THE RAILWAY MAN

Australia/UK, 2013, 116 minutes, Colour.
Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Irvine, Stellan Skarsgaard.
Directed by Jonathan Teplitsky.

The railway man

A film that can be recommended – with the caution that it has many harrowing moments.

The advertising for the film seems to indicate that this is a film about the Thai- Burma railway during World War II. It is, but it is much more than that. The main action takes place during the 1980s.

The film opens with a group of ageing former soldiers sitting in a veterans club in a Scottish town by the sea. One of the characters is Eric Lomax, a veteran of the Thai-Burma? railway. But, he is also a railway man in the present, a love for trains, a seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge of the intricacies of British rail, stations, times, timetables, possibilities for connections. He suddenly rushes out of the club telling the other men that he has a puzzle to solve.

There is a flashback to one of his trips, his missing a connection but working out another, explaining this to the rather quiet and bemused woman who is sitting opposite him in the train. They begin a conversation, he giving information of the history of the town about which she is talking. There is something of an attraction but he has to hurry from the train for his connection. He realises later that he is drawn to her and calculates that he would be able to meet the train she had told him about at Edinburgh station. There is an attraction, love, and a wedding.

In the early months of their wedding, Eric has a nightmare, his adult self back in the prison camp, being hustled into the black hole. He wakes screaming which terrifies his wife, Patti. But he cannot communicate anything of his war experiences to her.

The screenplay, based on the Eric Lomax’s book about his experiences, introduces one of his friends from the camp, Finlay, who is able to take her through his version and memories of the experiences. This begins a series of flashbacks to Eric during the fall of Singapore, the Japanese round-up, the cramming of prisoners on the trains, arrival at the site of the building of the railway as well as many scenes in the camp, the brutal work in the heat, the humiliation of the officers, the beatings. Eric is able to build a radio from scavenged parts which give some contact to the outside world for the prisoners. But this is short lived.

Eric has developed a hatred of the Japanese, a brooding hatred which he shares with Finlay. And the question is raised: can Eric goes through life with the bitterness and the hatred?

The latter part of the film deals with Eric and his emotional dilemmas in the 1980s, including a visit to the site of the camp and an encounter with the translator in the camp. Since the story of Eric Lomax and his book have been quite widely publicised, it is not revealing too much to say that the theme of the latter part of the film is a purging of hatred and a movement towards reconciliation. ‘The hatred must stop.’

The film has been written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, writer for many films of Michael Winterbottom and of the Catholic-themed story of a little boy and his visions of saints, Millions. It has been directed in classic style by Australian, Jonathan Teplitsky (Burning Man). Colin Firth has proven himself a strong and substantial actor over the years and his interpretation of Eric Lomax offers one of his best performances, both direct and subtle. Nicole Kidman plays his wife, unglamorous but with charm and empathy. Stellan Starsgaard is Finlay. And Hiroyuki Sanada has some very strong and moving moments as the translator, Nagase.

Because the Thai- Burma railway played a significant role in Australian involvement in World War II, the film is of particular interest. But, its theme of cruelty and torture, its theme of bitterness and feelings of vengeance, its theme of asking when hatred must stop and reconciliation be fostered, make it a very moving and significant film.

1. The film based on a true story? Stories of war in Asia? The prison camps? Thailand? The railway and the river Kwai?

2. The issue of coming to terms with wall, with hostility, with cruelty and torture? The destruction of lives? The tormented memories and nightmares?

3. The quote: Man’s inhumanity to man transformed into Man’s humanity to man? The hate must stop?

4. The 1980s, United Kingdom, the Scottish coast, the transitions to Singapore, to Thailand? The 1940s? The intercutting of these worlds in the narrative of the 1980s?

5. The introduction to Eric, at the veterans’ club, the old soldiers sitting, talking, remembering and trying not to remember? His love of trains, his knowledge of all the stations and lines, connections? Announcing that he had a problem to solve?

6. His travelling, knowing everything about the trains, in the carriage with Patti, the ticket collector and the explanation of connections, his having maps, timetables, she explaining her situation to him, giving him maps? His knowledge of the towns and their histories? Discussions, but the bond between the two? Her personality, quietly graceful, vivacity? His leaving?

7. Back at the club, solving the puzzle, downing everything, realising what he should do, using his knowledge, going to Edinburgh, at the station, meeting Patti, her partly being surprised, their love, the details of the wedding, the procession, the veterans and their salute?

8. The picture of Eric and Patti an ordinary life, at home, friends, the soldiers?

9. The introduction to Eric’s dreams, his 1980s-self back in the past, being interned in the hole? The Japanese interpreter? His writhing on the floor? Talk, hostile to Patti, her not knowing what to do, wanting to help, quiet desperation?

10. The introduction of the flashbacks, the fall of Singapore, the group of British soldiers, signals, engineers, the surrender, they’re destroying their machinery, their being rounded up, lined up and the joking with 1 to 10+, Jack, Queen, King, Ace? The Japanese and their reaction, brutality, ashamed that the men did not have the valour to commit suicide? Herded onto the trains, the locals offering water and their being pushed away, the guards hitting the hands reaching out? the arrival, the cutting, the hard labour, the cruelty of the overseers, the reference to hard work up the line? The nature of the work, the heat, the British officer and his emotional collapse, being beaten?

11. The small-group, Eric, Finlay, Thompson and the others, the skills for means of getting the various bits of equipment, Eric constructing the radio, listening to the BBC, the delight of listening to the music, getting the information, passing it on?

12. Their being taken, lined up, the man chosen and brutally beaten, Eric volunteering and his being beaten?

13. Finlay, his own experience of the war, silently coping, meeting with Patti, his being very careful, explaining Eric’s reluctance, his telling the story, his own memories of admiring Eric, the mystery of what happened in the black hole? His showing Eric the photo of the interpreter and his work at the Museum at the river Kwai? Urging revenge? His packing, going on the trip, hanging himself from the railway bridge?

14. Eric and his suspicions of Patti and Finlay, his walking on the beach, keeping to himself, looking at his packed case on the empty bed?

15. Reaction to the article, his motivation, Finlay and his urging, his decision to go?

16. Eric packing, going, arriving in Thailand, wandering around, going to the museum, the site of the camp, the reconstruction in the grounds, especially of the cages? His memory of people in the cages, of himself? His watching the guide, listening? The interpreter, his role, meeting people and tourists, going to the building? After the tour, Eric confronting him, his interrogating Nagase, memories of the reversed roles? Hs being questioned, resisting, Nagase indicating to the captain that Eric would not reveal the information? Nagase recognising Eric, saying that he was waiting for the day? The conversation, the interpretations of the past, Eric and his bluntness, making Nagase say crime and murder? Eric’s desperation? The memories of the black hole, the commander, the interpreter, the thugs and the water torture? The interpreter watching?

17. Eric, the bat, setting up Nagase’s arm, but not hitting him? Nagase and his resignation, expecting the day, Eric and the knife? Going out?

18. Nagase and the allies taking the camp, lining up the Japanese, his saving himself, offering translation? His explanation of his beginning to understand, Japanese lies, his returning to the camp, making pilgrimages, never forgetting Eric, his work of atonement, work for reconciliation?

19. Eric back in Scotland, walking along the beach, Patti watching him, their talking, the effect of his visit? His asking her to accompany him? Their arrival in Thailand, the climb up the hill, Patti saying she would not have survived, his reassurance, going into the cutting, seeing Nagase?

20. Nagase bowing, saying that he had never forgotten, Eric’s impact on him, their quietly talking, the camera standing back so that the audience saw but did not hear? Reconciliation? The scene of Eric standing on the bridge looking at the river, throwing the knife away? His final statement that the hate had to stop?

21. The emotional effect of this experience for Eric and Patti? For Nagase? The audience?

22. A World War II story, but a story about all wars and about all enmities?