The Charge of the Light Brigade

The Charge of the Light Brigade is a 1968 British film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Trevor Howard, John Geilgud and Vanessa Redrave. It is set in the Crimean War of the 1850s and depicts the events leading up to the famously ill-fated charge, made famous in a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, in which 600 British troops, following unclear orders, charged down a valley that was heavily defended by enemy artillery. The film depicts the social conditions in the British army of the time and the system of officers being created and promoted because of payments they and their families made to the government, not necessarily because of experience or display of merit on their part. The live-action portions of the movie are occasionally interrupted by 1960s-modern cartoon segments depicting British politics of the 1850s. The movie was nominated for seven awards presented at the 1969 BAFTA ceremonies, for music, acting, art direction, cinematography, costume design, film editing, and sound, though it did not win in any category.