His Private Life

Reggie Hemingway is the quintessential product of inherited wealth—a high-stakes broker whose primary hobby is the psychological and verbal degradation of his valet. He exists in a world of silk robes and unearned superiority until the global catastrophe of World War I shatters his domestic vacuum. While the valet enlists with immediate, patriotic fervor, Reggie lingers in his privilege until the draft or social pressure finally drags him into uniform. The narrative pivot occurs at the training camp, where the social hierarchy is violently inverted. Reggie, now a lowly, incompetent recruit, discovers that his former victim has been transformed into a hardened, cigar-chomping Sergeant. The film transitions from a drawing-room comedy of manners into a relentless, physical gauntlet where the parade ground becomes a stage for overdue class retribution.