September 20, 2002

By Veronica Mixon

This rousing adventure about a popular British soldier who questions his call to arms is a breathing-taking film reminiscent of the big historical dramas from another era. Heath Ledger (A Knight's Tale) stars as Harry Feversham, a young officer with a bright future and a good friends including best pal, Jack (Wes Bentley, American Beauty) and Trench (Michael Sheen). He also has pretty fiancée, Ethne (Kate Hudson, Almost Famous) who absolutely adores him. These two lovebirds are so enthralled with one another that neither of them notices that Jack is also smitten with Ethne.

When a colonial British fortress is attacked in Khartoum by the Sudanese army, Harry and his comrades are called to arms. Suddenly, and rightly some would think, Harry questions his role and his future - he's uncertain if he should be risking everything in some strange land. When he resigns his commission, his friends are stunned and his father disowns him. Ethne is shocked too and embarrassed despite her devotion. All of his friends except for Jack send him three white feathers - a symbol of cowardice - and he receives a fourth from his beloved. Stunned, Harry drifts in a sea of self-doubt until he decides that the only way to convince his friends that he's not a coward is to talk to them in Khartoum.

However, his trip is perilous. He doesn't speak the language and he must disguise himself as an Arab to survive. On a long journey to the British fort, Harry witnesses murder, brutal slavery and glimpses true physical passion. He's also captured and forced into the service of the Sudanese army and befriends an African, Abou Fatma (Djimon Hounsou0. He sees a side of the African personality that his friends will never see because Abou becomes his guardian angel.

The Four Feathers focuses on the military and upper classes whose regimented and ornamental lives help prop up the British Empire. The sweeping battle scenes with a cast of thousands (real extras and not computer generated images) riding into battle and the crafty cleverness of the Sudanese against the standard British soldier who didn't realize when they were outnumbered or outwitted is astonishing to watch. While the love triangle is sweet and never intense, it works because we like watching Hedger and Hudson together. All three of the young actors do their best to portray courtly folk. The most passionate love scene happens between two African slaves and Harry is stunned at the sight.

Djimon Hounsou, who exploded onto the big screen in Amistad and was excellent in Gladiator, is fierce and quiet in this role as a solitary warrior who guides Harry through his adventure. These two together are worthy of their own film.

It's a shame that Shekhar Kapur, who has successful leaped from "Bollywood," the Indian film industry and directed the Oscar winning film Elizabeth, didn't pour more passion into The Four Feathers. Still it's worth seeing.