The Place of the Dead (1997) (TV)

Director:

Suri Krishnamma

Writer:

Jeff Pope (writer)

Release Date:

18 January 1997 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A group of soldiers on a British Army expedition attempt to navigate an unexplored Malaysian gully. So inaccessible is the area...

Plot Keywords:

Expedition | Mountain | Husband Wife Relationship | Cave | Inquiry

Cast

Greg Wise	...	Corporal Hugh Brittan
Simon Dutton	...	Lt Colonel Robert Neill
Dougray Scott	...	Lance Corporal Richard Mayfield
John McArdle	...	Major Ron Foster
Ralph Brown	...	Sgt Bob Mann
David Nellist	...	Lance Corporal Steve Page
Phil McKee	...	Lance Corporal Peter Shearer
Craig Shai Hee	...	Lance Corporal Yiu Keung 'Kevin' Cheung
Augustine Lau	...	Private Wai Keung
Raymond Ong	...	Private Lam Wai Kee
Timothy West	...	Chairman of the Inquiry
Anna Bolt	...	Kathryn
John Alansu	...	Park Ranger
Sue Collie	...	Kathryn's Mother
Dane Carson	...	Major Carlsen

Runtime:

100 min | USA:95 min (edited version)

Country:

UK | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-PG (edited version)

Filming Locations:

Mount Kinabalu National Park, Borneo, Malaysia

Company:

London Weekend Television (LWT)

Quotes:

[first lines]
Chairman of the Inquiry: [bangs gavel] Bring them in, Private.
Private: Sir!
[soldiers enter]
Chairman of the Inquiry: Thank you gentlemen. I think we can now begin.
[Neill approaches]
Chairman of the Inquiry: Pick up the Bible and read aloud the oath.
LCpl. Robert Neill: I swear that the evidence I shall give before this court will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Return to the Place of the Dead (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

A Room Full Of Nothing

Mountain Climb Gone Bad

The Place Of The Dead is based on a true story about a group of British soldiers along with three Hong Kong soldiers who in 1994 go on an expedition to attempt to climb Mt. Kinabalu in S.E. Asia and then go Low's Gully in Malaysia, a place where others have tried and failed.

Everything was planned, rations doubled up, and off they go. Lt. Colonel Robert Neill(played wonderfully by Simon Dutton) wants everyone call each other by their first names, he wants to make it a more "casual" environment and treat each other like buddies.

Things go wrong, food is running out, miscommunication,insubordination, some of the men are beginning to think Neill is crazy and obsessed with the expedition.

Neill and Mayfield(a great portrayal by Dougray Scott)lock horns. They decide to split into two groups and Neill tells Mayfield to wait for him no matter what. Mayfield said he'll wait until morning. That's not what Neill told him.

When the groups split up, Mayfield's men wait for Neill's team for a while. He did not listen to his superior's orders. He leaves a note and continues on with his men. When Neill's team finally climbs down, they find the note and know they are one their own, one of Neill's men is very weak and on the verge of death.

Great acting by Simon Dutton, Dougray Scott, Dane Carson, and Greg Wise.