"The Railway Man" is an emotionally draining, memorable movie

The emotional impact of watching the new movie, The Railway Man will stay with you for some time. It's not an easy film to watch but it will leave you with a new appreciation of the power of  the human spirit. Based on the true story of British officer Eric Lomax, it tells the story of his capture by the Japanese in Singapore during World War II and sent to a POW camp, where he and fellow soldiers are forced to work on the Thai-Burma Railway. Years later,  still suffering psychological trauma, he finds out that the Japanese officer who tortured him is alive.

Colin Firth Nicole Kidman meet and fall in love in The Railway Man

There's stunning cinematography and artful direction by Australian writer/director, Johnathan Teplitzky. Most important however are the exceptional performances that hold the somewhat choppy screenplay together. The Railway Man could have easily been a three hour movie, but in cutting it down to a comfortable 116 minutes, we are often left wishing we knew more about cause and effect. However, Colin Firth as the traumatized older Lomax and Nicole Kidman as his patient, determined wife give outstanding performances. Also,  holding their own with this exceptional company, are Jeremy Irvine, the younger Lomax who undergoes the brutal torture in the prisoner of war camp and Hiroyuki Sanada as the older Japanese officer who carried out the beatings. Sanada is a well known Japanese film star who has also appeared with Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company. They all help to make this a memorable movie.

Your Eric Lomax had always been fascinated by trains. He studied their history and their schedules. He drew maps. And, it's during a rail ride that he encounters Patti (Nicole Kidman in one of  her finest performances). She casually mentions she doesn't care for men with mustaches, and what do you know - the next time we see Firth, he's clean shaven and they're married. The seemingly blissful union is soon shattered when Eric begins to exhibit violent reactions and hallucinations of  his prisoner of war years, but won't talk about them. Patti tries to enlist the help of some of his wartime buddies, but they exhibit a code of silence, until one day a newspaper clipping is discovered that shows the Thai prison where Eric was held to be a tourist destination and the guide is the Japanese officer that tortured Eric. Lomax decides to seek revenge.

British soldiers tend to a fellow prisoner beaten by their captors

If  you watched 12 Years a Slave, be prepared for similar scenes that are difficult to sit through, but necessary to explain how deep these memories can be embedded in the mind. If you ever wondered why all the fuss about "water boarding" you'll find out. It's nothing new. Man can be pretty cruel.

The Railway Man is a film about discovery, redemption, survival and forgiveness. It's not a perfect  movie, but its well worth seeing.

Time: 116 minutes

Rating:  "R" for disturbing prisoner of war violence

 

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Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2014/04/20/the-railway-man-is-an-emotionally-draining-memorable-movie/