July 26, 2004
Gunga Din
I can't believe I never saw this movie as a child! Starring Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (and based on a Rudyard Kipling poem), Gunga Din is about British soldiers in colonial India in the 1890s as they encounter a large band of evildoers called the Thugges, who want to drive the British out of their land. On the side, the Thugges also worship a god named Khali (I think that was the name).
Anyway, this movie kind of runs like a modern day action movie. There's ony guy, Balantine, who plans to leave the military in 6 days (like Glover's last week before retirement in the Lethal Weapon series). He has two buddies, and the trio usually gets into a lot of fights and adventures together. They don't want him to leave, so they trick him into one last adventure, which turns out to be the battle of all battles in the end.
The trio find themselves in trouble against the Thugges, and it's up to Gunga Din, an Indian man who served as a slave(?) or worker(?), to help them out.
Gunga Din, especially for 1939, is a very impressive feat. From elephants to nonstop action to a great sense of humor, it's highly entertaining. I think it compares well with comedic action movies of today. Definitely a classic in my book!
Posted by wendytime at July 26, 2004 12:44 PM | TrackBack