Customer Reviews

Orde Wingate

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

 

 

Being an obsessive Wingate admirer and student, I went into seeing this film with some fear. Anything less than a perfect depiction was going to disappoint, and every minor historical error would be glaring. In fact, the film, which is essentially a filmed play, was extraordinary. Barry Foster was thoroughly dynamic and convincing as Wingate, especially Wingate's zeal and intensity. The scenery was evocative as well, consisting most of large cement slabs, that were positioned to depict either an embattled Israeli Kibbutz, an Ethiopian audience chamber, or what have you. While somewhat stark, any ostentation would have been out of place, both in terms of historical accuracy and the essence of Wingate's character. Perhaps most impressive, aside from the late, great Foster's performance, was the accuracy of the play's information. Despite the fact that I was watching like a hawk, the only significant variation was the omission of Wingate's actual aide de camp in Ethiopia, Avraham Akavia. He still had an Israeli doctor assisting him, however, so the variation is slight. The film also ignores the First Chindit Campaign, merely noting it in passing, and does not explain the particulars of the First Air Commando, though Philip Cochrane appears. While there are other significant events that could conceivably been inserted into the play in order to fully present Wingate's rise, the play as is runs over two hours, so certain omissions are certainly excusable. On an aside, my fiancee, who is not the Wingate obsessive that I am, enjoyed the scenery, direction and acting of the film, looking at it from a theater perspective moreso than I myself did. This film satisfies in many areas, therefore, although if one were expecting a standard film rather than a play, one might be somewhat upset and/or disappointed. I recommend it highly to Wingate enthusiasts.

Koch Vision present "ORDE WINGATE" (2006) (174 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- Under Bill Hays (Director), Innes Lloyd (Producer), Don Shaw (Screenwriter) ------ the cast includes Barry Foster (Orde Wingate), James Cosmo (Brigadier Calvert), Arnold Diamond (Chaim Weizmann), Denholm Elliott (Senior Officer, Delhi), Bernard Hepton (Palmer), Sheila Ruskin (Lorna), Nigel Stock (General Wavell) ------ this BBC mini series is an inspiring account of Orde Wingate the British Major who commanded two military units during World War II ... Barry Foster captures the character with all the passion and conviction this man displayed ... this three hour series ... much to do about his guerilla tactics that was the Israeli Defense Force ... air power and radio, recent developments in warfare, would allow units to establish bases deep in enemy territory, breaching the outer defenses and extend the range of conventional forces ... leaders were impressed, and larger scale deep penetration attacks were approved ...Wingate decided to proceed into Burma the character of the 1944 operations were totally different to those of 1943 ... the new operations would establish fortified bases in Burma out of which the Chindits would conduct operations ... a similar strategy was used by the French in Indochina years later at Dien Bien Phu ... one of the best adaptations of Wingate under the direction of Bill Hays and outstanding performance by Barry Foster and supporting cast.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Barry Foster
Date of birth: 21 August 1931 - Beeston, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
Date of death: 11 February 2002 - Guildford, Surrey, UK
2. Bill Hays (Director)
Date of birth: 15 March 1938 - Wingate, County Durham, England, UK
Date of death: 2 March 2006 - France.

DVD EXTRAS:
1. Featurette "Oder Wingate Military Genius?"
2. Photo Gallery

Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "Orde Wingate" (2006) - Barry Foster, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the BBC mini-series film market...order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- just the way we like 'em

Total Time: 174 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6354 ~ (6/06/2006)

This DVD was a huge disappointment. It does credit neither to Orde Wingate nor to BBC. It is extremely difficult to follow, even if one knows the story. The movie is done like a videoed stage play with very strange, austere sets, too few actors, incomprehensible scene shifts between Burma in 1943-44 back and pre-WWII Palestine, and an over-emphasis on Wingate's eccentricities at the expense of his military achievements and contributions to modern warfare. Obviously a very low budget enterprise. The real Wingate story has yet to be told in film.

This is a terrible work. The history as presented is completely wrong. The portrayal of Wingate bears no resemblance to the real man or his real life. Important events are glossed over or are at odds with history. The actors are not at all at fault, but the material they have been given is.

What you get is a coloring-book stage play version of the life of Wingate with all the unpleasent bits carefully ignored. The worst decision being to over-emphesize earier parts of his life while almost ignoring the events of 1942-43 which constituted his rise to fame.

The cover of the DVD has a clean-shaven head looking out into the distance. The real wingate ran around camp in Burma naked eating raw onions sometimes with an alarm clock around his neck. Its unfortunate that such fine actors were cast into this most unworthy production.

A total disappointment. Expecting a sweeping tale of this man, I was floored to see this done in a play format....all on a stage..bare & boring...