The Charge of the Light Brigade

Set in the 1850s during the Crimean War, this British historical drama follows the 11th Hussars and the officers who lead them. Captain Nolan, newly returned from India, clashes repeatedly with his commanding officer, Lord Cardigan, whose arrogance and disdain for his subordinates shape the regiment's life. Around them, Lord Raglan and Lord Lucan preside over a campaign marked by confusion and poor judgment. Nolan and his fellow officer William Morris are drawn into the conflict as Britain and its allies move toward war with Russia, and the film builds toward the cavalry action at Balaklava, where the failures of the leadership send the Light Brigade into disaster.

Tony Richardson directed, working from a screenplay by John Osborne and Charles Wood. It was his sixth feature, arriving between Mademoiselle and Ned Kelly. The large credited cast of 53 includes Trevor Howard as Cardigan, David Hemmings as Nolan, John Gielgud as Raglan, Harry Andrews as Lucan, Vanessa Redgrave as Clarissa Morris and Jill Bennett as Fanny Duberly. Neil Hartley produced for Woodfall Film Productions.

The film drew modest audience scores, rating 6.6 on IMDb from around 4,300 votes and 6.2 on TMDB from a smaller sample of 79.