Made for television 2007 film starring Haig, Radcliffe, Cattral and Mulligan covering Kipling's son's wartime experiences. It's a poignant rather than redemptive story.Haig is excellent as Kipling. By turns, he portrays Kipling as a rabble rousing war propagandist, a domineering father determined to live vicariously through his son and yet also a loving man. It would be easy to judge him harshly, but he was a man of his time.
Radcliffe doesn't have a great range - but the role of John Kipling - a young man unable to stand up to his father, but quietly determined in his own way suits him. It's not just in physical resemblance that his character resembles his on-screen father.
The standout scenes, for me, are of the trench where Kipling Jr's platoon are waiting to go over the top. Somehow, it manages to capture the nuances of different members reactions much more effectively than most wartime dramas.
Also of personal note, the film features an early Douglas motorcycle. As a child, I helped a neighbour restore a slightly later example. The distinctive livery brought back a lot of memories.
Verdict: Satisfying wartime drama
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