The Four Feathers (PG-13, 2002)

In what is at least the fifth filmed version of THE FOUR FEATHERS, a soldier ordered to war resigns his commission. He has just become engaged to a girl he adores and the concerns of a battle on the other side of the world do not seem important to him. His friends and his fiancée send him four white feathers, accusing him of cowardice, and he fears they may be right. So he disguises himself as a native and follows his former regiment to the Sudan. He will not risk his life for the honor of his country, but he will risk it to protect his friends and to prove that they were wrong about him. This time, Heath Ledger plays Harry Faversham, the reluctant soldier, with Wes Bentley as his best friend, Jack, and Kate Hudson as Ethne, the woman they both love.

Director Shekhar Kapur stages the pageantry very well, from the scenes of red-coated officers swirling their ladies around the dance floor to the marches, battles, and prison scenes. He does fairly well by his young stars. Their British accents may falter, but he knows how to work around their weaknesses and play to their strengths, especially Ledger's athletic charm, Hudson's delicate dignity, and Bentley's ability to combine strength and sensitivity.

Kapur is less sure of himself in handling the very traditional structure of the story and there are some oddly disjointed transitions that undermine what should be the most dramatic moments.

Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Cast: Heath Ledger, Kate Hudson, Wes Bentley
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 130 minutes
Theatrical release: September 20, 2002
DVD release: February 18, 2003
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: violence and some sexual references