

Tom Conti is the straight man through whom we experience the film he's good, but he has his thunder stolen by the others. The film I would most liken it to is HELL IN THE PACIFIC.Įssentially this is a film about four men whose lives intertwine as the sometimes shocking events in the camp play out. This film is about Allied officers in a Japanese prison but instead of being about escape attempts, as so many films in this genre are, it's instead a treatise on the human condition that explores the nature of warfare and the human spirit in its fight for justice and honour.
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Lawrence is, as the title would suggest, about as far from your typical old-fashioned prisoner-of-war movie as it can get. Reviewed by Leofwine_draca 8 / 10 A film of amazing character depth He was known at that time almost exclusively as a comic actor. Magnificent score by Sakamoto, who was embarrassed by his performance when the Japanese audience laughed at it during a screening. Even Conti is insane, with his belief that he can ameliorate the situation. In many ways, it reminds me of BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, with its state of mutual insanity, except unlike Sessue Hayakawa's commandant in that picture, there s never the slightest hesitation or uncertainty on other side: right is right, wrong is wrong, and the other fellow is a filthy beast. It's another of director Nagisa Ôshima's trashing of the old order in Japan, ased on a memoir by Lourens van der Post. Tom Conti, who spent time in Japan before the war, tries to bridge the gap, but no one believes him. All in all, an unforgettable movie.Reviewed by boblipton 8 / 10 We Are Right And They Are Wrongĭavid Bowie is captured by the Japanese and sent to a prison camp, where the British commander is a bluff, old-school sort, but the Japanese commandant, Ryuichi Sakamoto, is a believer in bushido, and the cowardice of the British soldier. The characters are real and so is their pain. It does a good job of retaining emotive elements without compromising on realism. The movie carries an ominous overtone without making the plot over-dramatic. The scene had a strong imprint on me and lingered on long after the movie was over. There's a scene where the couple travel in a jeep as it passes through a dense mist of clouds and fog. There are a few stellar moments with subtle background score which underscores the intensity of those scenes. The cinematography is breath-taking, particularly the countryside scenes which tend to be highly evocative. As days go on, one can feel their optimism dissipate and anguish build up. It follows a rather disinterested, albeit plaintive, subtext as the protagonists move across the border multiple times and explore different ways to work things out. The narrative doesn't try to accentuate the throes of poor migrants as they struggle to eke out a living.

What makes it so impactful is its simplicity and rawness. It tells the story of two people who sneak into Thailand from Myanmar in search of a better life.

The Road To Mandalay is one of the piercing artworks of Asian cinema.
