To End All Wars (2001)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

David L. Cunningham

Writers:

Brian Godawa (screenplay)
Ernest Gordon (book)

Genre:

Drama | War | Action

Tagline:

In a jungle war of survival, they learned sacrifice. In a prison of brutal confinement, they found true freedom.

Plot:

A true story about four Allied POW's who endure harsh treatment from their Japanese captors during World...

Plot Keywords:

Jungle | Corporal Punishment | Heavy Rain | Cigarette Smoking | Severed Leg

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Ciarán McMenamin	...	Capt. Ernest 'Ernie' Gordon
Robert Carlyle	...	Maj. Ian Campbell
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Lt. Jim 'Yankee' Reardon
Mark Strong	...	Dusty Miller
Yugo Saso	...	Takashi Nagase
Sakae Kimura	...	Sgt. Ito
James Cosmo	...	Lt. Col. Stuart McLean
Masayuki Yui	...	Capt. Noguchi
John Gregg	...	Camp Doctor Coates
Shu Nakajima	...	Nagatomo
Greg Ellis	...	Sgt. Roger Primrose
Pip Torrens	...	Lt. Foxworth
James McCarthy	...	Norman
Brendan Cowell	...	Wallace Hamilton
Winton Nicholson	...	Duncan

MPAA:

Rated R for war violence and brutality, and for some language.

Runtime:

125 min | USA:117 min | Germany:110 min (TV version) | UK:110 min (TV version)

Country:

USA | Thailand | UK

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Kaua`i, Hawaii, USA

Company:

Argyll Film Partners

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Yank tries to persuade Ernie they should escape the camp, he tells him he is not kamikaze (suicidal). That moment in the movie is set in the beginning of 1942, but the first kamikaze (suicidal pilots) actually appear in 1944.

Quotes:

Lt. Jim Reardon: Colonel, I've been watching these Nips. There's never more than a handful of 'em guarding the perimeter at any given time. And they're not watching very closely. It just doesn't make sense to me unless...
McLean: Unless what?
Dr. Coates: Well, unless every prisoner's been caught or died in a thousand miles of hostile jungle. Unless the local villagers are willing to turn in a POW for a bowl of rice. Unless - escape is impossible.

Soundtrack:

FIND THE PLACE

powerful story

In a Japanese POW camp, a Scottish band of soldiers learns about a very different culture - the hard way. They also learn from the more refined and educated among them the meaning of serving each other and their enemies, to the point of self-sacrifice.

The film begins rather slowly (and overly-sentimental) but becomes an incredible story with great acting and characters, powerful philosophy and imagery. Many gripping moments of self-realization, facing reality and appreciation for life and death. The depth of relationships, self-sacrifice and lessons learned leaves the audience with a lot to process. Overall, very inspiring and well-made.