Tunes of Glory

Alec Guinness is wonderful in this, but I think John Mills is equal to Guinness in a part that requires more subtlety and less flash.

All very conventional stuff [perhaps a bit too sentimental as well] but I like british witticisms and LOVE Alec Guinness - both plentiful here. Also boasts a wonderful technicolor presentation/supporting cast and despite the light nature, it never cheapens the characters, which would usually be easy with Mills.

Powerfully effective (and affecting) drama centred on a markedly subtle clash of wills which slowly builds to an intense and quite horrifying finale. Both leads excel in their atypical roles, with Mills' slow-burn underplaying barely edging out Guinness' more flamboyant performance. Film also succeeds as a counterweight to Mills' "stiff upper lip" characters in war films of the 40s and 50s, while the scenes between Walsh and Guinness take on added resonance when their film history is considered.

Two of Alec Guiness' greatest peformances were under the direction of Ronald Neam. In this film and in The Horse's Mouth he is a titanic force of nature, but also a flawed and vulnerable man. The cast is uniformly excellent, and the screenplay deftly suggests more than it tells, particularly w/r/t the character of Captain Scott.

The leads are expertly played by Alec Guinness and John Mills. Guinness is sublime as always, although I'd say he lays on the Scottish accent a little too thick. Mills has a tougher job with a less flamboyant and showy character, but he pulls it off gracefully. There's also a sizable cast of interesting supporting characters, all done very well. The ending is really excellent, although a lot of the film is probably forgettable

Good film.

Great cast. Very dramatic. The major gets up to no good and there are consequences.

Interesting character driven (clash of personalities) drama.

Alec Guinness is absolutely great!