The Good Soldier (1981)

I had this sat on my dvd shelf for years and decided to give it a go, after five minutes I was captivated, totally drawn in. The story is fantastic, I've not read the book so can't compare, but there are multiple layers, love, betrayal, longing, and a true sense of character. Spellbinding performances all round, although it must be said Jeremy Brett captivates every single time he appears, he is phenominal, so charismatic. I found myself also loving Pauline Moran here, she made Maisie such a tragic character.Lovely production values, at times it felt like I was watching The Great Sherlock Holmes, it only needed a murder. Fabulous costumes and period detail, it truly is a lavish drama.Glorious viewing. 9/10

Wow...the current reviews for this one are all over the place--with two 10s, a 9 and a 1! As for me, I think it's neither as wonderful as several folks think but it certainly doesn't seem like it deserves a 1.The film is about two couples at the early part of the 20th century. One couple is American and the other British. Each year, these folks vacation together in Germany at a health spa. During these times together, apparently the British hubby (Jeremy Brett) has been having an affair with the American wife. Oddly, however, you never really see any of this. In fact, almost everything that occurs is talked about...again and again. Heck, it's all talk--and often large and important parts of the story are simply explained through narration--a strangely disconnected sort of storytelling. While there are a couple deaths and a few twists, none of it is particularly interesting. Well acted, yes, but not terribly interesting. Worth seeing if you can stand the slow pace and style.

Not sure what they other reviewers were watching but the editing was bad; the acting was boring and the screenplay itself was confusing; actually restarted about 5 minutes into the film because scenes suddenly started to repeat... it was tough to figure out if it was present or past... do not waste time... There was one interesting person who was pretty good... for the most part the scenes were very contrived and the actors did little to make me believe that they believed in the storyline... not sure where the title came from... Have no idea why the American male lead even wanted to remain friends with the English wackos... stay away

This made-for-TV film gets high marks all around: lucid and intelligent cinematography, breathtaking performances, and visually strong direction. It's a great film, based on great source material. The film addresses how a man, by re-examining several years in his life, realizes that he was totally clueless regarding what was happening around him, as his wife and friends schemed and had affairs while he thought they were all happy and content. The novel moves back and forth in time, and so does this film: a complex yet totally engrossing narrative that leaves other time-shift ideas such as *Pulp Fiction* in the dust.Among all the great performances in here, special mention must be made of Susan Fleetwood, whose layered performance is both sensual and calculating.I've turned on many friends to this film. Definitely one of my desert-island videos.Highest accolades!!