In the Company of Men: The Novice

This second film in Molly Dineen’s three-part series on the company of the Welsh Guards focuses on the challenges new officer, Bruce MacInnes, faces in establishing his leadership over a tight-knit group of experienced guardsmen.

New officer and principal character of The Novice, Bruce MacInnes, says he signed up to develop characteristics, namely leadership, that don't necessarily come naturally to him. The challenges MacInnes faces in establishing his leadership over a tight-knit group of experienced guardsmen provides the narrative tension of The Novice, but the film is not simply the story of a young officer out of his depth. Dineen's sympathetic and patient style yields a complex portrait of how hierarchical relationships are negotiated and developed.