BLOOD OATH (PRISONERS OF THE SUN)

Australia, 1990, 108 minutes, Colour.
Bryan Brown, George Takei, Terry O' Quinn, John Clarke, John Poulsen, Deborah Unger, Russell Crowe.
Directed by Stephen Wallace.

Blood Oath was nominated for nine Australian Film Institute Awards, including best film. It is a sobering look at the end of World War II in the Pacific, particularly Ambon, the Indonesian island where there was a large Japanese prisoner of war camp for Australians. Blood Oath dramatises investigations into war crimes and subsequent trials. (The exploration of war crimes in Europe was also current in the late '80s with Costa Gavras' The Music Box with Jessica Lange, and the Australian film, Father, with Max von Sydow.)

The atmosphere of police and period is strong. The intense anger and hostility and the need for justice are prominent. The complexities of US policy for using Japanese officers in post-war reconstruction ask the audience to assess the role of trials, cover-ups and the human feelings for justice.

The film was directed by Stephen Wallace (Stir, For Love Alone, The Boy Who Had Everything, Mail Order Bride). Bryan Brown is strong and credible as the prosecutor and leads an effective cast of Australians, Japanese and Americans.

A sombre and thoughtful film, very well made, significant for Australian audiences.

1.Impact of the film in the '90s? Topical? Memories of World War II? Heritage? Australian- Japanese- US relationships?

2.The title, the focus on loyalties and codes, commitment?

3.The re-creation of the island of Ambon, the tropics, the village, the military headquarters, the prisoner of war camp, the jungle? The '40s?

4.The photography and style, moods, the courtroom, the tropics, the period? Musical score?

5.The initial information, the reality, the facts, fictionalising the facts?

6.The presentation of Ambon, its place in military history, the war? Indonesians, Australians, Japanese? The war years? The prison?

7.Bryan Brown as Robert Cooper? His commission, his relationships with his staff, his personal assistant, the clashes with Roberts, the frustrations? The clash with Beckett and his American perspective and Japanese reconstruction? The lack of witnesses, the sick men? His attitude towards the accused Japanese? His final outburst of anger, especially in the fight with Ikuchi? The move from anger, revenge and justice to some companion and mercy? His responsibility to the military, to the Australian public?

8.The opening with the digging up of the graves, the emotional response, the military reaction? The Australian officials? Cooper watching? The rage? The effect on the Japanese diggers?

9.The Japanese prisoners, guarded, in prison, the digging, the loyalty to the emperor? The code and the loyalty to Captain Ikuchi? The treatment of the prisoners, their presence in the court, the tracking shots showing their reactions during the trial? Their meals, the wrestling matches? Audience attitude towards the accused?

10.Baron Takahashi: his arrival, his reputation on the island, vice-admiral, connections with Japan? His arriving with Beckett? The American reconstruction, Macarthur's idea of using the officials and the military? No witnesses to his behaviour, his lies to the court? The reality of his orders and his cruelty? Japanese codes, the loyalty of his officers? His being acquitted, leaving? Justice not being done?

11.The portrait of Cooper: background, the effect of the commission and the trials? His behaviour and manner? Australian style, direct? The clashes with Beckett? The frustration with Roberts? With the Japanese lawyer, discussions, interviewing of witnesses and the accused? The interrogation of Ikuchi and his frustration? Takahashi? His relationship with the judge? Going to interview Fenton in hospital and being ordered out? The nurse helping him? The information, the photos? Fenton willing to testify? Listening to Fenton's story, getting a case against the Japanese? His physical attack on Ikuchi? The nurse asking was he no better than the Japanese? The digging up of the airmen? His case, the prosecution in court, the interrogation of the witnesses, his relationship with the Japanese lawyer?

12.The impact of the flashbacks: Jimmy Fenton and the beatings, the cruelty? Ikuchi and his cruelty? The airmen and their being on reconnaissance, their being tortured? Jimmy and the contact with Eddie? Watching the execution? His exhaustion, the hospital anguish, testimony in court, Roberts not wanting him to testify? The news that he died after the testimony?

13.Ikuchi and his presence in the camp, control of his men, lies to the court? The pressure on Tanaka? His spurning of the Christian? The revelation of the truth - and the digging up of the bodies? The committing of hara-kiri?

14.The portrait of Tanaka: giving himself up, the signals man? The significance of his being a Christian, his code, his prayer and compassion, his telling the truth, the interrogation and Cooper's hostility, his own lawyer? The pressure in the camp of the fellow prisoners? Ikuchi tearing off his cross and threatening him? His plea to Takahashi for civilised behaviour? The emergence of the truth? The testimony of the officer whom Beckett brought to the court, the officer trying to conceal the case but being unmasked? No signal sent to Tokyo, no written orders, the honour of executing the airmen? Tanaka not questioning the orders? His execution of Fenton? His speech in the court, his dignity, the condemnation, his bowing, the letter to his wife, the rosary beads in his hand, the assistance of the priest, his honourable death? (Expedient for one man to die for the sake of all?)

15.The officers on the tribunal, the administration of the trial, the handling of objections, justice being done, the sentence without mercy?

16.The presence of Mike Sheedy from the Sydney Morning Herald, the civilian, his ironic remarks, observations on people, on the trial, giving the news to Cooper of Fenton's death?

17.The solders, the officers, their reactions? The anger at the digging up of the corpses? The private soldier - the contact with Tanaka, the execution squad?

18.Beckett, the American perspective, politics, concealing evidence, cover-ups? Beckett brought to the stand and forced to explain himself? Confidential information? The film's criticism of the role of the Americans?

19.The audience response to the visualising of the digging up of the graves, the flashbacks to the treatment and torture of the Australian prisoners, the beatings, the humiliation, starvation? The horror of the execution glimpsed?

20.Themes of justice, the need for retribution? Executions? What had Cooper achieved? His plea for mercy for Tanaka? The appeasing of Australian public opinion?