The 7th Dawn (1964)

Political and personal intrigues surround a group of characters in Malaya, after the close of the Second World War.

Director:

Lewis Gilbert

Writers:

Michael Keon (novel), Karl Tunberg (screenplay)

Stars:

William Holden, Susannah York, Capucine

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Cast overview:
William Holden	...	Major Ferris
Susannah York	...	Candace Trumpey
Capucine	...	Dhana Mercier
Tetsurô Tanba	...	Ng (as Tetsuro Tamba)
Michael Goodliffe	...	Trumphey
Allan Cuthbertson	...	Cavendish
Sydney Tafler	...	Tom, Chief Petty Officer
Maurice Denham	...	Tarlton
Beulah Quo	...	Ah Ming

Storyline

Political and personal intrigues surround a group of characters in Malaya, after the close of the Second World War.

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Plot Keywords:

malaya | explosion | mp 40 machine gun | combat | machine gun nest | 

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Taglines:

A STRANGE LAND SLEEPS LIKE A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN - SO STILL...SO MYSTERIOUS...SO UNTOUCHED- UNTIL THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN AWAKENS THE PASSIONS OF MEN AND THE FURIES OF WAR!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 1964 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

7:e gryningen

Filming Locations:

Malaysia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Holdean

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The British High Commissioner of Malaya in 1953 (when the film was set) was General (later Field Marshall) Sir Gerald Templer. The character of Trumphey more closely resembles the next British High Commissioner of Malaya Sir Donald Charles MacGillivray.

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Goofs

At the start of the movie, during the Japanese surrender, Ferris tells Trumphey that the British are five years too late implying that the MPAJA insurgents have been fighting the Japanese alone for that time. Since the war in Asia started in December of 1941 and ended in 1945, Ferris' statement is off by one and a half years.

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Quotes

Major Ferris: Wait a minute. Fasten that bra a little. We don't want that to come loose in case somebody blows your head off on the way home.

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Soundtracks

"The Seventh Dawn"
Music by Riz Ortolani
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

User Reviews

Sophiscated themes within the war genre

When the old KCOP Channel 13 in Los Angeles showed matinées (afterschool for me then), I saw this engrossing movie. Who could resist the lushness of the Malay jungle juxtaposed with the British Governor's pristine lawns? Not to mention the fascinating interweaving of the old love triangle amongst Ferris, Dhana, and Ng with an anti-colonial rebellion? I may have been a precocious child, but these things were clear to me amidst the Vietnam War. It's good to see others who recall this movie for what it remains--a trenchant comment on nationalist insurgents fighting their imperialist overlords. The irony is that, despite the purity of their intentions, the guerrillas destroy what they fight for: control of their own destiny. One might read the lovely Dhana as the fragile Malayan countryside laid waste in the ensuing skirmishes. True enough that the British colonial government executes Dhana. Yet both Ferris and Ng lose their dreams as well: Ferris leaves Malaya without Dhana (or even Candace), and Ng is dead.

When I found the LP recording of the beautiful Riz Ortolani score about 20 years ago, I snatched it up. I won't expect a CD version, but Ortolani deserves to be lauded for music that supports the storyline. We may well remember "More" from Mondo Cane, but the haunting theme from The 7th Dawn can hold its own.

Now, if only one could include this movie in a grouping of films with the broad theme of protesting war (Live for Life, Year of Living Dangerously, Torn Apart, Indochine)and show them to politicians....