A Foreign Field (Telefilm)
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Telefilm: B-
Though it is a British TV movie, Charles Sturridge’s A
Foreign Field (1993) has a great hybrid of American and British actors, and
I mean good ones with formidable names and reputations. The story centers on the reunion of three
soldiers of WWIII (one British, two American) who return to Normandy for the 50th
Anniversary of its liberation. Leo
McKern, Alec Guinness and John Randolph are the friends. Jean Moreau and Lauren Bacall are the women
who figure prominently, while Geraldine Chapman and Edward Herrmann are the
younger generation visitors trying to keep up with it all.
Instead of being a morbid drama, this is a comedy/drama
done with style, wit, resonance and class thanks to its exceptional cast in
exceptional form. Roy Clarke’s teleplay
is intelligent and respectful of the past, the subject matter and the
characters, which are developed very well and worthy of the actors who play
them. Its 89 minutes are just long
enough to cover all the thoughts, feelings, realities and ramifications they go
through and the warm and lively nature of the amazing chemistry between the
cast makes A Foreign Field a DVD worth your time.
The 1.33 X 1 full frame image is a bit softer than
expected, but watchable enough, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is simple
without any real surrounds. Extras
include text on D-Day and cast filmographies.
This was a pleasant surprise and typical of the better BBC productions
that do not get seen in the U.S. enough.
Acorn Media does it again.
- Nicholas Sheffo
