Independent Films, Film Profiles

A Foreign Field

A Foreign Field (1993) is a motion picture about British and American World War II veterans returning to the beaches of Normandy as old men. It is more a drama than a comedy, although it combines aspects of both. It was directed by Charles Sturridge and featured an ensemble cast of American, Australian, British, and French actors and actresses.The film was made to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day landings and was driven into production by Alec Guinness who used his influence with the BBC to make it and with the various famous actors to appear in it.It was only shown once on BBC1 at the time, but repeated a number of times some thirteen years later (2007) on the digital channel UKTV History.Cyril (McKern) and Waldo (Randolph), who are British and American, respectively, have both returned to France in search of the same woman (Moreau) with whom they each had a rendezvous in 1944 (unknown to the other). Cyril is accompanied by fellow veteran Amos (Guinness), while Waldo has his petty daughter (Chaplin) and her henpecked husband (Herrmann) in tow. The two groups encounter one another, and after some conflict find common ground in old sorrows. Along the way they meet the recently widowed Lisa (Bacall), who has come in search of her brother's grave.