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Cast
Terence McKenna
as Narrator
Andrew Tarbet
as John Payne
David Hewlett
as Walter Jenkins
Greg Spottiswood
as John Stroud
Brooke Johnson
as Kay Christie
Martin Julien
as Les Canivet
Andrew Miller
as Ike Friesen
Jeremy Ratchford
as Fred Reich
Robert Clayton
as Self (Royal Rifles of Canada) (as Bob Clayton)
Robert Manchester
as Self (Winnipeg Grenadiers) (as Bob Manchester)
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1992
Runtime1h 40m
LanguageEN
CertificationNR
GenresDocumentary, War
Votes2
DirectorBrian McKenna
WritersD'Arcy O'Connor, Terence McKenna, Brian McKenna
TypeFeature Film
Rating9.0 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsA Savage Christmas: The Fall of Hong Kong
About A Savage Christmas: The Fall of Hong Kong
The documentary, using the dramatization of fact, makes the case that the Canadian government knowingly sent two unprepared infantry battalions to help defend Hong Kong in late 1941, fully aware that they may have been on a doomed mission. The C Force, consisting of about 2000 soldiers from the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada (from Quebec City) were, with the other British, Indian and Hong Kong troops, attacked on December 8, 1941 and overwhelmed by Japanese troops, leading to numerous casualties and the surrender on Christmas day. The Canadians would spend more than 3 and half years as prisoners of war, in horrible conditions. Part of "The Valour and the Horror" mini series.
Directed by Brian McKenna, A Savage Christmas: The Fall of Hong Kong leans on a strong ensemble — Terence McKenna, Andrew Tarbet, David Hewlett — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1992.
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