Sword of Honour is the 2001 William Boyd adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's trilogy of the same name. Written for the screen by Boyd, it was originally shown as a two part saga, documenting the life of Guy Crouchback through the Second World War.
Daniel Craig takes the lead role of Guy, and we ... Read review
Award-winning novelist and screenwriter William Boyd brings Sword of Honour Evelyn ... more
Waugh's classic trilogy of the Second World War vividly to life in this epic two-part drama starring Daniel Craig Megan Dodds and Leslie Phillips. At the heart of th...
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This work is set in March 1814. Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho returns to England from ... more
several months' rigorous patrolling off the North American coast. War with the United States has not yet ended but news of Napoleon's defeat and abdication has stunned a navy and a nation bled by years of European conflict. Victory has been the impossible dream and now for Bolitho a vision of the future and a personal peace seems attainable. However an unsympathetic Admiralty dispatches him to Malta. In this appointment a compliment or a malicious ploy to keep Bolitho from the woman he loves and the freedom he craves? He cannot know but the voice of duty speaks more insistently even than the voice of the heart and in this familiar sea where both glory and tragedy have touched his life Bolitho must confront the future the renaissance of a hated tyrant and the fulfilment of destiny.
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Award-winning novelist and screenwriter William Boyd brings Sword of Honour, Evelyn ... more
Waugh's classic trilogy of the Second World War, vividly to life in this epic two-part drama starring Daniel Craig, Megan Dodds and Leslie Phillips.At the heart of the story is Guy Crouchback's (Craig) heroic quest to fight for a deep moral cause and to reclaim his manhood after a shattering divorce from the society beauty Virginia Troy (Dodds). But his encounters with the absurd reality of life in the British Army, strewn with bureaucratic blunders, military debacles and indelibly funny characters, prove to be more of a challenge than facing the enemy itself.
Daniel Craig plays a British soldier torn between his military obligations and his ... more
resurgent desires for his beautiful ex-wife. Screenwriter William Boyd adapts Evelyn Waugh's classic World War II story in this gripping Channel 4 drama.
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: John Duigan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Penelope Cruz
Advantages: Some good acting Disadvantages: Drags a bit
Sword of Honour is the 2001 William Boyd adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's trilogy of the same name. Written for the screen by Boyd, it was originally shown as a two part saga, documenting the life of Guy Crouchback through the Second World War.
Daniel Craig takes the lead role of Guy, and we follow his charming style throughout as the officer who is determined to fight for the cause, his country and his beliefs, and in a way, the plot ... ...are a couple, such as the constant re-emergence of Guy's ex-wife, Virginia (Megan Dodds), and some other recurring characters in Guy's military life.
We follow Guy to Crete, and Egypt, and other places that were involved during the War, as he takes his officer status from place to place, regiment to regiment, never letting disappointment or injury get in his way of serving his duty, and it is his morals that shine through from start ... more
Sword of Honour is the 2001 William Boyd adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's trilogy of the same name. Written for the screen by Boyd, it was originally shown as a two part saga, documenting the life of Guy Crouchback through the Second World War.
Daniel Craig takes the lead role of Guy, and we follow his charming style throughout as the officer who is determined to fight for the cause, his country and his beliefs, and in a way, the plot itself doesn't have particularly important lines to follow. However, there are a couple, such as the constant re-emergence of Guy's ex-wife, Virginia (Megan Dodds), and some other recurring characters in Guy's military life.
We follow Guy to Crete, and Egypt, and other places that were involved during the War, as he takes his officer status from place to place, regiment to regiment, never letting disappointment or injury get in his way of serving his duty, and it is his morals that shine through from start to finish. He never once lowers his standards, apart from where his ex-wife is concerned, as she seems to have such an immense power over him. We see a stark contrast between Guy as a person and Guy as an officer. The ethics and morals still remain, but his mood and command alter quite dramatically.
It's a very British affair, with many familiar faces that I have seen on TV before, mainly on British Tv shows here and there. Leslie Phillips and Julian Rhind-Tutt are in evidence in decent roles, and the majority of the acting is very good. However, there is something about the drama that just drags. It is very long, naturally with the intention to watch it in two parts, as was intended. As such, it is important to regard it as a TV drama and not a film, despite its appearance on my DVD as a film. The DVD I have came free with a newspaper, and as such has no DVD extras at all.
Overall, I found this to be a bit too long for the tale. There is a natural break in the middle as parts 1 and 2 are separated, but even with this, the story just didn't go anywhere for too long at times. Guy gets placed all around the world as part of his roles fighting for his country, but I was never completely sure where he was or what year we were looking at from time to time.
That all having been said, it's a decent drama to watch. The focus is heavily twofold: on the romance between him and his ex-wife, and on his moral struggle in serving his country. I recommend watching it if you have the time, but don't try to do so in one sitting: it's just too long.
Daniel Craig plays a British soldier torn between his military obligations and his resurgent desires for his beautiful ex-wife. Screenwriter William Boyd adapts Evelyn Waugh's classic World War II story in this gripping Channel 4 drama.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
4DVD; SPIRIT ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES, CINEMA CLUB; SONY DADC
Catalogue No
CCD 9115
Author
Evelyn Waugh
Screenwriter
William Boyd
Release date
14/04/2003
No of Discs
1
Barcode
5014138291150
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital Stereo English
Sound
Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Stereo
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD Description
Layered storytelling and rich character development distinguish this television mini-series based on the semi-autobiographical writings of Evelyn Waugh. Daniel Craig plays Guy Crouchback, a soldier fighting with the British forces in the Second World War, and the drama charts Crouchback's grappling with the ravages of war, his relationship with his ex-wife, and his own shortcomings. Beautifully put together, executed, and acted, SWORD OF HONOUR is dramatic, absorbing viewing from start to finish.
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