Rent Tunes of Glory (1960)

Peacetime Tragedy. - Tunes of Glory review by Steve

Perceptive psychological drama set in the barracks of a Highland regiment some time after World War II. It's a character study of the conflict between two uncompromising officers during peacetime, when there is no external enemy to fight. And so, they destroy each other instead.

Alec Guinness is an officer who commands through personality and favouritism with a kind of ebullient tyranny. He showed uncommon bravery in the desert war, but conceals a brittle self doubt due to his lack of education and rank. The passionate Scot is replaced by an eligible Oxford man played by John Mills, who is uncharismatic and leads by enforcing the rules.

And the film is their personal combat for authority, which ends in tragedy. Both must be ascendent at any cost. To compromise is defeat. Gordon Jackson is the go-between operating on the edge of the officers' fanatical egomania. And it is clear these men have been psychologically damaged by the recent war.

Tunes of Glory refers to the ceremonial bagpipes that provides the score, which won't be to all tastes. The production is mostly staged within the camp, like a play, with few distractions from the primacy of the key performances. Guinness wins the battle of the legends, though he has a flashier role. The ending is a letdown, but the two stars make this an actors masterclass.