Two Men Went to War
Set in 1942 against the backdrop of World War II, this incredible true tale begins in England at a backwater barracks, where Sergeant Peter King (Kenneth Cranham) of the Army Dental Corps, who is 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. Derek Jacobi co-stars.
"A brilliant new British film ...wryly humorous, tender, odd, beautifully filmed. A real gem." ~ Mail on Sunday
"John Henderson's gentle World War II comedy dilutes its soft-bellied sentiment with a steady infusion of whimsy." ~ Stephen Holden, NEW YORK TIMES
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.