Goingbegging This is an adventure story from the British Raj that can be viewed enjoyably and without embarrassment by all groups. Ten years earlier, it would have been full of imperialist clichés. Ten years later, it would have been just as full of marxist clichés.But 1959 was the right moment to film a straightforward goodies-and-baddies epic, and the film is stronger for not trying to project a political message. It was also an Indian summer for Kenneth More, so much a man of the 50's that he was doomed to be eclipsed by the disturbing new waves that were just round the corner.A maharajah's palace is threatened with fire and the sword, and he entrusts his small son to a British army captain to smuggle him to safety. Arriving at the nearest garrison, the captain finds that the last train has just left, and that he must try to assemble his own from an ancient tank-engine and some assorted rolling stock. In his favour is that the besieging enemy are not expecting an escape by rail. Against him is the rickety condition of the train, whose faulty whistle suddenly blows at the wrong moment. With nothing to lose, he orders full steam, and they're able to smash their way through.This is one example of the skillful plotting of the film. And there are plenty of others in the course of a 300-mile rail journey with the interesting mixed-bag of characters who have managed to get on the train. Lauren Bacall as the young prince's governess can't help looking rather out of place in Kipling's India - and she and More don't really have the chemistry - but she tells us that her father in Arizona brought her up to use a gun, and sure enough, this comes to play its part in the story. The other characters are different enough from each other to provide the conflict that makes for satisfying drama. The governor's wife, who has been torn away from her husband at his insistence. An arms dealer whose ethics are sharply questioned. A reporter who has blackmailed his way into the party, and is mistrusted by all, except a naive civil servant who later gets a chance to make good his mistake.One important and engaging character is the engine itself, 'Empress of India', or 'Victoria' as it (she) is affectionately called by its long-serving driver Gupta. As for him, he goes so overboard as the devoted servant of the Raj that his dialogue sounds a little suspect. Did they really say things like "in a very soon moment, sahib"? The part is played by I.S. Johar, who also used to mimic this kind of talk in comic theatre, and we wonder if he might be doing it here. Still, he puts his heart and soul into the part, and the relationship between him and his engine is heartwarming to watch.On the negative side, the battle scenes at the beginning leave us unsure who is fighting whom. And there are occasional lines that clearly play to the juvenile audience that helped to take the film to No.6 in that year's popularity table ("We've got to save his life, if it's the last thing we do."/"It may very well be the last thing we do.") As not all Americans would connect with the phrase 'North West Frontier', it was re-titled 'Flame Over India' for US exposure, a title that was just thought silly by one particular American, who was none other than... Miss Lauren Bacall!

tieman64 "One day in front of the Municipal Office I saw a little girl trying to drink her mother's milk. But the girl did not realise that the mother was dead." - Bhovani Shen Directed by J. Lee Thompson, and filled with astonishing widescreen photography, "North West Frontier" spends its first ninety minutes conning you into thinking you're watching a great film about the British Empire's bloody misadventures in India.The plot? Kenneth More plays Captain Scott, a dashing British Army officer tasked with protecting Prince Kishan, the young son of an Indian King. In this regard, Scott escorts Kishan out of a besieged fortress and into a rickety old steam train. In this train, Scott hopes to evade the Prince's attackers, a band of Muslims who are part of a nationwide uprising. Also on the train are a doctor's wife who "detests soldiers" (Lauren Bacall), an anti-colonialist journalist (Herbert Lom), an opinionated arms dealer, a chauvinistic aristocrat and various other British ex-pats. In other words, the train is populated by a cross-section of figures who offer interesting and conflicting perspectives on late 19th century Imperialism.One must remember that the 1950s, 60s and 70s saw the British Empire begin granting independence to its colonies. As these social reconfigurements took place, Great Britain felt the need to rehabilitate its past and rationalise the "good old days" of Empire-building. These outbursts of patriotism (and "revisionism") also served the more important task of helping to distract from the erection of new forms of exploitation and/or control. The year of "North West Frontier's" release, for example, British Colonialism was still killing hundreds of thousands in Kenya. British rule of India, whether it be directly during the years of the Raj, or during the years of the East India Company, was likewise responsible for countless deaths (almost two billion over an almost 2 century period). Divide-and-conquer tactics were used, local kings and rebels were armed against one another, taxes were used to cripple locals, land was taken from Indians, India itself was turned into a giant factory for export, nourishing crops were destroyed in favour for producing textiles and opium for foreign markets, designed famines were rife, uprisings were violently crushed and so forth. In addition to this, the usual racist attitudes were prevalent, Indians uniformly viewed as subhuman. Winston Churchill, for example, would bluntly state "I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion" and Lord Hastings would describe Indians as "mere animals", "limited", "with no higher intellect than a dog or monkey".Though "North West Frontier's" premise initially allows for a nuanced view of the Britsh Raj, it finally degenerates into Empire Denial. The Muslim rebels are ultimately evil and horde-like (how dare they kill cute kids!), the Hindu Kings are "thankless" fools who betray a Britain which gallantly risked life and limb to both protect the people and maintain "local order", and pacifist women (Bacall) learn to "appreciate soldiers". The train in the film is itself nicknamed "Victoria", the late 19th century queen who oversaw most of the Raj's worst excesses. In the film, Victoria does the opposite, providing stability, safe-haven and protection to her disparate passengers.Interestingly, "North West Frontier" was co-written by Patrick Ford, son of John Ford. The film itself plays like a John Ford picture, with dusty heroes, stagecoaches under attack, marauding hordes of faceless Indians and a landscape dotted with cavalry charges and military outposts. Though the film ultimately ends on a reactionary note (Captain Scott is never anything less than a hero), its first three acts are somewhat complex for an adventure film, and director J. Lee Thompson's direction is impeccable, with compositions reminiscent of David Lean, excellent location shooting and several fine set-pieces.7.5/10 – See Pontecorvo's "Burn", "Guns at Batasi" and "Decision Before Dawn". Read J. G. Farrell's excellent "The Siege of Krishnapur".

jpdoherty J. Arthur Rank's NORTH WEST FRONTIER is a classy British adventure yarn that can stand proudly beside the best efforts that Hollywood could offer. Also known as "Flame Over India" it was produced in 1959 by Marcel Heilman for the Rank organization and was directed with great gusto by the underrated J. Lee Thomson. No expense was spared on this colourful production. Filmed on actual Indian locations it was photographed in Cinemascope and glowing colour by the late great Geoffrey Unsworth and was adapted from a screenplay by Frank Nugent by Robin Estridge which derived from a story by Patrick Ford. Curiously there is a marked similarity with the narrative of NORTH WEST FRONTIER to that of John Ford's classic 1939 western "Stagecoach".Since Patrick Ford was the son of the great director that similarity is hardly surprising. Both stories concern an assorted group of travellers trying to safely reach their respective destinations and running the gauntlet of attacks by hordes of fierce horsemen intent on stopping them. With mostly British players the cast in NORTH WEST FRONTIER had an international mix led by Kenneth More. From Hollywood there's Lauren Bacall, from India I.S. Johar and the rest of the personnel was fleshed out with the cream of British character actors such as the brilliant Herbert Lom as a shady newspaperman, the delightfully fussy Wilfrid Hyde White as a diplomat, Ian Hunter as the British Governor, the lovely Ursula Jeans as the Governor's wife and Eugene Deckers as an arms dealer who detests firearms ("I've never had one of those things in my hands in my life").It is 1905 and the feud is raging in India's Northwest territories between Moslims and Hindus and their British masters. Six year old Hindu Prince Kishen's life is in grave danger. As heir to the Hindu throne the Moslims must annihilate him at all costs and it falls to the British to protect the little prince. After rescuing him from the palace British Captain Scott (Kenneth More) must now secretly sneak the boy, his governess (Lauren Bacall) plus a motley collection of escapees out of the British Embassy at Hasarbad and make a dash by train to Kolapur three hundred miles away in Delhi. Almost from the moment they begin their journey under the cover of darkness the action never lets up. From then on there are well executed action scenes throughout the picture particularly exciting is the siege of the British compound by Moslim forces with hundreds storming the ramparts. Such scenes are as good if not better than anything Hollywood could conjure up.Performances are excellent from all concerned. Kenneth More - always an appealing actor - gives another personable portrayal just like he did playing legless pilot Douglas Bader in "Reach Fot Sky" three years earlier. Lauren Bacall though seems a little out of place in a British movie but was obviously cast to give some appeal to the American market (She has top billing on the American prints and the publicity). But the standout performance comes from the great Herbert Lom whose real name - you wont believe - happens to be ......wait for it... Herbert Angelo Kuchacevich Ze Schluderpacherm. Ouch! How about that? Thankfully his name in the picture is simply Van Layden. Also of interest is the splendid music score by Russian composer Mischa Spoliansky which boasts some great action cues, a nice love theme for the pictures softer moments and to point up the British presence in India good use is made of the rousing "Eton Boating Song" which is interpolated into the score and in one scene is vocalized by Mr. More.NORTH WEST FRONTIER is the quintessential British adventure story. Its high production values puts it that bit above others of the genre. It's hard to go wrong when you have a well told story well directed beautifully photographed and well played out by a good cast.Yes indeed NORTH WEST FRONTIER is a jolly good show!

drz5157 Looked up this film doing some quick research on Kenneth More who played the Titanic's Second Officer Charles H. Lightoller , in "A Night to Remember." At the end of that film, Morre's character said something like, we can never be sure of anything again. That comment came to mind in connection with a brief piece I'm writing for my website on plans to develop Ground Zero. The sense of responsibility, reliability and steadfastness that More displayed in Northwest Frontier makes this movie worth seeing if only to remind us that once upon a time the qualities displayed by More in his films were considered not only praiseworthy, but an expression of simple decency to be emulated. The Google listing for Charles H. Lightoller includes a website (see third listing) that has a long article on Lightoller and the Titanic that concludes with the words on the face of a bronze plaque said to rest near the tragic ships' stern:"The fifteen hundred souls lost here still speak, reminding us always that the unthinkable can happen, but for vigilance, humility and compassion." My hunch is Kenneth More would agree these words are also appropriate to the souls lost on 9-11.