Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Asquith's courtroom drama is surprisingly gripping. Trapped within the rigid confines of a military structure, a social structure and his own personal integrity, Niven plays a man whose career and reputation (if not his stiff upper lip) are at stake in a court martial. This film was made sixty years ago and things have changed a lot since then; unless one bears in mind how things were then, this film's plot make less sense. However if you take this into account, it is a pretty good film.it has been commented by others that there are commonly certain protocols observed whenever a VC holder enters a room; there is no formal requirement that this is done but traditionally VC holders may be saluted by others regardless of rank. This may or may not be the case within a court-martial situation but that this was omitted in the film is understandable since it would have been distracting to the thrust of the plot, with the whole court up and down like jack-in-the-boxes all the time.Taken on its merits this is a pretty good film, IMHO deserving of a better score than it currently has on here.

Carrington V.C. is directed by Anthony Asquith and has a screenplay by John Hunter. The film stars David Niven, Noelle Middleton,Raymond Francis, Geoffrey Keen, Allan Cuthbertson and Margaret Leighton.Major Carrington(David Niven)defends himself at a court martial. He faces three charges. Firstly he's accused of removing £125 from the safe of his army barracks. He did take the money but he claims he did so with the approval of his commanding officer Colonel Hennicker(Allan Cuthbertson). The Colonel (who is not liked by those under his command or by several of the officers on the court martial board) denies this.Carrington is also accused of being absent without leave and entertaining Captain Allison Graham(Noelle Middleton)in his room after hours. Carrington and Graham are friends but not romantically involved, that charge makes it seem otherwise.This is a really good courtroom drama. Niven is good as the decent and beloved officer who is in a bad situation. Geoffrey Keen steals all his scenes as the level headed and shrewd officer in charge of the court martial board. Noelle Middleton is good as the loyal Allison, who feels powerless to help Carrington. Margaret Leighton is memorable as Carrington's troubled wife. Allan Cuthbertson is very good as the commanding officer who is out to get Carrington. Laurence Naismith also has a small role as an officer on the court martial board.I also like that the ending is not sentimental, it's realistic and we see that it was a difficult decision to make. Good performances and a story with a few surprises on offer too.

Major Charles Carrington (David Niven), is arrested for taking £125 from the base safe, he also face two other charges that could finish his distinguished service career. He decides to act on his own defence at his court martial hearing, his argument being that he is owed a lot of money from the army for his various postings that have cost him out of his own pocket. To further complicate the proceedings, Carrington alleges he told his superior, the very disliked Colonel Henniker, that he was taking the money from the safe. A mans career, his marriage, and quite a few reputations, all hang in the balance.Yes, well it is very British, of that there is no denying, it's very much heel to toe, cup of tea and chin chin chin. So with that in mind {i'm British myself by the way} this may grate on film viewers outside of the British Isles, but it's a really honest and interesting piece that scrutinises the British Court Martial system and rewards the court genre fans royally. Niven is, well Niven, he's always a solid professional who always earned his pay, and good support comes from the ladies of the piece, Margaret Leighton and Noelle Middleton, whilst i must give a mention to the seriously great Victor Maddern, an actor who was far from the A list of British greats but once you put the name to the face, you will see he was always memorable in what films he made.So as a court room genre fan, and of course a staunch fan of British cinema, i'm going to rate 7/10 with a disclaimer that if those outside of my shores don't get it....well you just don't get it, {nudge nudge wink wink}.

This one is admittedly a bit stiff, but then again, it is British, and a military courtroom drama. It sits firmly in the middle of Niven's career but seems curiously, and sadly, unknown. I remember it from my childhood, but caught it again today forlornly filling up a gap in a minor TV channels schedule. It deserves better. **The following may contain spoilers**Niven's character 'Copper' Carrington is a brave, correct, and a seemingly successful officer in the British army but has a number of clouds on his horizon. His marriage is weakened by an illicit liaison with a female officer and his fame has made a jealous enemy of his Commanding Officer. To top it all he is in desperate financial straits as his army pay is grossly in arrears, he has simply moved too fast from post to post for it to catch up with him. But when he tries to rectify the situation the army bureaucracy forms part of the problem and not the solution, denying him his due remuneration.His remedy is to remove £100 pounds (some £5000 in today's money) from the army safe of his battalion `If they won't pay me, then I'll pay myself.' He quotes, and his arrogant stance, although laudable, is his undoing. He is court-martialled, and has but one defence. If he can establish that he took the money openly, and with the full knowledge of his C.O. then the charge that he stole the cash covertly will fall.Complications abound aplenty as he also has to answer further charges relating to his extra-marital liaison. His difficulty is that there are only two witnesses who can help him. One is his C.O. who is both his accuser and the prosecution's main witness for both sets of charges, and his wife, who is slowly becoming aware of his infidelity during the course of the court martial.Defending himself he rebuts the prosecution case as best as he can, but then in his defence he has to call his wife. What she will say and what the court makes of her testimony are the substance of this film and await the viewer. There are however enough twists and turns in this plot to keep all but the most cynical from seeing it through.If not for the plot then watch for the supporting cast lead by the incomparable Victor Maddern. With the exception of Niven, none of the cast were superstars but they formed the backbone of the British Film and Television industry in the post-war period and have their own place in history.Watch also for a moment of self sacrifice by Niven as his conscience wrestles with the dilemma of what to do with a crucial letter which may establish his innocence, but condemn another in the process. The members of the court too are caught in the quintessential paradox of all courtroom battles. They cannot judge the man, as we the audience are clearly invited to do, but only the evidence before them.Final word goes to the director, Anthony Asquith. Son of Lord Asquith the British Prime Minister during the First Wold War, he would direct many British Classic movies including 'We dive and Dawn', 'Yellow Rolls Royce' and even scripted Oscar Wilde's 'The importance of being Ernest' A pity this film is not as well known, don't miss it.