A FOREIGN FIELD is a bittersweet commemoration of D-Day, the 1944 invasion of Normandy by Allied forces. A veteran cast ably portrays WWII vets who return to the battle site to pay tribute to those they left behind.
Crusty Cyril (Leo McKern) and simple-minded Amos (Alec Guinness) return to Normandy 50 years after the D-Day invasion. Arriving on their heels is Waldo (John Randolph), an American vet, his uptight daughter Beverley (Geraldine Chaplin), and henpecked son-in-law Ralph (Edward Herrmann). Staying
in the same hotel is Lisa (Lauren Bacall), a wealthy widow who drowns her sorrows in booze. From their first meeting, "Limey" Cyril and "Yank" Waldo trade barbs, apparently the result of rivalry between the Allies during the war. Their animosity grows when they discover they are both searching for
the same woman, Angelique (Jeanne Moreau), whom they romanced during the war. They trace her to a retirement home and vie to become her escort, until they realize that their French "Angel" was actually a prostitute. However, they decide they owe her a good time and put her up at their hotel.
Fearing that her father will impetuously marry his old flame, Beverley tags along to protect her inheritance, dragging Ralph with her. The diverse group bonds after Amos is hospitalized and Cyril reveals that his friend is dying. He describes the battle in which Amos was wounded (while saving
Cyril's life) and their friend Briggsy killed. Waldo also shares his stories of guilt borne and comrades lost. Amos is released from the hospital and finally gets his wish: to visit Briggsy's grave. First Lisa asks them to accompany her to the grave of her brother, also killed on the beaches of
Normandy. All are shocked to read "Horst Schweitzer" on the headstone and to realize that Lisa is German rather than American, as they had assumed. Tense moments follow as Lisa says she will understand if they don't want to be around her anymore, and the men contemplate her revelation. Finally
Amos displays his respect for his fallen enemy by saluting the grave.
Filmed entirely on location in Normandy, A FOREIGN FIELD was produced for the BBC in 1993, then received limited US film festival showings and an airing on PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre" before settling into home video. The subject matter and advanced age of its stars worked against its viability as
a commercial release, but A FOREIGN FIELD cannot be dismissed as a geriatric curio.
Though the former fighting men recount their combat experiences, the real lesson here is not history, but acting, and it is taught by some of the best, a stellar cast built around the talents of Alec Guinness, who invests his character with sweetness and dignity. Gruff McKern and cantankerous
Randolph are at their best in their sparring scenes, especially one in which their competitiveness compels them to pull down their pants in public to compare battle scars. Both men are equally adept at handling their characters' softer edges. Moreau's faded tramp is a hoot to watch and Bacall
expertly displays vulnerability under a rough exterior. Chaplin and Herrman, in characters extraneous to the plot, annoyingly portray annoying people. Chaplin's sour expression softens towards the end, but it is still a relief when she is left behind at the hotel in the final segment. The slow
pacing of the story is a hindrance at times, but also allows time to savor delicious bits of character business. The solemnity of the subject matter is leavened by a healthy infusion of humor, which keeps the piece from becoming maudlin. leave a comment