TO END ALL WARS

US, 2002, 117 minutes, Colour.
Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland, Ciaran Mc Menamin, James Cosmo, Mark Strong, John Gregg, Yugo Saso.
Directed by David L. Cunningham.

To End All Wars is based on the memoir of Ernest Gordon, a young Scotsman who volunteered to join the army at the outbreak of World War II and was captured in Asia, and interned in a prisoner of war camp in Thailand. He and other Scots joined with Australians and British and were commanded to build the Burma Railway. This is the story treated in such films as The Bridge on the River Kwai.

However, the film focuses on life in the camp, the moral struggles of the young man as he came to terms with his internment, his loyalty to his Scottish comrades, his horror at the behaviour of the Japanese, his concern about the intensity of one of the Scotsmen (played by Robert Carlyle) and the behaviour of an American (Kiefer Sutherland). He is well played by Ciaran Mc Menamin.

The screenplay is earnest and, at times, somewhat preachy. Ernest Gordon spent twenty-six years of his life as chaplain at Princeton University. The religious dimension is very strong, especially in the character of Dusty, who leads people in prayer and scriptural reflections, has set up a space for the prisoners to contemplate and who ultimately gives his life for an unworthy man, being crucified by the Japanese. This character is well portrayed by Mark Strong.

The film recreates the atmosphere of the camps, shows the brutality, especially of the torture, and the consequences for the men. It also shows the resilience of the human spirit, especially when they start their own “university” with graduations in order to use study as a morale booster.

1. Memories of World War II? The war in Asia against the Japanese? Prisoners of war, the fall of Singapore? The internment in Thailand? The building of the Burma Railway? This prisoner of war experience as one of the ignominies of World War II?

2. Thai and Philippine locations for the re-creation of the internment prison? The huts, the grounds, outside the fences? The terrain for the building of the railway? The musical score?

3. The title and its optimism and ironies? World War I and the slogan? World War II? The peace message of the film and the desire that all wars should be ended?

4. The focus on Scotland, the late 30s, the shadows of war? Ernest Gordon, his studies, his way of life? The decision to enlist? The training, the comrades, the importance of McLean? as leader and inspiring loyalty? Campbell and the other Scots?

5. The short experience of action, the fall of Singapore, the internment? The bewilderment of the Scots, the Americans, the British? Antagonisms?

6. The Japanese, the commander of the camp and his drunkenness and forfeiting responsibility? The visit to the camp and his severity? Ito and his cruelty, the Samurai code, his being shamed because of his allowing the defeat of his commander? His brutality towards the prisoners, the beatings, the torture, the killings? His being humiliated? The other officers? The importance of the translator Takashi Nagase? His Cambridge education, his observance, his friendship with the prisoners?

7. Ernest Gordon and the experience, his aggressiveness, his having to learn Japanese customs, the bowing, the respect? His relationship with Campbell and the other Scots? The interrogations, the discussions about escape? The confrontation with McLean?, his being executed? Campbell and his rage? The option for Gordon, to continue raging or to be positive? The influence of Dusty? The decision to teach, the classes, the range of students? Campbell and his hostility and leading his group away? The importance of Yank? His self-centredness, his decisions, his humiliation and being subdued? Life passing, the building of the railway? The leadership exercised by Gordon? The completion of the railway, the graduation, the attempted escape, the executions? Ernest and his observing of characters, Dusty and his religious beliefs, his crucifixion? The end of the war, the liberation, his future and chaplaincy at Princeton? The real Ernest Gordon appearing at the end of the film with Takashi? Two old men and their memories, at the memorial?

8. Mc Lean, leadership of the Scots, his strength of character, the loyalty of the men, his standing up to the Japanese, his official complaints, the Geneva Convention, the brutality of his death?

9. Campbell, a fiery character, loyalty to Mc Lean, second in charge? His role with the prisoners, in the camp? His violent reaction to Mc Lean’s death? His insulting of the Japanese, his being beaten? The resentment, the plans for escape? His men and their loyalty? The pressure on Ernest? The reaction to Yank? The building of the railway, his seeming subdued? The escape plan, his loyal men, their not getting very far, the shootings? The execution of those captured, his not being executed? Dusty giving his life for Campbell? His still not being happy, his resentment against the Japanese, the pressure of Dusty’s death and its meaning? The end of the war, his being unforgiving?

10. The doctor, his presence in the camp, looking after the men, his wise counsel?

11. Dusty, his knowledge of Japanese, his interventions? His prayer, scripture readings, the confiscation of the Bible – and the arguments and its later return? His prayer space, counselling of the men? His volunteering to give his life for Campbell, the cruelty of his crucifixion?

12. The Yank, his being in the prison, his philosophy of life? Scrounging, dealing with the locals? His being taken, his being laid out on the ground for days, the torture, subduing his spirit? His anger, his being on the sidelines in the camp? The building of the railway, his injuries? His owning up when it was alleged that the shovel was missing? The beating, Ito and his humiliation when the shovel was discovered? The men and their puzzlement of the Yank’s volunteering to suffer for them?

13. The other soldiers, the cantankerous British against the Scots? The Australian contingent? The students, the professor and his knowledge of Shakespeare and his recitations? The range of subjects, the graduation, the Japanese in attendance?

14. The railway, the building of the railway, the food rations, the hard labour? The Japanese supervision, the commander and his coming, the defiance of the soldiers? The completion of the railway and the Japanese celebration?

15. Ito, the Japanese commander, his cruelty, the final confrontation with Campbell and the violence of his death, killing himself? The contrast with Takashi, a good man, the humiliation of his service at a low level in the camp? His support of the men?

16. The end of the war, the arrival of the Allies, the Japanese fleeing, the liberation of the men?

17. The portrayal of war, its brutality and cruelty? An argument against war?