Tunes of Glory

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ROBERT L Some films vanish quietly over the years, not because they lack greatness, but because they refuse to fit a convenient category. Tunes of Glory is one of those rare works — a film that plays like a Shakespearean tragedy disguised as a military drama. Alec Guinness gives what may be his finest, most complex performance, while John Mills — finally out of a submarine — delivers one of his most genuine, quietly shattering portrayals. This isn’t a war film in the traditional sense. The battle is internal — fought in the regimental halls of a proud Highland unit after the guns have gone silent. Guinness’s Major Jock Sinclair is a man who has clawed his way to command through charm, defiance, and sheer force of will. He’s a Scottish Macbeth of sorts, haunted not by ghosts but by peace itself. When Mills’s Lieutenant Colonel Barrow arrives, bringing the rulebook and his own haunted conscience, the clash between pride and propriety becomes inevitable. Like any great Shakespearean tragedy, it unfolds within a world that feels both grand and claustrophobic. The regiment itself is a miniature kingdom — bound by ceremony, bagpipes, and whisky rituals that echo ancient court traditions. Beneath the surface lies a deep sadness: the slow decay of an order built on loyalty, class, and the myth of honor. Director Ronald Neame lets the film breathe like a stage play, where every look carries consequence. The dialogue has rhythm — almost poetic — and Guinness’s delivery makes it feel like modern blank verse wrapped in Scots idiom. When the inevitable collapse comes, it feels less like a defeat than a reckoning with the past. Tunes of Glory deserves far more attention than it gets. It’s a portrait of men trapped between two worlds — soldiers who survived the war but cannot survive peace. For me, it stands among the finest British dramas ever made, a story not of battles won or lost, but of souls undone by their own glory. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/31/25 Full Review Ian F A fine film that, perhaps above all else, portrays the complexities and contradictions in human nature. Neither man is a distinct hero or villain; instead each man possesses and is tortured by these conflicting characteristics. In the end, neither man wins. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review Audience Member Despite the presence of the lovely Miss York, this had me bored 20 minutes in. This ain't no "Bridge on the River Kwai" for Sir Alec. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/23/24 Full Review Audience Member Suberb. A gripping interrogation of the politics in a Scottish regiment during peacetime. The revelations of petty jealousies. Superbly portrayed by a stellar cast of British actors. Guinness is at his peerless best as the drunken, flawed heroic Jock Sincl, while Mills tragic Colonel Barrow almost matches him. Wonderful support from Gordon Jackson Duncan Macrea, amongst others. Plus a debut from the gloriously ravishing Susannah York Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review delysid d i love old british movies! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/17/21 Full Review bo s Entertaining story; good characters; some good dialogue; bagpipes! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Tunes of Glory

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