The Charge of the Light Brigade at Key Stage 3

The following lessons have been designed for Year 9 but can easily be adapted for a Year 8 class.

If at all possible, you should provide an opportunity for the class to watch the whole film. As it is over two hours long this may be most easily done in sections - with a little time for talking about what happens in each section between showings. You should also allow some time for students to make their own responses to the film. The following lessons refer to particular sequences in the film, based on using the DVD.

Lesson 1: Britain in the 1850s - Interpretations of history

Show the opening credits: 00.00 to 02.46. Discuss the following questions:

• What image of Britain do the credits give? Which countries are shown as part of the British Empire? What does each of them bring to the Empire?
• Why is Britain going to war? Why do the other countries look to Britain to take the lead?
• What impression does this give about Britain's role in the world?
• Queen Victoria lifts her skirts to allow trade to take place. What image of the Monarchy does this give? From what you already know about Britain in the 1850s is this image accurate?
• Why do you think the producer decided to use animation in the opening credits? Are they better than images? Are they effective at portraying the nature of Victorian Britain?

Lesson 2: The army - Weighing up evidence

[still from the film of the sergeant-major being flogged…..time = 44.12 on the dvd, bloody back after the flogging is over]

The flogging

We don't actually see the soldier being flogged, but you could freeze frame at 44.12m and ask students to study the image and what it tells us. You could also watch the sequence around the flogging and discuss with students:

• How does the filmmaker use visuals and sound to make you feel the pain?
• Who do you sympathise with: the officers, those doing the flogging, or the ordinary soldiers? How does the way this sequence is made influence who you sympathise with?

Show the sequence: 09.50 to 24.00. This illustrates recruitment, training and discipline in the army. Ask students to list the differences between how the officers and the troopers were treated, and discuss:

• Why do you think they were treated differently?
• Do you think flogging - 50 lashes - enforced discipline?
• Is it a fair punishment in this case?
• Are the troopers conscripts or volunteers? If you were an officer, do you think you can frighten men into fighting for you? Or should men want to fight? Be well paid to fight? Which is the best system, do you think?

Lesson 3: Discrimination - Continuity and change

Captain Nolan is regarded as a troublemaker throughout the film. With the students, review what you have seen of the film so far and:

• List the reasons he is regarded as different and why he is 'picked on' by Lord Cardigan.
• List other examples of discrimination and discuss: Is it right to discriminate against people because of their colour? Their background? Because they are good at their job? Different?

Watch the sequence called 'Black Bottle' on the DVD menu: 00.30.39 - 00.35.10, and discuss:

• What is Captain Nolan's response to being unfairly accused of drinking beer?
• How does the film make you sympathise with Captain Nolan?

Finally you can ask students to compare how attitudes have changed:

• Have things changed today? Would this kind of discrimination take place today, or are there different ways people are discriminated against now? List any examples you can think of.
• Discrimination like that shown in the film did happen in 1854. Because it doesn't happen so much today, or because we don't want it to happen, does that mean we should alter the events in the film to not show discrimination?

Lesson 4: The charge of the Light Brigade - the role of the individual in history

[still from dvd: 1.55.18]

The climax of the film shows the charge into the 'valley of death'. Lord Lucan thought it was wrong. Lord Cardigan thought it was wrong. Both knew it was poor tactics for cavalry to charge cannon without infantry support. Both of them objected, yet both carried out their orders.

Show students the extract from 01.49.15-01.49.50. Then discuss the following questions:

• Are the troopers portrayed as excited or scared? How does the film convey their feelings?
• Do you identify with them? How would you have felt riding into the valley?
• How is the battle portrayed in the film?
• Do any individuals stand out for bravery/self-sacrifice?
• What role does Captain Nolan play in the battle?
• What roles do other individuals play?
• How does the film build a sense of tension or excitement?

Finally you could discuss:

• Should soldiers always follow orders, even if they think they are wrong?

Follow up activity

Ask students to imagine they were one of the troopers, who charged the Russian guns, and survived. They should write a letter home explaining how they feel about their comrades, their officers, their generals and the way the battle took place.

Lesson 5: Film interpretations of the charge of the Light Brigade: How do views of an event change over time?

Show students the silent version of The Charge of the Light Brigade, made in 1912. Then discuss whether the 1912 version tells the same story of events as the version made in 1968.

• The silent version uses lines from Tennyson's poem as captions for the action. Why, do you think, the filmmaker chose to use the poem in this way? Does this make the film more reliable, or less, as an interpretation (or representation) of an historical event?

Ask students to make a list of the similarities and the main differences between the two film versions. Then discuss:

• Which film do you prefer? Why?
• Does colour film, compared to black and white, alter our perspective on events?
• What difference does sound make?

Follow up activity

Ask students (working in groups) to make a sound track for the 'silent' version. They could write a voice over or script a dialogue and/or describe the kind of sound effects and music they might use. If you have time you could ask them to record their own version and discuss:

• How does adding sound alter how the film works?

Lesson 6: Conclusion - The importance of the charge of the Light Brigade

Now that students have watched two versions of The Charge of the Light Brigade, they can compare interpretations of some of the events in the Crimea in 1854. Ask them to search on the internet or in the library for other views, and discuss the following questions. As they should know by now, historians always disagree!

• Why did the charge happen? Was it a big mistake, as suggested in the film?
• Could it have been stopped?
• Who was to blame for the loss of life?
• From your research, do you think the film is a reliable interpretation of what happened in 1854? If you do, why? If you don't, what would you change to make it more reliable?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of film interpretations of historical events? How can we know that what filmmakers show us is reliable?