Set in Singapore in the early 1950s, this impressive adaptation of Leslie Thomas' best-selling, scandalous novel centres on a group of naïve young British Army recruits billeted to Malaya who have no experience of either love or war.
Both affectionate and affecting in its look at young men in wartime, the film has a wonderful cast which includes Lynn Redgrave (Georgy Girl, The National Health), Hywel Bennett (The Family Way, Twisted Nerve) and Nigel Davenport (The Third Secret, The Mind of Mr. Soames), along with early appearances from Christopher Timothy, Wayne Sleep, James Cosmo and a young David Bowie. Genuine and heartfelt, The Virgin Soldiers is an insightful and hugely underrated British comic drama.
Extras
High Definition remaster
Original mono audio
The Virgin Actors (2019, 29 mins): Roy Holder and Christopher Timothy recall their experiences on location
Some Confidence (2019, 8 mins): writer Ian La Frenais discusses his contributions to the screenplay
16mm Location Footage (1967, 14 mins): rare and previously unseen material shot during location scouting
Operation Malaya (1953, 67 mins): David MacDonald s acclaimed feature-length docudrama on the Malayan Emergency
Original theatrical trailer
Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
Isolated music & effects track
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition exclusive 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
