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Adapted to film no less than seven times since 1915, A.E.W. Mason’s classic novel of adventure reaches the screen yet again in a sturdily mounted, gorgeously photographed version distinguished by the top-drawer performances of Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, and Kate Hudson. It gives Ledger his meatiest role to date; as Harry Feversham, the young British officer who succumbs to fear and earns the contempt of his friends, this handsome young leading man has never been better. Wes Bentley is equally good as Jack Durrance, Harry’s best friend and fellow officer, who journeys with the regiment to the Sudan, where native chieftains have rebelled against the English. Given a white feather -- the traditional symbol of cowardice -- by each of his three closest comrades and his heartbroken fianceé (Hudson), Harry eventually overcomes his fear and performs feats of bravery designed to redeem himself. Director Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth) goes to some lengths to shore up Mason’s casually racist story with politically correct underpinnings, but the yarn’s principal thrust remains unaffected. Extensive location shooting, thousands of extras, and superlative battle scenes make this Four Feathers the most elaborate of all, but its greatness derives primarily from the timelessness of its theme: There is no shame in being afraid, as long as you don’t allow fear to determine your actions. Kapur supplies a feature-length commentary for this deluxe DVD edition, which includes a full-blown "making of" documentary and no less than seven featurettes covering various aspects of the production. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

A.E.W. Mason's perennially popular tale of honor and adventure is brought to the screen yet again in this lavish period action-drama. In 1884, Harry Feversham (Heath Ledger) is a young officer-in-training in the British Army who is soon to graduate and is expected to be shipped of to the Sudan, where the King's military are battling Muslim insurgents who are attempting to overturn English colonial rule. Feversham, however, has developed serious ethical reservations about going along, and on the eve of his departure, he resigns his commission. Feversham's best friend and fellow officer Jack Durrance (Wes Bentley) in response presents him with a white feather (a symbol of cowardice), and two of his classmates follow suit. Ethne Eustace (Kate Hudson), Feversham's fiancée, presents him with a fourth white feather shortly before breaking off their engagement. Sufficiently humbled, Feversham attempts to win back his honor and the respect of his family and friends by secretly becoming an undercover operative in the Sudan. His initial attempts to pose as an Arab are not especially convincing, but he makes friends with Abou Fatma (Djimon Hounsou), a local sympathetic with the British cause who proves to be a valuable source of insider information and advice on how to blend with the rebels. Meanwhile, Durrance is briefly ordered back to England to help recruit new soldiers for the colonial forces, and he takes the opportunity to begin wooing Eustace, the former flame of his former friend. This adaptation is the fifth film version of The Four Feathers, following two silent screen adaptations (released in 1915 and 1928), Zoltan Korda's memorable 1939 version, and a 1977 made-for-TV movie. Mark Deming

Hollywood Reporter

A rousing if retro adventure film about soldiers and honor and brotherly love. Kirk Honeycutt

New York Post

1/2
At its best, The Four Feathers recalls the consummate craftsmanship and irony-free storytelling of Hollywood's Golden Age. Lou Lumenick

Product Details

• UPC: 097363372349
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 2:10:00
• Sales Rank: 9,573

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