KING RAT
UK, 1965, 138 minutes, Black and white.
George Segal, Tom Courtenay, James Fox, John Mills, Patrick O’ Neal, Denholm Elliot, James Donald, Gerald Sim, John Standing, Alan Webb.
Directed by Bryan Forbes.
King Rat is another of Bryan Forbes' major writing and directing successes. Throughout the 60's he had many film achievements to his credit including Whistle Down the Wind, The L- Shaped Room, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, The Wrong Box, and The Whisperers. Here he uses as basis a novel by James Clavell (who directed To Sir With Love and The Last Valley) and an entire male cast to show the unreal, suffering world of the prisoner-of-war camp.
The scene is Changi, where environment alone stopped men from escaping. Deprived and thrown together, they form a miniature world of people who survive, who mainly exist. Cunning, concealment of the truth and exploitation of the 'suckers' is part of this world and the film bleakly shows that the world inside the camp is much like that outside except that different exploiters use the opportunities to make the grade.
The film is particularly sombre, almost unrelenting in its picture of camp survival with its touches of madness, cruelty and hatred.
Forbes gets good performances from the actors. George Segal stands well with the English cast. (He was later to show his talent in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, No Way to Treat a Lady, Bye, Bye, Braverman and The Owl and the Pussycat). Tom Courtney takes a familiar role and gives it an intensity of hatred. James Fox (The Servant, The Chase) also has an opportunity to act well. Patrick O'Neal does well in an uncharacteristic role.
As a human document of the ugly side of humanity, King Rat should be seen. (It could be compared with The Bridge on the River Kwai, King and Country and The Hill).
1. Although the foreword states that this is a piece of fiction, how near the truth of people and the way they interact do you think it is?
2. What did the scenes behind the credits convey to you without a word being spoken - the life at Changi, the sufferings and King's position in the camp?
3. Did you share Gray's dislike of King at the opening of the film? Why? Was Gray right in his attitude towards King?
4. How do you explain King? Is he typical of men - an opportunist? What was he like before he went to war (watching the rich go to restaurants, never seeing a play, Buster Crabbe, Edward G. Robinson etc.)? How did he get ascendency over the others? (The cooking of the egg for Marlowe was typical.) How did he keep it? Who liked him?
5. Many of the characters were images of men in the wider world. Garment on the role some of them played in the film and how they were mirrors of human behaviour:
Gray - the little man, over-conscientious, longing for love (prayer that his girl would remain true to him), officious, duty and letter-of-the-law, his hatred, cruelty, his justice without mercy:
Larkin - friendly, had been dying, the eating of the dog, the final news of his family's deaths, his punishment (and the death) of Gerbels;
Max - higher ranking than King, why did he serve him, why was he so obsequious (King talks about letting his dog off the leash)? Disturbing on King at the end, his breakdown;
Major Brand - old, broken, in the pay of King;
The rations' organisers - officious with others (e.g. the searching of the hut for the radio, trying to offer rations to Gray) their humiliation by Gray (did they deserve it?), eating the rats;
The Chief Officer - his calm attitude to the search for the radio and his comments on Geneva Convention justice, his taking of responsibility for the radio, his judgment on the weights' question and the promotion of Gray (was this the best thing to be done in the circumstances?);
The Doctor - quiet, matter-of-fact, compassionate, concerned for the sick, despising King (yet getting the cigarettes from him);
Vexley - and his zoology lectures;
The soldiers who went insane - with the dog (and his family notions), with the chickens. The episode of the dog killing the chicken. The soldier with the radio - scared.
6. What kind of man was Marlowe? Typically English - upright, easily offended, conscious of what King was like, yet helping him? Why did he value King's friendship? Was it at all selfish?
7. Should King or any of the soldiers have been carrying on trading watches, diamonds, meat? Was there anything wrong with it?
8. What did you think of the whole rat project? Did you approve? Why? What was the point of trading them with the officers? (What was the point of the scene of the eating of the dog - King's cunning, Marlowe's English feelings, hunger and enjoyment of food?)
9. Why did Marlowe's arm bring some good out of King? Was he merely selfish about the diamond deal or did he care?
10. Did you get to understand King? Did you ever came to like him? Did you like Marlowe? Did you like Gray? Why?
11. Why did the introduction to the film say the film was about existence? Why was its theme survival?
12. Why was there such stunned reaction when the paratrooper arrived? (Marlowe said it was too real.)
13. How did the paratrooper (who was real) begin the process of King's reduction to size?
14. Why couldn't King keep up his friendship with Marlowe?
15. Why did Marlowe want to keep his friendship with King?
16. Why did Gray hate Marlowe - enjoying King's being cut down to size, taunting him with the new Labour Government? What was the truth in Marlowe's answer about King's keeping Gray alive through hatred?
17. Was this film too depressing?
18. Do you think this film gave you insights into our evil human condition? Did it offer any strands of hope?
