Movie review - "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer" (1935) ***1/2 (warning: spoilers)

The film that kicked off the British Empire cycle of the late 1930s, giving lots of employment to English actors in Hollywood - not that there are many of them in this film, which has three American leads. One is specified as American (Richard Cromwell) the other Canadian (Gary Cooper) the third they claim is English and ignores his accent (Franchot Tone). Still, despite this it's incredibly pro-Imperial - there's a long speech about how Cromwell's father has devoted his life to the Empire, how sacrifice is how only a small handful of men can rule of the natives, Gary Cooper starts off being hostile to Cromwell's father then comes to realise what a great man he is.

George MacDonald Fraser once said this was the film that evoked India for him more than any other and it seems authentic, with it's polo games (the Brits play a lot of polo in this movie), markets, back alleys, soldiers quarters, palaces, head quarters, etc. It's not hard to see this influence on the Flashman series, with it's cowardly lead, British India setting, and soldier who puts on make up and goes to spy on treacherous Indians. (I liked this chap - he wasn't the lead, but he gave the impression of an English upper class type who went into army work for something to do.)

Dramatically it's fascinating. The plot has newby Cromwell assigned to his father's company and getting scolded by dad all the time - yet Tone and especially Gary Cooper take a very proprietal interest in him. Indeed, Cromwell is such a useless soldier (he goes AWOL because his dad is mean, he gets lured into a trap by a femme fetale, he breaks under torture and gives away vital information, the only really heroic act he does in the final fight is stab someone in the back) and Tone and Cooper really go all out to help him (they stick up for him with superior officers, defy orders to rescue him), it's hard to understand why... unless of course Cooper is sleeping with Cromwell. There's a strong homo-erotic subtext to this movie, with Cooper and Cromwell walking around without their shirts, torture, a bromance between the men, and the only female character is a femme fetale... no wonder Gore Vidal liked it.

Most of the action takes place at the end, but that's very exciting. And you don't guess what happens - you expect Cromwell to be brave on the rack but he cracks... but is allowed to survive, whereas brave Cooper dies. Cromwell conveys a weakness which helps the role, Cooper is okay, and Franchot Tone really excellent. Guy Standish and C Aubrey Smith are typical Raj types.