Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Guns at Batasi is a movie that would most appeal to those who are 30 and older and for those who enjoy watching war type movies in black and white. The acting is good in the movie, especially the actors Richard Attenborough and Jack Hawkins who are always good. The characters in this movie are good and believable. The story and pace of the movie is fine. The musical score for the background action is very good. I was really very disappointed that a 1964 movie was in black and white. This is my biggest criticism of the movie. It could be a prime time movie, but is better watched in the afternoons or late at night because it is black and white. Any snack will do with this movie, beer and popcorn are suggestions here. Enjoy.

Lord Attenborough is not my favourite actor nor my favourite director. Most of his movies are,to my view, overlong and over keen on pointing out the blindingly obvious.However,in the early 1960s he produced two outstanding performances,"Seance on a wet afternoon" and this one"Guns at Batasi". The characters couldn't be more different,from a gentle anxious husband of a woman mad with grief to a tough vastly experienced senior N.C.O in the British Army at the time the Empire was becoming the Commonwealth. The film is set in a military outpost in a small African country about to become independent.The British as the outgoing colonial power have no exit strategy,wham,bang,thank you ma'am appears to be their style and they are surprised to find that not all the members of this new nation are singing from the same hymn sheet. "If you can keep you head when all others about you are losing theirs and blaming you...."could be Lauderdale's byword. As a representative of the Old Guard he is a prime target for the left wing Labour M.P. on a "fact - finding" mission,i.e.seeking to confirm her prejudices.Miss Flora Robson has her part down pat as the knee - jerk bomb - banner,fellow - traveller,a type that flourished in the Wilson government. Despite the august presence of Mr Jack Hawkins as the senior officer,it is Lauderdale who holds things together. Attenborough never sounds a wrong note in the whole movie.It is a performance richly deserving of its BAFTA. Mr John Leyton,a pop singer of the time appears in a small role that did not presage a hugely successful career in movies.His love interest,Miss Mia Farrow,hot on the heels of the TV series "Peyton Place" on the other hand,was destined for greater things. Colonialism is of course now a dirty word and Commonwealth a meaningless one clung to by few outside Buckingham Palace and Whitehall. That the British Army is as effective as it is today is the legacy of men like Regimental Sergeant Major Lauderdale who soldiered selflessly to protect whatever the government of the day considered to be the best interests of the country.His was not to reason why.

I remember seeing this film when it first came out and recall it made an impression on me as a young man. Saw it again last night on Fox Classics during war film week in the first week of November and it impresses me even more.Since the first viewing I have experienced a military career in the air force and as a trainee pilot our WOD (Warrant Officer Disciplinary) could have been RSM Lauderdale to a tee. They just seem to know all about life and know what to do or say in any situation. And they have a wonderful innate knowledge of the big picture as well as the most intimate attention to detail. I am sure that this type of military rank was a vital cog in winning every war that has ever been won.Loved the script - why, oh why, don't the smash, crash, wallop Hollywood script writers look at these old classics and learn how to put an interactive character piece together which can keep you on the edge of your seat without having cars smash through plate glass windows? Richard Attenborough certainly earned his BAFTA for his performance not only for the way he delivered his lines but his visual representation to every bat of his eyelid and twitch of his moustache.My only criticism is the fact that being low budget it is quite obvious that it was shot in England especially when you can see English trees and houses in the background in some of the scenes. If only it could have been shot on location like "Zulu" it could have been even greater. But then again the strength of the film is the script and how cleverly it covered the type of dilemma which we still face to-day. Makes me wonder why it has never been done on the stage – or maybe it has.

This is a brilliant representation of a classic Regimental Sergeant Major, and shows the classic values that should continue to thrive (and sadly don't) in our military of today. Over the top? Yes... a little...but show me a TRUE RSM who isn't. Such men really existed... and they were a source of inspiration, guidance and customs and traditions for many. Well done by Sir Richard. From what I've heard, he spent a year preparing for this role by understudying real RSMs at the RSM-prep school in Sandhurst.I've used this film as a training aid when teaching leadership to young soldiers - and I continue to enjoy it today.