YESTERDAY'S ENEMY

UK, 1959, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Stanley Baker, Guy Rolfe, Leo Mc Kern, Philip Ahn, Gordon Jackson, David Oxley, Richard Pasco, Russell Waters, Bryan Forbes, David Lodge, Percy Herbert.
Directed by Val Guest.

Yesterday's Enemy is a war film based on a play by Pttet R. Newman. His screenplay keeps the elements of the play and the film re-creates the jungles of Burma on the sound stages. Nevertheless, the issues of war, conscience, crime, heroism and patriotism are so strong that they overcome the limitations of the stage-bound setting.

Filmed in black and white but with wide screen techniques, the film focuses on a group in the Burmese jungle, a village, the attack of a Japanese group. There are questions of espionage, saving the men, executions and hostages. The padre (Guy Rolfe) and a journalist (Leo Mc Kern) serve as side observers on, the military behaviour. Stanley Baker is strong as the leader of the group and Gordon Jackson is effective as the sergeant. There is a grim ending - and a comment on war and its memories. Direction is by Val Guest, director of a wide range of British films in the '40s and '50s.

1. Another war story of the 1950s? Burma? British soldiers against the Japanese? The impact of the film? its strong points?

2. Black and white photography, the sound stages and their use, the widescreen techniques? The atmosphere of authenticity of the Burmese jungles and villages?

3. The title and the quotations about war, enemies, death, forgiveness?

4. The focus on the group, wading through the river, cut-off and surviving, radios?

5. Their arrival in the village? The clash with the Japanese? Settling themselves? The spy and the interrogations, the torture, the taking of hostages? the radio not working? Needing to leave the village, the group to stay? Knowledge of the dangers? The Japanese attack, interrogations, executions? The irony of the final radio message coming after the deaths?

6. The commander and his strength, leading the group, decisions? The tactics for entering the village? The confrontation with the traitor, the decisions about hostages ? the torments about war crimes? responsibility? The reaction of the villagers and the girl? The decision to move out? His assistant's reaction - fear? The comments on the journalist staying? Leading the group, deaths? The capture? The interrogation by the Japanese officer? His final dilemma, provoking the attack? his death? The Japanese commander saying he would have done the same thing?

7. Responsibilities of leadership in war, conscience? The sergeant, his loyalty to the commander, with the men, the execution of the traitor? the orders of the commander? Leading the group out? The padre and his strong presence, moral comment, the praise of the sergeant? His stance against the execution? His decision to stay, to take up arms?

8. The journalist and his theories? Accompanying the men, experiencing all, the stance about the hostages? His decision to stay? the supporting officer and his being executed?

9. The second in charge, his fears, hopes for the future of his life, not wanting to die in the jungle, the mock execution, his standing firm? his death?

10. The range of men in the group, those looking after the radio, the accident with the radio? The man who sent the hand grenade into the Japanese group and was killed? The fear of the radio man in the execution line-up? The range of ordinary British soldiers doing their duty and dying?

11. The Japanese, their tactics and skills? The commander and his, civilising attitudes? Interrogation of the commander? The ultimatum and the executions? His admiration of the commander's death and saying he would do the same himself? Yet executing the men? the atmosphere of war?

12. The themes of war - in microcosm: hostility, rights and, duties?