The core of the plot is the romantic triangle formed by the protagonist, a conscripted soldier named Private Brigg, a worldly professional soldier named Sergeant Driscoll, and Phillipa Raskin, the daughter of the Regimental Sergeant Major. The location is a British army base in Singapore during the Malayan Emergency.
Acting
Lynn Redgrave's commanding presence outshines every sweaty soldier.
Production
Authentic Singapore locations capture humid colonial decay perfectly.
Director
John Dexter
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Leslie Thomas's semi-autobiographical novel, this was part of a brief wave of 'national service nostalgia' films that romanticized conscription even as Britain was abandoning it.
Director John Dexter was primarily a theatre director—his only other film was the similarly sweaty 'The Devils' with Oliver Reed.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
GB
