THE LONG AND THE SHORT AND THE TALL

UK, 1960, 110 minutes, Black and White.
Richard Todd, Laurence Harvey, Richard Harris, David Mc Callum, Ronald Fraser, John Meillon, John Rees.
Directed by Leslie Norman.

The Long and the Short and the Tall is based on the play by Willis Hall, and so it is a film of dialogue and dramatic clashes rather than war action. Set in Burma, it shows an inexperienced patrol clashing in personalities and ideals, and showing much of the futility of war. In its pessimism and lack of heroics, it anticipates the trends of the late 60's where soldiers are much less heroic and war is ridiculed in black comedy. English, Welsh and Scots are represented in this small band where bigotry and banter persist. Fear, stupidity and short tempers are characteristic of the soldiers. When they capture a Japanese, attitudes vary and change within the space of a few minutes. The rebel who gets on everyone's nerves turns out to have some sense of humanity, more than those who live by the book.

The dialogue is strong and crackling, though frequently humorous in a blunt and military sort of way. Richard Todd sheds some of his usual war-hero glamour; Richard Harris comes across strongly in the least sympathetic role; David Mc Callum is the fearful wireless operator. Most of the lines and scenes belong to Laurence Harvey, who gives another different performance as Private Bamforth, cynic, nuisance but easily moved human being. A good film (for chiefly male audiences) for discussion on war.

1. How is the title bound up with traditional British military heroism and pride?

2. Was this band of men typical of real soldiers or were they in some way caricatures?

3. How did the film convey the hardships and fear of fighting in the jungle ? isolation, distance, the growth, animals, weather? Did this seem realistic?

4. Did you understand the manoeuvre they were engaged in?

5. Why was Mitchem a tough leader? Why was he sensitive about his previous demotion? How did he relate to Johnstone? Was he a good leader? Did you expect him to be so heartless in wanting to kill Tojo? What forced him to this?

6. What was Bamforth's role in the film? Why was he always complaining and criticising? Why did he dislike officers? Why was he so sensitive about his London origins? Was he likeable? Was he ready to kill Tojo when Mitchem arrived? Why did he warm to Tojo? Why did he make the long speech to defend Tojo's having the British cigarette case? What was the irony of his saving Johnstone's life in the mine and losing his own?

7. What points were being made in Bamforth's defence of Tojo? Why did he attack circumstantial evidence? How did it show up the prejudices of the others? Was his case convincing?

8. What kind of man was Johnstone? Why did he assert his authority so much? Why did he rub people the wrong way? Why was he so much against Tojo? Why did he want so much to live at the end?

9. Mc Leish represented Scotland. Note his changes in attitude, especially towards killing. was he an ordinary kind of man (fighting Bamforth)? Were the attitudes of the ordinary man being criticised in him?