Charming and brutal

A Disappointing Continuation

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

I saw this film when I was 12 years old, I was besotted with Michael York (still am) and an elderly aunt took me to the cinema. We both enjoyed it although, she admitted she was not sure how much of it I could understand regarding what happened to Mrs Scarlett. It has never, in the near 40 years since it's release it has, to my knowledge, never been on British TV. Why not? It is much better than many films they do show, especially from that era of British films in the 1970's and it was only by buying the DVD I was able to see it again after such a long time. I was not disappointed either, yes, it is basically a stage play that has been filmed, but, the performances are excellent all around. Stacy Keach pulls off one of the best British accents by an American actor. It drew me in and held my attention throughout, sadly, the very end is done weakly, but, that is a small complaint. Time for it to be shown on TV methinks

Despite a high power cast that includes Michael York, Stacy Keach, Richard Atenborough, and Christopher Plummer, "Conduct Unbecoming" never really rises above mediocrity. All decisions seem to be governed by a false sense of honor and everyone is so pompous, there are few likable characters. The story is totally unbelievable, losing credibility with each scene. The conclusion especially comes out of nowhere. Despite the widescreen treatment, most scenes are claustrophobic interior shots, with men in red uniforms sitting around tables. There really is little to like here, other than the stellar cast, which is badly wasted because of the weak script. - MERK

What do you call a tedious courtroom drama with a shallow bottom but filled with fine acting? "Conduct Unbecoming". A stilted and wordy play stuffed full of fine actors, who do their stuff really well. If you like things "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing", this movie's for you.

If you're familiar with Fametracker and its 'Hey! It's that guy!' feature, you'll understand what I mean by an 'it's-him'. It's when you watch a film and all the way through you're pointing at second banana actors going 'Oh look, it's him'. One of the pleasures of this film is trying to work out exactly why so-and-so's face is familiar and then realising it's Prior Robert from TVs Cadfael, or something similar.I read the play Conduct Unbecoming at school, and while this film does not go quite as deeply into the themes it throws up, ie moral bankruptcy in the British Raj/army and macho values in general, it remains a well-made, well acted period drama redolent of the distinctive spirit of the period.Then again, I could be biased because I find Milington so dishy (he played Herod Agrippa in I, Claudius, in case you're stumped!)