Masterpiece Theatre: All the King's Men

 

 

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All the King's Men is a fascinating if often horrifying portrayal of a little-known episode of the First World War.

David Jason takes a great part as Captain Frank Beck, who has trained a group of workers from the Royal estate at Sandringham into a company of soldiers. This role is very reminiscent of his earlier one as Skullion, the head porter in Porterhouse Blue. Both are essentially "good and faithful servants", firmly committed to the values of their social betters, perhaps to a greater degree than many of the latter themselves. His face is a picture to behold when he arrives at Gallipoli to discover the real conditions there, and perhaps the dawning realisation that said betters may have let him down.

With only a few lapses, the atmosphere of the period is well captured. Did anyone else cringe at Beck's question "Why are we here if not to prove ourselves as men?" I would probably count as "unmanly" by 1915 standards, but would have sought at least a slightly more practical reason. Beck displays a similar attitude earlier on, when he is utterly terrified that he may be denied the opportunity to lead his men into action, despite being clearly too old for active service. The scene where the 12yo telegraph boy, proudly showing off his new uniform, is upstaged by his 14yo pal who by lying about his age has acquired a real Army one is also only too believable for the time, as is Beck's remark that the young boy (whose real age he knows) is "more a man than I will get to be" if he himself is not allowed to go to war. Likewise the mobbing of the pacifist who was initially mistaken for a wounded soldier. His injuries were actually inflicted by real soldiers whom he had been treating in hospital.

Queen Alexandra makes a revealing comment when someone expresses doubt as to whether the pacifist was truly a coward, saying "We are all compelled to believe that he was a coward", presumably because admitting the possibility of any other motive might lead her and others into thinking socially unacceptable thoughts. The Queen Mother gets a number of memorable lines, notably when her son, King George V, tells her that "Kitchener is confident of victory". She responds "Let us hope that his confidence costs us less in Turkey than it has in France". It is rather hinted that she is more than a little sceptical about the whole war, but carefully concealing this as it is part of her royal duty to maintain morale. The King takes this attitude even further, when toward the end he cautions the clergyman who has sought out the real fate of the "Sandringhams" not to say anything that would contradict the morale-boosting story promoted by the War Office. Shades of "When legend becomes truth, print the legend."

There is probably more than a little legend in the film itself, though excusably so given the paucity of firm facts. The theory that the men were "executed" after capture by the Turks cannot be verified. The Turks were indeed disinclined to take prisoners, but any killing is as likely to have been done during the battle ("shot while putting their hands up") as afterwards in cold blood. In particular, the portrayal of Beck's death is highly doubtful, since what evidence there is (admittedly inconclusive) suggests that he was killed in the fighting rather than murdered. But the closing shot, as the men advance to their deaths through the mist, is evocative of that unforgettable final scene in Blackadder Goes Forth.

One final twist, which I gather is historically accurate. The sole survivor, reappearing at the end disfigured but alive, owes his survival to being left for dead and found later by a German unit, waking up in their military hospital. The only "Sandringham" ever to see the place again owes his life to the evil Hun. A suitably ironic note on which to end.

For Masterpiece Theater, it's well done! The Story is really good too! there's a bit of romance, and can be a bit boring with these long winded 'speeches' some of thge royal family members give. there is a replay value here, I watched it twice in a week, Also the battle scenes are ok, it's no 'Saving Pte Ryan' folks! lol but shows the tactics and styles of WWI fighting.

all round I paid $12-13 bucks for it, it's worthy to be displayed in my collection of DvD's!
and if your a WWI buff or a novice like me, hopefully you'll agree with my review!!

A very well made, moving drama about the Estate workers at Sandringham who volunteer during The First World war to fight the Turkish in Gallipoli. Unlike the Mel Gibson Film, this focuses purely on the British contingent at the Dardanelles and the suffering and losses involved.

The legend of the Sandringham soldiers has it that a mist descended on them as the marched into battle and that they were never seen again. This actually shows the reality of battle, the distinct lack of glory and the shambolic reconnaisance which leads in turn to the inevitable result.

As the drama unfolds, we are introduced to the characters and have enough time to get used to them and start to understand and like them.

If war films are not your thing, believe me, this is very different. Worth a watch, especially the ever-dependable David Jason.

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3.0 out of 5 stars All the Stock Characters
In the vein of "Glory," All the King's Men is about a regimen of ill-fated soldiers who meet their demise during a military offensive. Read more

Published on Dec 22 2000 by Susan Waszak

4.0 out of 5 stars All the King's Men
I saw this movie on PBS. I had no knowledge of the Gallipole campaign before I saw this movie. This was one of the most moving and well made TV dramas I have ever seen. Read more

Published on Dec 20 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic British cameo
This is a superb drama documentary produced for the BBC and starring David Jason and Maggie Smith. It explores the history of the raising of the Sandringham Brigade during the... Read more

Published on Mar 13 2000 by W. Robinson

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