Can Love Conquer Colonialism?

By Esther Iverem
SeeingBlack.com Editor and Film Critic

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Here I was, all prepared to hate "The Four Feathers." I had no doubt that the subject of brutal English colonization of the Sudan, combined with yet-another-story-of-dashing-pale-Brits, combined with any peek at a noble savage, would be enough to make me hurl my popcorn and Raisinets.

But I was wrong. In the hands of director Shekhar Kapur ("The Bandit Queen), whose homeland, India, certainly knows a thing or two about English colonization, "The Four Feathers" has both a depth and epic scale that many movies only fake. The latest adaptation of the 1902 novel by A.E.W. Mason, it is multi-dimensional, treats African peoples and cultures with respect, and tackles big ideas and questions such as what it means to be a soldier, to be brave or a coward, to be loyal or a traitor. And certainly, these are ideas that resonate now, 100 years later, in our own country, the last remaining world empire.

"The Four Feathers" is set in the era of the far-flung British empire when young, privileged sons at an English military academy are called to fight in the Sudan. But this call to war sets into motion a crisis for Harry Faversham (Heath Ledger), who is the son of a decorated military officer and the fiance of Ethne Eustace (Kate Hudson), whose father died in battle. Unwilling to fight for a cause he questions, Harry resigns from his regiment, bringing disgrace upon himself and the delivery of four feathers, each symbolizing cowardice, from his friends and fiancee. His desire to prove them wrong and his desire to fight for his friends (even though these points are not well-explained in the film) takes him into the heart of the battle he first tried to avoid, and to the limits of self-sacrifice.

Along the way, he is rescued and assisted by Abou Fatma (Djimon Hounsou), a sort of wandering warrior whose ferocity, heart and wisdom is the glue that holds this story together. For me, Abou is more fierce than noble in the derogatory sense. He does not cower, buck his eyes or look with reverence upon Whites. He sizes up Harry as a man and nothing more or less, even though in the desert and with no shaving Harry does start to get that White Jesus look. (Somebody look that up, I'm sure Ledger has played Jesus).

Abou's balance in temper permeates the entire sense of the film. There are moments when the relationship between the two men starts to get tired—I mean how many times can a White man go off track and how many times can a Black man save him? Similarly, the story could have given us a little more reason to believe that Harry would hurl himself into war and then, repeatedly, arrive at just the precise moment to save or his friends. Ultimately, the film walks a fine line, keeping Harry's courage just on this side of believable.

Aside from these shortcomings, "The Four Feathers" is worth seeing, even if for Hounsou alone. These Brits aren't all unbelievably dashing. They may think they are but then they quickly learn the limits of human empire.

Esther Iverem's film reviews also appear on BET.com

-- September 26, 2002

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