Movie Reviews : Dull, Slow Pace Holds Back ‘Lighthorsemen’

“The Lighthorsemen” (Cineplex Odeon Century Plaza) were an elite regiment of Australian soldiers who fought in the Gaza campaign during World War I. A German adversary explains that they are “mounted infantry,” not cavalry, and exceedingly worthy opponents.

Director Simon Wincer’s homage to their gallant and courageous exploits is an elegant, spectacular re-creation mounted handsomely--to a fault. It is also rather too distant and arid for its own good. The film’s faithfulness to historic detail often slows down the unfolding of the personal dramas among its members.

The narrative is encased by history. Eventually the action will climax in the battle for Beersheba, a German-Turkish stronghold and a coveted prize for its seemingly endless supply of water. The planning for this assault is pictured as no more than military indifference. The British, with few exceptions, are political opportunists rather than strategists. They use the light-horsemen either as shock troops or as an afterthought, but they do not figure them into their overall plans.

The obvious frustration of the Australian senior officers is handled with a stiff upper lip. So it’s not surprising that Ian Jones’ screenplay should focus on four individual soldiers. The problem is that he fails to provide the group--three veterans and a recruit--with particular individuality. Whatever separates the three veterans comes simply from the difference in their physical appearance.

Then, there’s Dave (Peter Phelps), the new recruit. Though a marksman and a crack rider, he simply can’t pull the trigger when a human figure is in his sights. His mates initially give him the benefit of the doubt but finally encourage him to take a spot with the medical corps. It’s not exactly the stuff of great drama.

Wincer, whose credits include “The Man From Snowy River” and “Phar Lap,” unquestionably knows his horses. They are majestic and photographed with the grace of a Remington painting. But somehow these qualities just don’t translate to his human characters. This remote campaign, virtually unknown to Americans, neither fires our imagination nor stirs our emotions. Minimally, it might send us strolling to a library.

“The Lighthorsemen” (MPAA-rated: PG, no horses were killed or injured during production) is so bereft of passion that not even its horses’ nostrils flare. Paced at a canter, it is a long, numbing ride.