Let's get the one bit of bad news out of the way first -- while there are not a lot of special effects in this film, the special effects of air warfare at the beginning of the film are about the worst I've ever seen...and it has nothing to do with it being only 1954. Just plain cheap.
Okay, beyond that there is little to criticize. Well, maybe the ending wrapped things up just a little too quickly, but that is not uncommon in many films.
The good news is that much of the film was filmed on location...well...not really. Sri Lanka is not Burma. But then again, "The Bridge On The River Kwai", which was supposed to be Thailand, was also filmed in Sri Lanka. I was a bit surprised by the arid nature of much of the film's on location filming (I at least lived in Thailand for a while), but sure enough, there are parts of Burma that can be that arid for parts of the year.
The story -- which takes place in World War II Burma -- is a good, and very realistic. It is British story, not American.
Gregory Peck's acting here is superb. Wasn't it always? Really, his depth as a man with troubling memories who had allowed those issues to cloud his character is remarkable. I would go so far as to say that this is one of his finer roles, although I was unaware of it until recently.
Win Min Than is interesting as the love interest. It's worthwhile looking up her bio on IMDb or elsewhere. She is actually Burmese.
Maurice Denham, Lyndon Brook, and Bernard De Banzie are very good as British officers. Brenda De Banzie, whom I remembered from "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is interesting.
Highly recommended for Gregory Peck's acting ability.
Okay, beyond that there is little to criticize. Well, maybe the ending wrapped things up just a little too quickly, but that is not uncommon in many films.
The good news is that much of the film was filmed on location...well...not really. Sri Lanka is not Burma. But then again, "The Bridge On The River Kwai", which was supposed to be Thailand, was also filmed in Sri Lanka. I was a bit surprised by the arid nature of much of the film's on location filming (I at least lived in Thailand for a while), but sure enough, there are parts of Burma that can be that arid for parts of the year.
The story -- which takes place in World War II Burma -- is a good, and very realistic. It is British story, not American.
Gregory Peck's acting here is superb. Wasn't it always? Really, his depth as a man with troubling memories who had allowed those issues to cloud his character is remarkable. I would go so far as to say that this is one of his finer roles, although I was unaware of it until recently.
Win Min Than is interesting as the love interest. It's worthwhile looking up her bio on IMDb or elsewhere. She is actually Burmese.
Maurice Denham, Lyndon Brook, and Bernard De Banzie are very good as British officers. Brenda De Banzie, whom I remembered from "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is interesting.
Highly recommended for Gregory Peck's acting ability.