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The Monocled Mutineer : The Complete BBC Series (2 Disc Set) [DVD]
 
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The Monocled Mutineer : The Complete BBC Series (2 Disc Set) [DVD]

DVD ~ Paul McGann
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
RRP: £19.99
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Frequently Bought Together

The Monocled Mutineer : The Complete BBC Series (2 Disc Set) [DVD] + Private Schulz [1981] [DVD] + Danger UXB: The Complete Series Special Edition [DVD] [1979]
Total RRP: £64.97
Price For All Three: £29.74

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Monocled Mutineer : The Complete BBC Series (2 Disc Set) [DVD]
87% buy the item featured on this page:
The Monocled Mutineer : The Complete BBC Series (2 Disc Set) [DVD] 3.9 out of 5 stars (13)
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Product details

  • Actors: Paul McGann, Cherie Lunghi, Jerome Flynn, Timothy West, Philip McGough
  • Directors: Jim O'Brien, Alan Bleasdale
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 2
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: 2 Entertain Video
  • DVD Release Date: 27 Aug 2007
  • Run Time: 311 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000R20XVC
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3,112 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

Reviews

DVD Description

The Monocled Mutineer TV series follows the rebellion that took place at the notorious Etaples Training Camp in northern France on the eve of "The Battle of Passchendaele" in 1917. After the mutiny, the dashing Percy Toplis (Paul McGann) takes flight, dressed as a British officer, soon to embark on a love affair with beautiful young widow, Dorothy, (Cherie Lunghie).

A solder in the First World War, the real Percy Toplis was a rake, rogue and master of disguise who became the most wanted man in Britain. This controversial, acclaimed 1986 four-part BBC dramatisation of high romance, hilarious impudence and savage retribution was adapted by Alan Bleasdale from the book by William Allison and John Fairley.

Synopsis

Based on the novel by William Allison and John Fairley, this drama tells the story of a World War One mutiny which took place at the Etaples Training Camp in northern France in 1917 on the eve of the Passchendaele battle.

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13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch Great War Drama, 28 Aug 2007
I remember watching this on television when it was first screened by the BBC back in 1986, and was mightily impressed. Twenty one years later, the 'Monocled Mutineer' has lost none of its impact.
Loosely based upon the real life story of a Nottinghamshire ne'er-do-well who finds himself drawn inexorably into the carnage of the First World War, the 'Monocled Mutineer' offers a highly original take upon what might seem like a familiar period of history. Scripted by the controversial Alan Bleasdale, it manages to be funny, moving and sometimes shocking, all the while maintaining a strong and engaging story line. A key episode involves the so-called 'Etaples Mutiny' of 1917, when British soldiers ran amok in protest at the brutalities of the nearby 'Bull Ring' training camp. The film's depiction of these events caused a stir in 1986, with Tory MPs outraged at what they considered to be a slur upon the record of the British soldiers who fought and died in Flanders. Yet such reactions were wide of the mark, as the 'Monocled Mutineer' takes a balanced view of the episode, and makes it clear that the limited outbreak of disorder was sparked by the systematic bullying of veterans who had already been pushed to the limit. The film deals frankly with the horrors of trench warfare, and also the comradeship and black humour that enabled soldiers to endure them.
The script is excellent, with convincing dialogue contributing to a strong sense of the period. The young Paul McGann was perfectly cast in the central role of Percy Topliss, the working class lad and humble Tommy who periodically adopts the persona of a dashing, monocle-wearing officer, and casually assumes a leading role in the 'Etaples Mutiny'. These are crimes for which the Establishment can never forgive him, and in the war's aftermath, Topliss becomes the most wanted man in Britain. McGann plays the part with exactly the right mixture of cynicism and compassion. The rest of the cast - which includes the likes of Timothy West and Cherie Lunghi - is equally good.
All in all, a well-crafted, atmospheric and gripping drama.
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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Victim and Villain , 3 Sep 2007
By Antyllus (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
New details are constantly emerging about Percy Topliss, the protagonist of the First World War's 'Monocled Mutineer'. And the more is revealed the more it seems he wasn't a mutineer after all. McGann continued to research Percy's life after this role.

Paul McGann plays Topliss in this excellent 1986 BBC drama. I saw it on on television and was spell bound by the script and acting. I am glad it has finally been released on DVD. Unfortunately the series was never shown again, due to an outcry from some MP's who thought the memory of the soliders of Flanders had been besmirched somehow. But what is truth, if not the whole truth?

Topliss specialised in impersonating military officers. He was believed to be the ringleader of a protest by British troops at a training camp at Etaples, France in 1917. However, travel documents show that he was in India in 1917 and had contracted malaria, making it difficult to be in Europe at the same time.

Topliss is seen by some as a criminal and by others as a charmer who challenged the class system by impersonating officers. In his later life actions were ascribed to him which he did not commit. He was as much victim as villain, and definitely a commensurate actor.

This is a highly recommendable film series. To me it also gave some much needed background to the WWI war photos I have inherited from my GGfather. In one he can just about be seen with his orderly, standing behind a massive bomb crater, dead tree stumps pointing skywards...
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, 26 Sep 2007
I have just finished watching this now, over three evenings and enjoyed it as much as I did so many years go. I think this is the best thing Paul McGann has done except for 'Withnail and I'. Philip McGough who plays the secret service officer determined to track Percy Topis down, is also very good in a quiet, understated way.

It is all very well acted and there is a fair amount of humour. Toplis comes across as a bit of a rogue, reluctant to be a hero.

It is now debated whether Toplis was at Etaples. Paul McGann is quoted as saying "I don't think he was at Etaples. The units that he served in and was attached to simply weren't around. At the same time, given the fact that he came and went, that he was a bit of a loner, and moved between people and places, it is not inconceivable that he was there". Apparently we may know the truth in 2017 when the files are opened.

A number of the scenes, especially towards the end do faithfully match what is known about him.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, possibly great acting - pity about the facts
A superb bit of acting and well paced story showing the systematic path to destruction of its hero. However, don't confuse art with reality - Percy Toplis was an habitual... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dick Pearson

1.0 out of 5 stars BBC Propaganda
Anyone interested in the historical truth of World War I should realise, whilst watching this garbage, that this is just another BBC attempt at brainwashing the modern British... Read more
Published 2 months ago by biasedbeeb

5.0 out of 5 stars First-rate - watch it again now 'the hurly-burly's done'
Buy this two-DVD set and travel back to 1986's heady days, when watching BBC historical dramas made you feel all subversive. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Brian Flange

5.0 out of 5 stars The Monocled Mutineer.
Wonderful TV production. McGann is magnificent in the starring role. The film depicts aspects of life before and during World War 1 that are usually neglected . Read more
Published 7 months ago by Pontybodkin Pete

5.0 out of 5 stars The Monocled Mutineer
A brilliant series that depicts the truth about war,especially the abysmal conditions in WW1 and the heartlessness of those in command of their men,who were mere statistics to... Read more
Published 10 months ago by P. Fowler

5.0 out of 5 stars Monocled Mutineer
An extremely well done insight into the class structure in the UK during WW1. Always entertaining.
Published 11 months ago by W. R. Carpenter

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant - we more like this to be prodcued today
Like other reviewers I was glad this came out on DVD (I also have the video tape version). One reviewer sated that it was not like the book, which is partially true. Read more
Published 23 months ago by W. Hutchinson

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother with it
Thought i would get this as my next rental dvd and now wish i hadn't bothered. watched about an hr of it and then might as welll fall asleep as i got so bored waiting for... Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2008 by Mr. R. J. Cotton

1.0 out of 5 stars Travesty
I first read the book through when staying in Etaples in the 1980's. It was the set English book for the local schoolchildren and I was asked to review it for them. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2008 by S. Arkell

5.0 out of 5 stars Why did we have to wait Twenty Years ?
Why did we have to wait Twenty Years ?

The first episode was transmitted on the 31 st of August 1986 by the BBC and was split into four episodes and if you have never... Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2007 by Brian Carson

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