TWO MEN WENT TO WAR
Year: 2002
USA: Indican Pictures
UK: Guerilla Films
Cast: Kenneth Cranham, Leo Bill, Derek Jacobi, Phyllida Law, James Fleet, Julian Glover, Anthony Valentine, Rosanna Lavelle, David Ryall, Mossie Smith, Richard Sutton, Christopher Villiers, Beth Cordingly, David Curtiz, Glen Davies, Stephan Grothgar, Ian Lindsay, Sara Markland, Tim McMullan, Nick Miles, Anthony O'Donnell, Erich Redman, Sandra Reinton, Jason Round, Dickon Tolson
Director: John Henderson
Country: UK
USA & UK: 109 mins
UK Certificate: PG contains mild language and action
USA Release Date: 26 March 2004 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 1 November 2002
Synopsis
Based on a true story, Sergeant Peter King (Kenneth Cranham) of the Army Dental Corps, too old to fight, and Private Leslie Cuthbertson (Leo Bill), a trainee dental mechanic in the Corps, are thrown together by their passionate desire to see active service. Armed with just two revolvers and a dozen grenades, King persuades Cuthbertson to join him on a mission to occupied France.
In a letter to Winston Churchill, King explains their intention to invade France and fight the Germans. After a number of failed attempts, they finally arrive by boat and stumble across a German radar station. They succeed in blowing-up what they believe to be the main Operations Room, but are soon forced to make their escape as the entire compound unexpectedly erupts with gunfire and explosions. After narrow escapes from the Germans and a stray mine in the Channel, the two men are picked up at sea and interrogated as spies.
Identified as deserters, they are returned to their barracks to be court martialled. At the eleventh hour King and Cuthbertson are saved by the arrival of Major Merton (Derek Jacobi), Churchill's Chief Intelligence Advisor. Their letter has been received in Whitehall and Merton corroborates their heroic story. Exonerated of lying, King and Cuthbertson are nevertheless reprimanded by the Court for their behaviour, but receive an invitation to tea with the Prime Minister should they ever be in Whitehall.