I can't say I've heard much fanfare of this film, allegedly Alec Guinness' favourite from his catalogue. Although slightly channelling Groundskeeper Wullie with his accent (still light years ahead of the nadir of Scots accents that is Michael Caine in Kidnapped) this is a great character study by Guinness, with a decent foil in Mills. Its also a good examination of social class within the UK army, without overplaying it.

Personally I found the final scenes somewhat inconsistent with the ways the characters had been set up, and it holds it back. But this is worth watching for Guinness alone and his portrayal of the type of folk that are all too common in a hierarchical organisation. It's right up there with his effort in Bridge on the River Kwai in my opinion.

7/10