Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Virgin Soldiers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 2, 2019

John Dexter's "The Virgin Soldiers" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new program featuring actors Roy Holder and Christopher Timothy; documentary film by David MacDonald; and more. The release also arrives with a 36-page booklet featuring a new essay by author Scott Harrison, Leslie Thomas on The Virgin Soldiers, archival profiles of Lynn Redgrave and Tsai Chin, an overview of contemporary critical responses, Anthony Nield on Operation Malaya, and film credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

No longer boys, still not real men

Some years ago, when I was living on the West Coast, I befriended a Vietnam vet who was a big admirer of Robert Mitchum. In the beginning of our friendship we talked mostly about Mitchum and some older films we both liked, then gradually he opened up about his experiences during and after the war and our conversations veered off in new directions. We discussed politics, how the world had changed, and whether he thought that at the end his sacrifice was worth it. I learned a lot from him.

There is a good reason why I mention the vet here. He once confessed to me that he did not grasp the true nature of war until he saw the first body bags arriving in the base where he was stationed. And, apparently, he wasn’t the only one. He told me that there were many other guys that actually landed in Vietnam expecting an exotic adventure with plenty of action. They weren’t clueless, not even close, just utterly unprepared for what was about to hit them. From what I gathered some of these guys genuinely expected the war to be a bit of, well, ‘man action’.

A few nights ago, I sat down to view John Dexter’s film The Virgin Soldiers and I immediately began recalling my conversations with the vet. In this film the main characters are British boys who are stationed in Singapore during the early 1950s and are basically as inexperienced as the American soldiers that the vet described to me. The one boy that the camera follows closely, Brigg (an excellent Hywel Bennett), even admits that initially he expected his service to be lots of ‘action’ that would transform him into a real man. When I heard him say it, I nearly dropped my cup of coffee.

A rather large chunk of the film is deceivingly light and funny. Brigg and his friends occasionally hear news reports about ongoing operations by the communist insurgents, but they are isolated from the fighting and spend most of their time discussing the various fun activities they have in the nearby town. Drinking, dancing, and paying money to the local prostitutes to teach them new tricks is the kind of action that they think is transforming them into real men. A few even find spare time to invest in ‘serious relationships’ with the British girls that are working and living on the station. Brigg, for instance, falls for the sergeant's daughter, Phillipa (Lynn Redgrave), who is on a mission to disprove a supposedly popular myth that she is a lesbian.

Eventually, the inevitable happens. The boys experience a heavy dose of real action and their cluelessness is instantly wiped out. However, this isn’t the moment when they finally become men. (What a shocker. As if there is some universal test that boys have to pass to become men). It isn’t what the film shows. They remain boys, only the few that are lucky to survive it acquire an entirely different appreciation of life.

I am unfamiliar with the novel by Leslie Thomas that inspired The Virgin Soldiers, so I do not know how accurately the film recreates the events that are chronicled in it. But even if it takes plenty of liberties with the original material, I don’t think that it matters much. Behind the funny and the sad and the ugly you will discover the exact same truths about war that exist in Bernhard Wicki’s The Bridge and Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket. Dexter’s film only pulls them out from a different place and a conflict that is now largely forgotten.

Dexter worked with cinematographer Ken Higgins, who a few years earlier lensed the stylish British classic Darling with Julie Christie.

The Virgin Soldiers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Dexter's The Virgin Soldiers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The remaster that was used to produce this release is very frustrating. It was supplied by Sony Pictures, but it has all of the classic shortcomings that you can see on very old remasters from the DVD era. However, I don't think that it is that old. It is just that the elements that were used to prepare it simply do not have the solid and more importantly consistent organic qualities that we expect from a strong remaster. The partially good news is that there is a fair amount of close-ups that tend to look decent, at times even good. The best ones are typically darker but with balanced light and shadows. Despite some lost nuances, they tend to have rather decent delineation and on a large screen hold up well (see screencaptures #3 and 7). Unfortunately, there is also plenty of darker footage that looks very flat and at times even smeary, essentially lacking any fine details (see screencaptures #4 and 11). Also, a lot of the outdoor footage is routinely overwhelmed by moderate to heavy halo effects that basically light up the screen and create the illusion that some very harsh sharpening has been applied (see screencaptuires 5, 10, and 19). Predictably, on a large screen these areas can often look like borderline upscaled material. The range of primary colors is good, but there is plenty of room for rebalancing work, plus the supporting nuances are not always convincing. Grain exposure isn't consistent, and in some areas the shaky grain actually impacts color balance. As a result, some visuals can look even thicker than they already are and the effects could be distracting. There are no large debris, scratches, torn or severely damaged frames, but some dark spots remain. All in all, the technical presentation is very shaky, and while it is still possible to enjoy the film, it is beyond obvious that a proper restoration needs to be completed so that it looks as it should. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Virgin Soldiers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio must have been cleaned up and stabilized when the current remaster was prepared because it is very healthy and with strong ranges of dynamic nuances. I thought that depth and balance were also very good. To be honest, I don't know if there is room for any additional and meaningful improvements.

The Virgin Soldiers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.

• Trailer - original trailer for The Virgin Soldiers. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Isolated Music and Effects Track - presented as LPCM 1.0.

• Image Gallery - a large collection of original promotional materials for The Virgin Soldiers. (1080p).

• 16mm Location Footage - presented here is silent footage that was shot during the scouting session in Singapore and Malaysia, where hey parts of The Virgin Soldiers were filmed. (15 min, 1080p).

• Some Confidence - in this new video piece, writer Ian La Frenais recalls his involvement with The Virgin Soldiers and discusses his interactions with director John Dexter. Also, there are interesting comments about his meetings with Leslie Thomas and observations about the casting choices that were made. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080p).

• The Virgin Actors - in this new video piece, actors Roy Holder and Christopher Timothy discuss their contributions to The Virgin Soldiers, John Dexter's directing methods, and the evolution of their careers. In English, not subtitled. (29 min, 1080p).

• Operation Malaya (1953) - this vintage documentary directed by David MacDonald focuses on the Malayan Emergency and various guerrilla tactics. In English, with optional English subtitles. (67 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - 36-page booklet with a new essay by author Scott Harrison, Leslie Thomas on The Virgin Soldiers, archival profiles of Lynn Redgrave and Tsai Chin, an overview of contemporary critical responses, Anthony Nield on Operation Malaya, and film credits.

The Virgin Soldiers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is great that the folks at Indicator/Powerhouse Films are digging deep in the Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures vaults to bring to Blu-ray forgotten or rarely seen films, some of which were difficult to track down even on DVD. However, it appears that there are a lot of shaky remasters there that are just not suitable for Blu-ray. I liked The Virgin Soldiers and I think that it is a lovely film to rediscover on Blu-ray, but it needs at least a fresh 2K remaster so that it looks appropriately healthy. If you wish to see this film, I urge you to look for a sale and then consider a purchase, keeping in mind that ideally the film could look quite a bit better on Blu-ray. Otherwise, RENT IT.