Set in Burma during World War II, this curiously titled film follows the experiences of a Canadian bomber pilot with severe emotional and psychological issues. The film opens on a strong note with a violent air raid that turns out to be just a nightmarish delusion, and the film employs sound (especially accentuated audio as the protagonist tries to sleep) very well early on. Gregory Peck's lead performance is the film's best asset though; excessively sweating and visibly distressed throughout the whole first hour, Peck offers an excellent human anchor into this tale of overcoming wartime trauma. The second half of the movie is not quite as strong with Peck settling a down a bit too much and too easily after falling in love with a young local woman. Almost the entire second half of the movie also involves Peck finding safe passage from behind enemy lines after a plane crash, which is not quite as engaging to view with Peck's psychology forced to take a backseat to his quest to survive. Never to mind, the film still ends on a strong note and Peck has several good moments towards the end interacting and arguing with co-stars Maurice Denham and Lyndon Brook, who crashed with him. The film does a solid job dispersing flashbacks to Peck's past throughout too as we gradually learn just why he is so mentally scarred. As for the significance of the title though, it is anybody's guess.
Review of The Purple Plain
