Tumbledown

This is a movie not often shown or seen. It is a gripping study of the aftermath of war and battle. Filmed in a realistic fashion, with dream-like flashback sequences, it keeps the viewer deeply enmeshed in the struggles of the principal hero. It is an adept adaptation of a particular battle fought in the Falkland Islands, 1982. If you are looking for immense battle scenes or action, it will not be found here. Instead brace yourself for a realistic portrayal of the ravages of war, the apathy of governments and personal strength and heroism.

This film is a 'must' to watch. I felt so emotionally overwhelmed and stunned after watching Colin Firths portrayal of Robert Lawrence that I felt the need to put down some of my thoughts and to thoroughly recommend this film to others. Tumbledown was totally absorbing, gripping and a poignant reminder to us all of just how our Soldiers suffered and what they sacrificed during and after the Falklands War. Its brought home to me the realities of the battle and the truth about how the Soldiers and their families coped with the aftermath of Battle and their own 'personal'struggles to recover from and cope with their physical and mental injuries during and after the War.

Colin Firths portrayal of Robert Lawrence's was totally captivating and electrifying that one could really relate to and feel the struggle that Robert had gone through to recover from his injuries and his experiences and nightmares of the battle, also it was chilling to watch just how insensitive and distant the Nurses, Doctors,some Senior Officers and people in general were towards our great hero's, their experiences and sufferings in battle and the mental and physical scars they were left with.

After watching Tumbledown it just confirms my beliefs further still that Colin Firth is such a natural highly talented, fantastic Character actor and he deserves far more recognition and credit when he plays such roles. It shone through that Colin Firth had thoroughly researched this role and whilst spending time with Robert during filming had got to know and understand the very essence of Roberts character,his sufferings and anger. Colin conveyed all of this to the audience with a natural honesty and sensitivity that was gripping, refreshing and emotive to watch.

Also credit must go to David Calder (John Lawrence) and Barbara Leigh-Hunt (Jean Lawrence), they were perfect in their roles as Roberts shocked and distraught Parents upon learning of their sons serious injuries, their love and devotion,hope and despair was very touching and distressing to watch during Roberts recovery and their feelings of outrage, helplessness and disbelief at how Robert was treated by some Medical Staff,some of the Army and members of the Public. This film should be a lesson to us all of how to relate to those of us who are in great need, to treat them with respect, honesty and above all as an equal.

Thanks first and foremost to Robert Lawrence for allowing his story to be told, to the writer for such an excellent script and of course thank you to Colin Firth for vividly, emotionally and honestly depicting Robert Lawrences story and character in an unforgettable emotionally moving, thought provoking film. The feelings of this film will stay with me always.

An outstanding study of one man's personal commitment and sacrifice to winning a meaningless war on a rain sodden rock 8000 miles away from home.

Charles Woods storytelling is first class and gives Colin Firth an opportunity to totally convince us that he really is an officer in the Scots Guards.

The production, given the BBC's lack of money is superb. Remember too, that this was produce despite political opposition from the very government which ordered the war in the first place and was then too embarrassed to recognise and honor the cripples who returned.

Some background information; in 1982 2nd Bn, the Scots Guards were pulled from public duties (sentry-mounting in London) and sent to the Falkland Islands as part of the Task Force sent to recover it from Argentina. Unprepared as they were, they fought a savage and decisive battle to capture a vital hill, Mount Tumbledown. During the fighting, Lt. Richard Lawrence was very severely wounded.

This film alternates sequences from before and after his wounding; the battle, and his long and difficult recovery and convalescence. It has to steer a tricky course around the major pitfalls of british public opinion. There are on one hand, the tabloid-fuelled jingoism of a country involved in a major fight, and on the other hand the subsequent revulsion that such losses were suffered in a squabble for some barren islands several thousand miles from home.

The film does highlight the callousness and indifference with which the war's casualties were sometimes treated.

The overall story and moral are not new, but their treatment here, with hardly any bad language or earth-shattering battle effects, strikes a more thoughtful note than, say, "Saving PRivate Ryan".

There is a serious problem with TUMBLEDOWN and that is with the way Charles Wood has structured the script . The story opens with no hook and becomes very irritating as the events cuts back and forth in time with the climatic battle happening not until the very end of the story

There are also other problems with the script in what is it actually trying to say to the audience ? That war is bad ? Thanks but I think everyone knew that , and it does lead to a problem for any writer to set an anti war drama ( Though be it a drama based on actual events )against the background of The Falklands conflict . The number of war dead from the conflict was in the region of 1,000 ( 255 British with around 750 Argentine dead ) but only three of the people killed ( All Falkland civilians killed by a shell from a British warship ) can in any way be described as non combatants . Can anyone name a conflict where 0.3 % of the dead were innocent bystanders ? Compared to all the other wars , genocides , democides etc of the 20th Century The Falklands conflict was almost certainly the " cleanest " war of the last century therefor there`s little opportunity to make angst ridden statements of mans inhumanity to man . It`s also hard to make anti war statements when you`re on the winning side . Why do you think the best anti war films from Hollywood like PLATOON feature Vietnam as a back drop or CROSS OF IRON and ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT show conflict through German eyes ?

As has already been mentioned Lt Robert Lawrence isn`t a sympathetic character on screen either so it`s very difficult to sympathise with a character who switches from self pity to arrogance back to self pity again , but at least writer Charles Wood hasn`t tried to modify or embellish Lt Lawrence into the boy next door and now that I come to think of it Wood should be congratulated for not making any overt political statements with the script which the more I think about it comes across as being anti war but pro soldier . But I have to stick with my original conviction that the script to TUMBLEDOWN is very flawed down to the confusing and irritating manner the story is told