Sword of Honour (2001)

First adapted as a three-part TV miniseries by the BBC in 1967, Evelyn Waugh's darkly humorous novel trilogy Sword of Honour was remade as a two-parter by Britain's Channel 4 34 years later. On this occasion, Daniel Craig was cast as Waugh's hapless protagonist Guy Crouchback, a WWII-era British soldier who aspired to nobility and heroism, if only to prove that he was worthy of his shrewish ex-wife Virginia (played by American actress Megan Dodds). Alas, the harder Guy tried to distinguish himself on the field of battle, the more he failed, and as an ironic counterpart, Guy's fellow soldiers, most of them cowardly liars, continued to be promoted and showered with military honors. Even when he finally was given the opportunity to prove his worth beyond question and reproach, Guy succeeded only in miring himself in yet another disappointment and humiliation. Grim though it sounded, Sword of Honour was quite funny in its own bitter fashion, even when using betrayal and death as a "punch line." The program aired in Britain on January 2 and 3, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi