The Life And Death of Colonel Blimp

There is a generation of people out there that do not like films that were made before the 1990's; that do not understand such subtleties as story or even characterisation. I despair, because I feel that they are missing out and films like Colonel Blimp deserve to be recognised as a true great; a timeless classic.

Set in the latter days of the Second World War, this film wrong foots the audience from the start into thinking this is going to be a straight forward war film. On routine training manoeuvres we're introduced to the very tough, entrenched, rotundly stalwart Major General Clive Wynne Candy who, when faced with the product of the younger generation can not understand why his well thought-out exercise is starting ahead of time. "War starts at midnight!" He blusters. But this is the age of Pearl Harbour where honour and the age of "playing by the rules" is no more and the young officer who led the "attack" has no respect for Candy's blustering. In fact it is because of the soldiers rudeness that we see behind Candy's portly facade as he struggles with the soldier saying; "You laugh at my big belly, but you don't know how I got it! You laugh at my moustache, but you don't know why I grew it. How do you know what sort of man I was - when I was as young as you are - forty years ago!"
It is then that we are transported back in time to see a young, dashing and very charismatic "Sugar" Candy - who is very much like the young soldier we saw only minutes before.

This then is the story of Clive's life. But it's more than that - it's holding a mirror to the society that created him. Clive is a fascinating character -it's impossible not to like him. But he's brash; headstrong; insensitive to other peoples feelings (not to mention his own), not to mention opinionated.

And it's precisely these qualities that lead him into so much trouble at the start of his story. Trying to help quell the bad feeling in Germany during the Boer War Clive inadvertently gets involved in a duel with Theodore Kretschmar-Schuldorff (a wonderful Anton Walbrook -who underplays the part perfectly and is a wonderful foil to the bluff Roger Livesey). Regardless of who won, the two become firm friends when they are convalescing in the same hospital - after overcoming the initial language barrier. They also both fall in love with the same woman (the beautiful Deborah Kerr) -the nurse who acts as an interpreter- although Candy is completely unaware of his feelings for her until she leaves with Theo, and ultimately marries him.

Clive goes back to being what he knows best - a soldier. This is his way of understanding the world, and also acts as a barrier. He still sticks to his "might is right" view of life all through the first world war, and it's only when he is confronted with his friend Theo in a prisoner of war camp that he has an inkling that the world is changing.

All through this film we see the world through Candy's eyes, can empathise and understand why he re-acts so strongly to the post war Britain. But when we move into the bleaker, greyer landscape of World War II we start to see the cracks appear in his veneer. Here is a man out of touch with his world, who has not grown in step with the horrors that are assailing the people on a daily basis. There are no rules anymore, and in the second world war the stakes are far higher. Faced with the evil that embodied Nazi-ism the Clive Wynne Candy's of the world wouldn't stand a chance, and it is this lesson that he so painfully has to learn.

And so we are brought full circle: Candy, now overseeing the home guard organises a mock-battle where "war starts at midnight". But as the young soldier, "Spud", knows there are no more rules. We can understand why Spud has done what he has done, but now we feel for Candy, can empathise completely with his outrage at being treated the way he has.

And it makes it all the more heart warming when he is able to see what has happened with his life, and how he now has to change in order to find a place in it. It is down to his dear friend, Theo, that he is able to find the strength and understanding that was always there.
I know a lot has been written about "Colonel Blimp" as a metaphor for England during the wars - I don't know enough to be able to comment. I do understand the personal journey that Clive undertakes and love it with such a passion.