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Harry Faversham (Heath Ledger) is the son of a prominent and decorated General (Tim Pigott-Smith). That he would be expected to serve as an officer in Her Majesty's Army is a foregone conclusion. He's schooled and trained and bonds with his fellow officers; he earns their respect both on and off the Rugby field. So when word comes that his regiment is to ship out to the Sudan to put down a bloody rebellion, Harry is shocked by his reaction; he's overcome with doubt in his ability to serve. Fear provokes feelings of cowardice. He resigns his commission and walks away from his regiment without a word of explanation.

His friends - regimental officers - react predictably; Thomas Willoughby (Rupert Penry-Jones), William Trench (Michael Sheen), and Edward Castleton (Kris Marshall) send a gift of three white feathers. When Harry tells his loving fiancee, Ethne Eustace (Kate Hudson), what he's done, she deserts him as well, and he's forced to add a forth feather to his collection. Harry's father disowns him, "I don't know you." Only Harry's closest and most loyal friend, Lt. Jack Durrance (Wes Bentley - who resembles a young Omar Sharif) is silent on the matter, maintaining a blind faith that Harry would not let the regiment down.

Harry is left with a numbing guilt. He resolves to face his fear; he follows his regiment to the Sudan intending somehow to redeem himself in their eyes and his own. As he finds his way across the desert, he is befriended by Abou Fatma (Djimon Hounsou), a noble African who believes that God put Harry in his path, and who will prove to be a guardian angel. This is but one of many coincidences that run through this movie. How Harry comes to prove himself and returns a white feather to each of his betrayed comrades, is the core of this melodrama.

We've seen this theme before, men who fall from grace finding an inner strength to overcome extreme adversity and rehabilitate themselves through sacrifice. Director Shekhar Kapur impresses with a wonderful eye for action and the sweeping vistas of the desert. The performances are uniformly excellent, conveying believable emotional intensity and the arrogance of empire. The only exception is the self-consciousness British accent of the lovely Kate Hudson and her distinctively modern behavior, quite out of place in Victorian England. Perhaps some of that responsibility may lie with screenwriters Michael Schiffer and Hossein Amini. They can certainly be credited with some of the unlikely actions of the hero, casting himself into situations from which he could not possibly expect to survive.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is presented in anamorphic video. I found the transfer on the dark side. Indoor and nighttime scenes seem underlit. Consequently, shadow detail suffers and is well below average. Dark backgrounds and dark clothing tend to become amorphous black cavities. Daytime scenes are much better. The bright red British uniforms are vivid and noise free with no chroma smearing evident, but flesh tones lean slightly toward pink. Edge halos intrude in scenes with high contrast transitions. A full cycle of video ringing (a bright halo around a dark object and a dark halo around the bright halo) mars the transitions between the desert and the bright sky. Small object detail and textures are nicely conveyed. I noticed no blocking or mosquito noise.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is quite good. Surround effects do not draw attention to themselves, yet they effectively immerse the viewer in the sound field. A rainstorm is very convincing, with splatters coming from all directions. In a climactic battle scene, the viewer is as surrounded by sound as the soldiers are surrounded by their enemies. And the quiet sounds of distant gunfire that bring down an escaping prisoner roll across the landscape with an eerie sense of spaciousness. Extremely deep bass is not as pronounced as I'd expect it to be; cannon fire did not give me that satisfying thump in the gut. James Horner's sweeping score is reproduced with authority and accuracy across a broad soundstage. The dialog remains crystal clear throughout.

A second English track is offered in Dolby Surround 2.0, as is the alternative language of French. The audio is supported by subtitles and Closed Captions in English.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Paramount Home Entertainment and Miramax Films have provided a generous array of extras on this DVD. Director Shekhar Kapur may be heard in a screen-specific, feature-length audio commentary. Sadly, most of his comments address character motivations, interrelationships, story arcs, and the logic of the plot. A few comments are offered concerning the players, the one CGI special effect, and the difficulties in shooting in some locations. For example, he briefly describes snake and scorpion wrangling at one desert location to keep his players and crew safe. Kapur does differentiate between what was written and what was filmed, and what cuts were made as the editor structured the essentials within the film. He occasionally stops, leaving gaps in his narrative. As you watch the feature before exploring the supplements, I think you'll have perceived quite on your own most of what Kapur reinforces with his comments.

There are eight featurettes with a liberal aggregate running time of 54:16. A Journey From Within (16:06) features director Kapur, screenwriter Michael Schiffer, and star Heath Ledger. This short delves into the origins of the film and its meaning, both to the characters and as a statement against the arrogance of the British at their imperial height. The parallels to today's world crisis, in which America's way of life is under attack by forces unjustifiably concerned with the survival of its religious culture, remain unspoken. The Sound of East and West (4:04) is a brief discussion by director Kapur of the nature of James Horner's score. He touches upon the fundamental differences in Easter and Western cultures that drive the nature of indigenous music and how Horner skillfully blended the two influences into the film's score. I must disagree with his comparison of organization and individuality with Western and Eastern philosophies. It seems to me that Western culture values individualism and is more tolerant of nonconformity.

The Battle of Abou Clea (4:45) has Kapur exploring the political and military significance of the battle, and how the first defeat of the British tactic of the "square" is symbolic of the beginning of the end of the Empire. In The Mystery of the Desert (4:10), Kapur describes his emotional response to the desert. I was somewhat startled to realize that he was articulating experiences I had years ago on the talcum powder-like sands of a Middle Eastern desert. We come to understand how his response to that unique environment drove his artistic decisions. A Historical Perspective (16:59) is a discussion of the film's historical roots. Victorian England and its social pressures are described. Its imperial colonization and the ultimate rebellion by conquered peoples - in the context of this film, the Sudan - is made clear. And the military tactic of the "square" is confirmed as accurately portrayed. The Friendship of Abou Fatma (2:29) is a montage of observations by director Kapur, screenwriter Michael Schiffer, and star Heath Ledger concerning the character of Abou Fatma. There is little new to be learned here that was not gleaned within the context of the film. An opportunity to justify or explain Abou's cultural imperative to protect Harry is ignored. A Journey of Self-Discovery (2:52) is a brief regurgitation of the theme of redemption. We're again reminded of Harry's decision and his long and painful path to recover his dignity, self-respect, and the respect of the people he feels he let down. And Surviving the Prison (2:51) is a very terse philosophical description of the symbolism of the prison as it relates to life and rebirth.

There are two trailers on this DVD: The Four Feathers; and, The Core, due in the spring of 2003. The Core's trailer features a shuttle in trouble - difficult to watch in light of our recent tragic loss of the Columbia; I seem to recall that the shuttle sequence may have been pulled in the theatrical trailer. The Core's trailer is programmed to play when the DVD loads, but may be skipped and saved for later. Both trailers are shown in non-anamorphic widescreen. The 130-minute feature is organized into nineteen chapters.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts