Touches You

Excellent adaptation.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

All is not well on the Northwest Frontier: the dastardly Prince Ghul (Raymond Massey) has assassinated the ruling king so that he can take his kingdom back from the British with the aid of machine guns smuggled in from Afghanistan. To escape the same fate as his father, Prince Azim (Sabu) assumes the identity of a lowly peasant as he tries to warn Captain Carruthers (Roger Livesey) of the danger that awaits him and his men.The Drum is one of those old school British films that glorified our former position as Empire builders by painting us as benign masters deeply concerned about the well-being of those whom we had colonised. The redoubtable Roger Livesey is the embodiment of stiff upper lippery as he strives to foil the skulduggery of the evil Ghul - a wonderfully malign performance from a black-faced Raymond Massey - and return Azim to his rightful place on the throne of Tokot. Livesey wasn't really well-suited to the dashing hero type, although he was the epitome of the British colonial officer. Although he was only in his mid-thirties when he made this film, he looks much older, as if he'd be more at home over a fat cigar and a glass of port in the study than battling fuzzy-wuzzies in the searing heat. Valerie Hobson plays his devoted wife with that glacial air reserved for the wives of officers or upper-class businessmen in pre-WWII Brit flicks, and it's impossible to imagine her locked in a passionate embrace with her husband. In fact that is probably where the biggest problem with this film lies: there's very little passion for anything evident in any of the characters: they are simply facing - or creating - one problem after another and stoically devising ways of dealing with them.The plot is fairly stodgy by today's standards. There's a lot of talk and precious little action until the last reel or two, which means many people will find it hard going. Suffice to say, the equilibrium is restored by the final reel and our Colonial subjects are left to live peaceful lives beneath our benign and ever-watchful gaze.

The British are trying to make peace treaties with numerous tribes in India to make sure there isn't an uprising among rebel tribes. Captain Carruthers makes a treaty with the prince, but when the prince's brother (Prince Ghul) murders the prince, he now has the tribes just where he wants him (in a spot to annihilate the British). The murdered prince's son (Prince Azul) reaches Carruthers and tells him of what happened, so Carruthers takes a troop to Ghul's fortress. Ghul welcomes Carruthers with a ceremony of a 5 day feast, but when the feast is over Ghul plans to kill all the British troops with their smuggled machine guns, unless Azim can lead a British battalion to Tokot to stop Ghul's mad plan. Despite being politically incorrect with the British superiority over the people of India, the film does contain a fair amount of action and thrills to entertain the film going audience, granted it is no Gunga Din or Four Feathers (the latter of which and this film share the same author). Massey oozes evil as Ghul, and their is decent support with Sabu, youthful as ever as Azim, Massey as the stuffed shirt Carruthers, and Hobson as his wife. The score is decent, but not that rousing and shooting in color limited the best chances to use lighting. Rating, 7.

In colonial India, the natives live happily and peacefully under the kind rule of their British masters. Representing the bond between the two nations, young Prince Azim befriends several of the British officers. However his uncle Ghul is less welcoming of the British and has dark plans to slaughter them and raise a rebellion among the tribes of the hills.Some critics have pointed to the fact that, if this film were made today, it work spark outrage and be roundly condemned. This view ignores that, when the film was first screened in India in the late 30's, it sparked riots among the populace. However, the statement is true as well as being null and void, for there is zero danger of this film ever being made now! The plot is very pro-Empire and it is brazenly flag waving for the British. Looking back now, the film is laughable in it's depiction of it's characters. The British are kind and loving to all the Indians they encounter, while the Indians love them in return; those that don't are, of course, shifty and untrustworthy.This is rather insulting if you think about it too much - I must admit I wasn't offended but then I am neither English or Indian and know little of the history that is clearly being twisted here in favour of propaganda. The film does have a nice vein of good humour to it though that prevents it being too heavy, while the battle scenes are of the `up'n'over' school of filming. The plot itself is too simplistic and can't keep the charade up - especially now that it will be clear to most viewers that it isn't a fair telling.The cast are good, but again, there's no way that an `Indian' film would be shot today in Wales with the majority of the cast in blackface! The standout actor is Sabu. True his character is a little too good to be true but he has cheeky attitude and he is good fun throughout - just a shame his character seem to vanish for about a quarter of the film. The villainous Massey is also good fun and I enjoyed his performance. The British (namely Livesey and Hobson) are very stiff, although they do get the more heroic roles towards the end.Overall this film is worth seeing as we will hopefully not see quite it's like again. The film is un-PC in casting, script, plot and characters, while the history it claims to tell is nothing more than a flag waving exercise that rightly started angry riots in Indian when it was shown there. However it is worth seeing for the period, the glorious (for the time) Technicolor and an amusing and fun performance from Sabu.

The Drum is a great British Empire movie in the tradition of Four Feathers (the Korda version) and Gunga Din. Anyone who gets a thrill from the skirl of bagpipes and a last minute charge to the rescue will be delighted by this film.