This movie should not have been a miss but a hit. An up-lifting story, a goodish cast and some excellent drama but it fails miserably. Why? I don't know! Most good movies try and show both sides of an argument however wrong and this one attempts to give the Japanese as well as the Allied side to the brutality suffered by the prisoners in the hands of the Japanese. It almost succeeds but doesn't quite get there. As with any true story it is difficult to make it dramatic without, well, being econimical with the truth. But we have seen this work before in other movies so why not here? I know the history of the British regiments that fought in the second world war and their traditions but it is never made clear that the Argyles did not surrender but were forced to stop fighting on orders from High command. In Bridge over the River Kwai", Alec Guinness's character makes it clear by saying "we were ordered to surrender". For such a proud set of soldiers to put up with what they did in the camps was even more humiliating then even the Japanese thought. The movie has some good moments but never really gets above average which is a pity because the story deserved better.
Review of To End All Wars
