Africa is no stranger to revolutions. There, few countries can boost of a lasting stable government. This film called " Guns at Batasi " is based on the novel written by Robert Holles called 'The Siege at Battersea. ' Although the country in turmoil is never mentioned by name, it resembles the Country of Keneya. There, in a military compound call Batasi, an British Outpost is surrounded and taken hostage by Rebels, enclosing a group of British Sargents who must surrender to the New Government. It's up to their Royal Sargent major to maintain order and defend the hostages until proper authorities send written orders to them. Sir Richard Attenborough plays Regimental Sgt. Major Lauderdale who is in charge of discipline to one and all. His tour De force is one of the best performances ever given. Jack Hawkins plays Colonel Deal the last of the out-going British authorities. John Leyton and Mia Farrow give a brief Stein as besieged lovers during the takeover. All in all, the movie is a great testimony to British Military life in the fading days of the British Empire. A Good English military movie and one which is exemplary of Richard Attenborough's work. Easily recommend. ****

I'd never even heard of Guns at Batasi before but I was amazed to find that it's a superlative film. I was expecting standard British stiff-upper-lip fare that the British did so well in the 1950s and '60s, but what I wasn't expecting is that a film I'd never even heard of rivals and even exceeds top-notch British dramas like Sidney Lumet's 'The Hill'.The film stands squarely on Richard Attenborough's pitch-perfect performance as a Regimental Sergeant Major - the performance of a lifetime, especially when you consider that Attenborough is the complete opposite of the character he plays in this film - in reality he's soft-spoken and unassuming, yet the character he's playing is not at all those things. To say that this role was a stretch somehow doesn't do the performance justice - Attenborough literally becomes the RSM, and every moment he's on screen is incredible. Some reviewers assume that his performance is over-the-top, but I can assure everyone that British NCOs do act like this - or at least they did in the 1960s - I had the honour of knowing one of them.Not that Attenborough is doing it all alone - the other performances are perfect too, as is the direction. The fact that the film was made in a studio in England makes you realise what a great job a truly great crew can do for a film - there's no way you'd think this movie wasn't made in Africa.Altogether a fantastic movie - probably the best new film (new to me anyway) I've seen in the last two years. This blows everything else out of the water.Oh, and for those worried that it's a war film - definitely not. It's a drama set in a military barracks, but psychological drama is what we have here, and unlike a lot of those kinds of films this one has a heart and a sense of humour. Don't miss this one!

Let me preface that I am a huge militaria buff, history books, TV shows and especially movies, if they are British they are even better (even though I'm American, go figure). I also live and travel in parts that were once part of the British Empire and let me tell you, there remains a little of that colonial sense to these places concerning whites and the natives at least thats the way I feel about it. in the I bought this DVD from Amazon for about $10.00, not really knowing what to expect. Well I was expecting a tense escape from the heart of Africa of the last of the white Brits to be honest, kind of like a Wild Geese escape. Did it turn out that way, not at all. That's the best part of not reading IMDb before you see a movie, it won't spoil the movie for you! So what do I think this movie is? I think it's the last of the line in many ways. While probably not the absolute last one made, this is a pro military guys movie. While probably not the absolute last one made, it's also a black and white film from a large studio in the 60's. God, I'm listening to John Leyton's commentary on the DVD as I write and he just said (again) "I don't mean to remind you, this film was all shot on a stage", now that was really cool to hear it at 30 seconds into it (I kid you not that was his first point) but this is minute 45 and he has told us over ten separate times how this was all made on an indoor stage, hurrah already! That gets old really fast after the 5th time, lol. John Leyton also has glowing comments about everyone here EXCEPT, you guessed it, the black actors, unbelievably shallow and so obvious a mistake. OK now I probably sound like a liberal who bashes others, on the contrary I'm not. But even though the black actors will not go near the heights that Lord Attenborough will, he could have at least acknowledged Errol John who plays the mutinous officer and has a lot of face time, Leyton didn't once say his name or anything about him. Errol John would also play a mutinous African officer in an episode of Dangerman made around the same time, he plays an effective nemesis in my opinion. OK my pluses of the film, Attenborough's RSM in a verbal debate with the liberal MP (she fits the part too, doesn't she?), pretty much summing up England's future with the conservative pro empire voice ceding to the guilt trip liberal voice that trusts everyone except those defending their own countries interest's. Mia Farrow, for Mia Farrow fans , this was her first film role, she's very hot. In the commentary Leyton said a lot of their footage was cut out. Why was it cut? Well you have Attenborough in this great dramatic performance and in the context of a small group of whites in a revolutionary African nation where anything could happen. And than you have a light hearted Mia Farrow/Leyton young 20's fling and everyone else not really showing any tension that they really could be in a serious predicament, I'm glad they trimmed their bits down or this film would have been horrible. So, in summary, good time piece film. Its a guys feel good movie (white guys), not to be taken too seriously, with a great performance by Attenborough. In war movies from then on the action would get heavier, and there would be much more moral consequences to be introduced. Also, if your looking for a British black and white military drama made close to the same time, I recommend "The Hill". Guns Of Batasi 7/10

This is a brilliant representation of a classic Regimental Sergeant Major, and shows the classic values that should continue to thrive (and sadly don't) in our military of today. Over the top? Yes... a little...but show me a TRUE RSM who isn't. Such men really existed... and they were a source of inspiration, guidance and customs and traditions for many. Well done by Sir Richard. From what I've heard, he spent a year preparing for this role by understudying real RSMs at the RSM-prep school in Sandhurst.I've used this film as a training aid when teaching leadership to young soldiers - and I continue to enjoy it today.