NORTHWEST FRONTIER
A film review by Shane R. Burridge
Copyright 1996 Shane R. Burridge
Northwest Frontier (1965) 133m.
Supremely enjoyable adventure yarn finds Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall, among others, making a train trip to Delhi in 1905 India. British officer Captain Scott (More) is to escort a 6-year old Hindu prince away from an uprising of Moslem rebel fanatics. Accompanying him are the prince's governess (Bacall), a cynical journalist (Herbert Lom), an arms dealer, and a couple of representatives from the British embassy. With such a diverse group it's only likely to expect much philosophical/political debate, and sure enough, everyone has their say. We don't weary of this, however, because their arguments never sink to the level of bickering or breast-beating. They are controlled - almost polite - with each person a self-proclaimed expert on the values of the others. At any rate, they only get into discussions while the train is on the move, and their journey is anything but smooth.
Tidily-paced story has plenty of suspense, action, and interesting characters. Even though none of the passengers really know each other they are always congenial, warm, and supportive. Wilfrid Hyde-White's dear old gentleman is unflappable no matter what the circumstances - but he, like More, is simply displaying the distance of manners that the British relied on to get them through those turbulent colonial years. More speaks in exactly the same snappy, chipper tone of voice throughout the film (He's also the only one who seems to sweat) as if he were rallying a scout troop. It's easy to like these characters because they're always looking after each other. Even Gupta, the Indian engine driver, has Victoria, his beloved engine, to fuss over. And Scott's relationship with Gupta is not of the sahib/menial variety. They genuinely enjoy each other's company. It's great seeing them relax and sing a cheerful boating song while the train trundles along the empty frontier. If this all sounds to good to be true, then don't worry: there is still enough underlying tension from one exponent of the group to provide a showdown at the film's end - fortunately not to the expense of any of the other passengers. Don't you hate movies that set up characters with noble qualities just so it will seem more poignant when they get killed off in some contrived act of self-sacrifice? Decent production values supply plenty of location shooting, big crowd scenes, and wide-screen photography (I wish I'd seen this in a cinema). Strangely, the only image I remember from first seeing this film years ago was that of the small prince standing before a giant spinning flywheel.
(Also known as FLAME OVER INDIA)
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