Fine performances by Ian Richardson and Bob Peck underpin this gripping and moving account of the first days of the 1982 Falklands War, as the Islands are invaded by the Argentinians. As Governor Rex Hunt, Richardson brings a nobility and sympathy to the role of a minor, passed-over British diplomat abandoned by his government in London and faced with the impossible task of directing the defence of the islands against an imminent invasion. The defending British Marines are commanded by Major Mike Norman (Bob Peck), an experienced, cynical soldier aware he will have to fight against impossible odds, yet determined to resist for the honour of the Royal Marines. His speech to his men on the eve of battle is a moving and inspiring moment.
The accuracy and the attention to detail in this movie is explained by much of the filming taking place in the Falklands, and Mike Norman himself acting as military adviser. The combat scenes are intense and graphic, yet emphasis is also placed on the black humour and irreverence so integral to military life, demonstrating the irrepressible character of the British Marines.
The attention to the Argentinian side is less three-dimensional, but the enemy soldiers are largely portrayed as human beings, unlike so many flag-waving war movies.
The Falkland Islanders appear as eccentric figures, bemused by the events which have overtaken their forgotten corner of the south Atlantic. The local radio presenter in particular is a gem, refusing politely to accede to Argentinian threats as a gun is held to his head. Apparently, after this film was released in the UK, some islanders disassociated themselves from their portrayal in the movie, but contemporary accounts by soldiers and journalists who served in the Falklands during and after the war would seem to lend credence to the impression that these transplanted Brits are indeed an odd bunch.
The savage and tragic war to retake the islands in the months that followed has tended to overshadow the story of the invasion itself, but this thoughtful movie provides a fine testament to the courage and steadfastness of the outnumbered, yet unflappable, British soldier, and is an accurate and thoughtful study of a near-forgotten episode of recent history.
