THE BANDIT OF ZHOBE

UK, 1959, 80 minutes, Colour.
Victor Mature, Anne Aubrey, Norman Wooland, Anthony Newley, Dermot Walsh.
Directed by John Gilling.

UK, 1959, 80 minutes, Colour.
Victor Mature, Anne Aubrey, Anthony Newley, Norman Wooland, Dermot Walsh.
Directed by John Gilling.

The Bandit of Zhobe is a routine action adventure. It is set in the subcontinent, with Victor Mature (after his long Hollywood career) as a rather wooden lead. An effective British cast is led by Anthony Newley – with some comic touches.

The film is routine action adventure and was based on a story by Richard Maibaum who was to soon write the screenplay for Dr No and for almost all the James Bond films up till the late 1980s.

The film was directed by John Gilling who had a long career directing small-budget films including Fury at Smugglers’ Bay, Pirates of Blood River, The Scarlet Blade and The Brigand of Kandahar.

1. An enjoyable action adventure?

2. The quality of the nineteenth century adventure? Locations and action, the atmosphere of India?

3. How well presented were the adventure ingredients? Their appeal to audiences?

4. The presentation of the British and their style? The heroic British? The Commander? The life at the garrison? the orderly? The Commander? The atmosphere, of Empire and the response of loyalty?

5. The picture of India: the terrain, the tribes and their reaction to Empire treaties and the breaking of treaties, villains and massacres? raids?

6. The portrayal of action, the battles, the massacres, the executions? how real? The presentation of the major? Issues of Empire, colonization?

7. The personal and human side of the film? Zena and her relationship to Kasim? Capture, redemption? Themes, love, vindication?

8. The atmosphere of deaths?

9. The values appealed to for audience response to this kind of film?