The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

The Four Feathers

I was awake at 4am, again, the other morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. An hour later I gave up trying and went downstairs, put the heating on and snuggled under a blanket on the sofa to watch a DVD I’d borrowed from my Dad.

The film was the 2002 remake of The Four Feathers and the reason I’d lifted it from my father’s shelf last time I visited was because my mate Dave has regaled me with so many stories about when he was in Morocco and found himself cast as an extra in the movie.

Dave’s stories were considerably better than the film.

It’s one of those Boys Own type stories full of action, heroism and loyalty among upper class officers in the British Army fighting the fuzzy wuzzies in Africa. It was written at a time when it was well known that God was British as He had ordained we should own most of the world and set about civilising the natives in the most patronising way possible, while shipping the wealth and resources of these countries back to Britain to help keep it Great.* The best versions of this film, therefore, are the ones that were created before WWII, when the British Empire was still intact and the movies can be seen within that context.

This remake fails either to recapture the essence of the earlier cultures, or successfully put a modern slant on it. Consequently, I really wouldn’t bother wasting 2 hours of your life on it.

However, I think I might have spotted Dave.

What do you think? He’s got a very distinctive brow.



* Using this theological interpretation, God has clearly been American for the past few decades, but it looks like he’s becoming Chinese now.

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15 comments

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, I can see Dave. I think he is waving LOL

I have seen that film - I did manage to make it through to the end, but I can see your point.

Nikki said...

That is definately Dave. Looks just like the picture he had up on his blog.

Anonymous said...

Definitely you can spot him a mile off. By the way, do you think I could now be upgraded from sporadic to 'regular' again. Promise I'm back for the long haul!!

Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...

Just as Robert Powell will be forever Jesus, God, as Eddie Izzard so rightly points out, will always sound like James Mason.

Kim Ayres said...

Kate - Not one I'd keep for the collection

Nikki - I think you're right

St Jude - welcome back :)
I hesitated because I've been caught out a few times when I've thought someone has started posting again, only to find out it was a one off. But your word is goood enough for me and you have been moved back out of Sporadic

Sam - this is very true, although it betrays your British roots. My guess is that for most Americans, the voice of God will always sound like Charlton Heston.

Pendullum said...

Who's Dave? He does look cute.. And what a cute wave he does have...

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of the "Where's Waldo" book series LMAO

Anonymous said...

Dave is the only good thing about that remake.

It was horrid.

Stella said...

Oh yeah, definitely Dave, LOL

Attila the Mom said...

Hahahaha! Yeah, that must be him!

Kim Ayres said...

Pendullum - Dave periodically crops up in these posts. He did have his own blog(s) but deleted them when he moved to Spain

Quinn - I think you could be on to something there

Sassy - so true

Stella & Attila - I thought so too...

Anonymous said...

That's definitely Dave.... or could it be his evil twin?

Pendullum said...

Kim...In honour of Delurking week I added your name to my blogroll is that okay?

Kim Ayres said...

Ex-Shammickite - ah, now, I must admit I hadn't thought about evil twins. Hmmmm

Pendullum - Of course it's ok. In fact I added you to mine last night :)

Anonymous said...

I'm not really sure who Dave is, but if he's the guy who was sitting on the beach with his wife while rubbing your face in it, I would say that judging from the picture it is Dave and he's being attacked by all of Scotland. Very fitting.

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