD & needs to be viewed over here using a multi-standard PAL/NTSC DVD player which plays it on our NTSC color tv's! Apart from the character of Meinertzhagen played by Anthony Andrews, & unfortunately screen writer Ian Jones was fooled by Meinertzzhagen's diaries from WWI which are now know to be a tissue of lies & misrepresentations, so the incident of the dropped knapsack & the letter were not entirely accurate. Writer Brian Garfiled researched Meinertzhagen & has a book on him coming out. 4 other men were involved in the ruse! So with this one exception the film was virtually 100% accurate historically speaking! I have been corresponding with Simon Wincer for a number of years now & he still backs his friend Ian Jones up on this, but I believe Garfield's book will tell the truth! Meinertzhagen fooled many contemporaries & of two books on him , one is uncritical & the other author had his doubts. I urge anyone keen on this film to try going ther multi-standard DVD player route & import the DVD from Australia! Remember, unless yo have the Lumivision laser discs, you have never seen this film as it was orignally shot or meant to be seen! Sincerely, John.

A brilliantly crafted war film with a different feel than most. It is one of the only military films I know to have an authentic, believable romantic side plot that doesn't compromise the plot. The characters, especially those of the apparently bungling but in fact clever and admirable intelligence officer, and the boy who, though patriotic, cannot kill even to defend himself (but even so becomes a combat medic) are compelling indeed. The cavalry, err, mounted-infantry charge at the end of the film has to be one of the most amazing horse cinematic feats ever put of film

There are two things that make this a good story. First, it is a story with events depicted as they actually happened. The people really lived.

Second, there is the greatest cavalry charge ever filmed, better than Errol Flynn's "The Charge of the Light Brigade."

This movie, like "Gallipoli," is a good WWI movie from the Australian point of view.

This is simply an awesome movie for history buffs. It really makes you feel like you are riding along side the lighthorsemen in their advance and final assault on beersheba. It contains the single most climatic pulse pounding calvary charge ever filmed. The combat footage in this was so well done that it was later inserted into the young indiana jones episode Daredevils of the desert because it was THAT good.

The Aussie accents and the fact that a lot of the actors resemble each other makes this one a bit hard to follow. However, the charge on Beersheba (which the entire movie leads up to) is spectacular. Crank up the sound and enjoy!

this movie has a little bit of everything. a little romance, a litle action, a little humor. good story line, good acting and a truly exciting finale, in fact, one of the best ever filmed. a must see movie.