Review of Railway Man starring Colin Firth

I really enjoyed this film. It was screened at the Art House theater near where I live in Upstate NY. I had been waiting for many months to see this film. I had watched, years ago, Empire of the Sun by Spielberg, I have also taken several Asian History courses, and watched other movies and books about the horrors the Japanese inflicted upon other people in their Imperialist wars. So I was really excited to see this film brought to such a small market as Binghamton, NY. And I was not disappointed.

The acting by Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman was above par. I have seen quite a few of each of their pictures. An Ordinary Man by Firth was a very good performance as was Dogville and Australia by Kidman. Both are actors of acclaim. They both should be commended for doing high quality work for what must be below average payments for their efforts.

The film centers around Firth's character's experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. I had previously read about these camps in a biography of the American General McCarthur's expereince in the Phillipines. His famous statement "I shall return" rings in my ears everytime I think of the Japanese advance in the Pacific. Anyway this was a further elaboration on the experience of the mistreatment that so many people endured at the hands of the Japanese. The Japanese brought about the end of Western Imperialism in Asia. They wiped out all of the British holding, only some of which were restored. Anyway, I digress, back to the film.

Firth's character goes through severe difficulties about his war time experience. He learns that the man who tortured him for building, of all things, a radio, is still free and has never been brought to justice for his misdeeds. So, Firth's character goes to Asia to confront him. These are the most tense scenes of the film. What will Firth's character do? In the end they become friends.

I think this film shows how memory can prey on one's conscience for years after it is over. The plague of post-traumatic stress disorder has affected many people involved in wars and I think this film is a testiment to their experiences. Any experience of hardship creates memories which we would part with, but, for some reason, just willn't go away. This film speaks of those memories for anyone who has served in a military campaign and couldn't come to terms with that experience.

I have a cousin who, he will probably be upset for mentioning him in my blog, served in Vietnam and, to this day, refuses to talk about his experiences there. I guess he could find some solace or comfort in this film. A good film.