Yesterday's Enemy (1959)

In World War II, during the Japanese invasion of Burma, the lost remnant of a British Army Brigade HQ, led by the ruthless Captain Alan Langford, escapes through the jungle toward the British lines.

Director:

Val Guest

Writer:

Peter R. Newman

Stars:

Stanley Baker, Guy Rolfe, Leo McKern

Nominated for 4 BAFTA Film Awards.

Cast

Cast overview:
Stanley Baker	...	Captain Langford
Guy Rolfe	...	Padre
Leo McKern	...	Max
Gordon Jackson	...	Sgt. McKenzie
David Oxley	...	Doctor
Richard Pasco	...	2nd Lt. Hastings
Philip Ahn	...	Yamazaki
Bryan Forbes	...	Dawson
Wolfe Morris	...	Informer (as Wolf Morris)
David Lodge	...	Perkins
Percy Herbert	...	Wilson
Russell Waters	...	Brigadier
Barry Lowe	...	Turner
Burt Kwouk	...	Japanese Soldier

Storyline

Cut off by the Japanese advance into Burma, Captain Langford (Stanley Baker) and his exhausted British troops take over an enemy-held jungle village. Despite the protests of an elderly padre ('Guy Rolfe (I)') and of war correspondent Max Anderson (Leo McKern), Langford orders Sergeant McKenzie (Gordon Jackson) to shoot two innocent villagers, thereby "persuading" a Japanese informer to surrender vital information. When the Japanese recapture the village, their commander uses Langford's own desperate war-born tactics in a similar effort to extract information from the British.

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Plot Keywords:

ethics | morals | ethics of war | major | machine gun | 

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Taglines:

The Most Outspoken Film of Our Time!

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gordon Jackson (Sgt. McKenzie) and Burt Kwouk (Japanese Soldier) reprised their role from the original television version Yesterday's Enemy (1958).

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Goofs

Set in Burma but the soundtrack of birds in the jungle includes the Kookaburra which is native to Australia and only found in Australia.

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Quotes

Captain Langford: He knew there's only one way to fight a war, any war. With your gloves off.

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Crazy Credits

There is no 'The End' at the end of the film. The camera merely pans away from a memorial which reads 'WHEN YOU GO HOME TELL THEM OF US AND SAY- FOR THEIR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY'; and silence, but with just birds singing.

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Connections

Referenced in Looking for Peter (2012)

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Soundtracks

Burma March
(uncredited)
Composed by Franz Reizenstein

User Reviews

A great find

Obviously, TCM's recent showing of this film was an eye-opening experience for many people, as it was for me. The other reviews (with the exception of the one with the historical ax to grind, completely unsubstantiated by the film) express all my own reasons for appreciating the film. The excitement I want to share is this: After 63 years of movie-watching, chancing on a film entirely unknown to me... one that I have never even seen included in anyone's list of "Great War Movies"... that is so well-produced, -acted and -directed... just so damn GOOD. And to have that incredible feeling of DISCOVERY... another prize addition to my "collection" of film-going experiences.

And it was gratifying to see Phillip Ahn, so familiar from the 40's, play a key role so effectively.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Burmese Japanese

Release Date:

11 July 1959 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Yesterday's Enemy

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1