TRAILER: Cinema Release: Red & White

Film: Red & White

REVIEW: DVD Release: The Pacific Battleship Yamato

Film: The Pacific Battleship Yamato
Release date: 27th September 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 143 mins
Director: Junya Sato
Starring: Takashi Sorimachi, Shidô Nakamura, Yû Aoi, Jun'ichi Haruta, Ryô Hashidume
Genre: Action/Drama/History/War
Studio: Metrodome
Format: DVD
Country: Japan

Based on a book by Jun Henmi, The Pacific Battleship Yamato tells the story of the famous Japanese battleship, the largest ship ever built for war, and its last voyage.

The story revolves around the young cadets during WWII, and their training leading up to the sinking of the Yamato. The story is framed by the sailor Uchida’s adopted daughter’s story.

After his death, curious to understand her father’s experiences, she asks Kamio, a fellow sailor, to take her to the Yamato’s resting place. Reluctantly, Kamio agrees and the rest of the film is told in flashback, recounting the story of the crew of the WWII battleship, concentrating on the ship's demise during Operation Ten-Go…


In the early scenes, we get a sense of the power and grandeur of the Yamato as the new cadets get an introduction to naval discipline and routine, which establishes the setting well for the audience, before the film focuses on the dramatic battle sequences, which are spectacularly staged and realistically bloody. Limbs are blown off left, right and centre, showing the harsh truth of war.

The human side of the story, however, is told rather heavy-handedly. The film suffers from overacting from many of its cast. Many of the naval officers’ parts seem to consist of squinting angrily and shouting - with little emotion. Whilst they were no doubt disciplined, a little more of a human side would have created greater audience empathy. It doesn’t help that there are virtually no female characters apart from Kamio’s young cousin, and Uchida’s lover, who appears briefly. This is very much a story of male camaraderie, wartime heroism and sacrifice.

In fairness, the actors playing the young Uchida and Kamio are convincing, and bring a much needed humanity to the story. Uchida escapes hospital in order to fulfil his duties aboard the ship and fight alongside his comrades, and is portrayed as something of a rebel and a thinker, which makes for a good contrast with the other characters.

Some viewers may have a problem with the dialogue, which is rather stilted, but this effectively conveys the discipline and uniformity of the Japanese navy, and it is refreshing to see the events of WWII told from a non-US perspective - although there is an equal amount of patriotism and machismo as found in most war films.

The action is almost entirely set aboard the Yamato, and sometimes this can make the film a little repetitive, especially since many of the scenes involve cadets following orders and doing drills. The first half of the film is particularly stilted; it is like watching a series of military training videos. The action picks up in the second half, however, and the film becomes more exciting as the Yamato prepares for the battle at Okinawa.

The scene of the night before the big battle is an emotional one; we see the cadets getting drunk, sharing a final meal and staring silently out to sea. Both they and the audience know what is to come, and this builds the tension effectively. The action accelerates towards the end; the final battle, which is a lengthy (it takes up most of the second half of the film) and visually spectacular one, and some of the final scenes are very touching, as we witness the deaths of some principle characters and the tragic consequences of this for family and comrades left behind. In these scenes, we certainly get a sense of the cost of war, and the lasting impact that remains for those that survived.


The Pacific Battleship Yamato is a film which depicts the realities of war. It is essentially an extremely long battle scene, which is striking as well as being brutal. The film falters and meanders a little when it comes to the human elements of the story but the finale will certainly hold the attention of the audience as the Yamato is attacked from all sides, and mass destruction and death ensues. CP

NEWS: Cinema Release: Red & White

In 1947, the war was over for the rest of the world. In Indonesia, it was just beginning.

Set against the historically authentic backdrop of Indonesia’s fight for Independence, Red & White is the story of a fictional band of revolutionary cadets facing a massive Dutch onslaught. When their classmates are massacred, the four survivors overcome deep differences in religion, class and personality to band together as guerrilla fighters.

Defeated, leaderless and on the run, the cadets rise above petty rivalries to strike a blow for the Red and White (the Indonesian flag). To become free, they become one.

From the production teams behind Saving Private Ryan, Blackhawk Down, Batman Dark Knight, The Matrix and The Thin Red Line comes this stirring tale of heroism, survival and brotherhood.

Film: Red & White
Release date: 5th November 2010
Certificate: TBC
Running time: 108 mins
Director: Yadi Sugandi
Starring: Lukman Sardi, Donny Alamsyah, Darius Sinathrya, T.Rifnu Wikana, Zumi Zola
Genre: Drama/War
Studio: Kaleidescope
Format: Cinema
Country: Indonesia

REVIEW: DVD Release: Heart Of Fire

Film: Heart Of Fire
Release date: 11th October 2010
Certificate: 12
Running time: 94 mins
Director: Luigi Falorni
Starring: Letekidan Micael, Solomie Micael, Seble Tilahun, Daniel Seyoum, Mekdes Wegene
Genre: Drama/War
Studio: In2Film
Format: DVD
Country: Germany/Italy/Austria/France

When a 10-year-old old girl has to ask her sister: “What’s your name?” you know you’re not watching a cheery family drama. Heart Of Fire is an African coming of age journey set in war-torn Eritrea. Based on the memoirs of singer Senait G Menhari, this cinematically stunning piece of film showcases East Africa’s beautiful charm without forgetting the trauma suffered by its inhabitants.

Letekidan Micael plays Amet, a charismatic young girl brought up by nuns in a cloister of abandoned children. She struggles to get along with her peers and harbours a questioning curiosity that sets her apart. The one thing that she doesn’t question is her belief that her father must be battling Ethiopian soldiers to secure his country’s freedom: a dream just waiting to be shattered.

Sure enough, her fantasy is ruined when her sister inexplicably materialises to take her back to their family. ‘Home’ would be the wrong term - dirty, crowded and hostile; it is an intimidating place of toil and poverty. Her father is a devious character whose motives remain dubious. Hiding behind a flimsy mask of patriotism, he soon shifts the burden of his daughters by taking full advantage of the Jebha freedom fighters.

Shipped out to the self-proclaimed socialist army, Amet is faced with another new environment. She grapples with the teenaged authorities for their respect, and her tenacity pays off when she finally finds acceptance. Much to viewers’ relief, the reality of the child-exploiting Jebha (which is adamantly denied by Eritrean authorities) dawns on her, as she realises that her own identity is actually much more worthy than this aggressive, adolescent legion…


Excitement, anxiety and disappointment are all captured faultlessly in this pleasantly paced film. There is no chaotic whirlwind of tension, but a steady narrative that meanders through a gentle stream of emotion. Amet is given room to grow; the seed of responsibility sowed by her unsettled past, and she develops into a character who is older and wiser than her years.

The plot is basic, but that is perfectly acceptable: what isn‘t is the sloppy conclusion. Treated like a quick debrief, it feels hurried and false. Despite being inspired by Menhari’s biography, it lacks credibility and leaves the viewer dissatisfied. Although never a particularly challenging film, it is unfortunately let down by such a weak finale.

The story’s very simplicity does, however, works in Felorni’s favour. He is able to utilise his extraordinary cast, which comprises of actors who don’t just win viewers’ empathy, but manage to bond with them. Amet engages the audience from the start, her voice over setting the scene, and telling listeners what they need to know; her openness makes her an instantly accessible portal into Eritrea.

This connection is further enhanced by footage of romantic landscapes cleverly scattered throughout. Viewers want to be there alongside Amet in that earthy, exotic land. Of course, we’ve seen it all before, in photographs and on television and, in all honesty, there is nothing original about the images Felorni uses. Some might even go so far as to call it clichéd, but it would be sad to let this cynicism come between film and viewer. Likewise, the soundtrack is typically African to the outsider, but there is something undeniably pleasing in the tribal horns and enigmatic singing. Visually and aurally, Heart Of Fire might be one big stereotype, but it rapidly absorbs the viewer.

Strikingly equipped to suit mainstream audiences, Heart Of Fire can potentially lead the way for spreading world cinema westward. An endearing little girl with a troubled past, a straightforward storyline and strong script essentially give commercial film fans what they want. Those plagiarised portraits of East Africa offer security and familiarity which Western egos will find reassuring and flattering.


For those who can look past the traps of predictability that Felorni falls into, Heart Of Fire is a poignant film. A commendable collection of characters embellish the narrative, provoking genuine sympathy within viewers. In Letekidan, a true talent has been unearthed, and the budding child star is set to shine through the shadow of Hollywood to put Africa on the movie map. RS

NEWS: DVD Release: Attack On Leningrad

War drama starring Mira Sorvino and Gabriel Byrne.

At the height of World War II, English journalist Kate Davis (Sorvino) becomes trapped within the besieged city of Leningrad.

Separated from her lover, writer Philip Parker (Byrne), and presumed dead, Kate is rescued by Nina Tsvetkova (Olga Sutulova), a female member of the Leningrad militia.

Joining forces with a makeshift band of survivors in the famished city, the two women battle to stay alive throughout the devastating 800-day siege.

Film: Attack On Leningrad
Release date: 8th November 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 146 mins
Director: Aleksandr Buravsky
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Mira Sorvino, Aleksandr Abdulov, Vladimir Ilyin, Mikhail Efremov
Genre: Drama/War
Studio: In2Film
Format: DVD
Country: Russia/UK

REVIEW: DVD Release: Assembly

Film: Assembly
Release date: 5th May 2008
Certificate: 15
Running time: 124 mins
Director: Feng Xiaogang
Starring: Wang Baoqiang, Zhang Hanyu, Deng Chao, Yuan Wenkang, Hu Jun
Genre: Action/Biography/Drama/History/War
Studio: Metrodome
Format: DVD
Country: Hong Kong/China

Assembly was produced by the same team who brought us the critically acclaimed Brotherhood, going on to receive even greater box office success, touching the hearts of audiences as the film follows the true story of Captain Gu Zidi during one of China’s bloodiest battles.

In 1948 the 9th Company, 3rd Battalion were ordered to protect the retreat of 139th Regiment from the Wen River valley. Already battle fatigued, the company of 48 men dug in and fought the entire 254th Division of the Nationalist army.

With only one mountain gun against a whole division with tanks, 9th Company, led by Captain Gu Zidi, held out for days against repeated attacks, all the while awaiting the bugle call to signal their retreat and assembly with the rest of their regiment. The bugle call never came…


If you think you have seen this war move before then don’t be put off because there are many facets of Assembly which raise it above the level of ordinary, and make it essential viewing. The Chinese civil war has often been overlooked by mainstream cinema, and it is of great credit to director Feng Xiaogang and writer Liu Heng that between them they have fashioned a tale of heroism and honour completely devoid of jingoism, patriotism or sentimentality. Propaganda for the red army this is not.

However, that isn’t to say that Assembly is not emotionally charged, or contains familiar set pieces; letters written home by soldiers about to die have almost come a genre standard, as have soldiers talking about what they will do after the war minutes before being shot or blown apart. Assembly is also big on honour and duty - two themes present in the vast majority of war films. What is surprising about how Assembly has been put together is the low-key narrative and the grounded, understated performances. The story is the most important thing on show here, and all the pyrotechnics and performances are geared toward accentuating the heart at the centre of the piece.

Of course, it is impossible to make a war movie without drawing comparisons to other films in the genre, and, in particular, recent films are often unfairly compared with Saving Private Ryan or Band Of Brothers. Assembly is no exception, but it easily holds its own in this esteemed company. The brutal opening scenes are gruesome but compelling, and also essential to the characterization of the hero, Captain Gu Zidi. An early scene in which 9th Company’s political officer is caught by an exploding artillery shell is truly extraordinary – jaw dropping, infact.

This incredible moment informs everything which follows as soldiers are shot, blown up, set on fire and thrown from impossible angles across the frozen, muddy trenches. Forget about war movies, Assembly contains two or three of the best pyrotechnic set pieces you will ever see in ANY movie. The editing during the opening third, in particular, is so sharp and focused that the effect of the action is unbelievably disorientating, and completely immersive.

The effects, in general, and makeup, in particular, are straight out of the top drawer. The main characters who survive the initial battles all age realistically over the duration of the story arc, and the injuries incurred on the battlefield are all hyper-realistic. The overall look of Assembly is stark and cold, giving the impression that the protagonists are battling something elemental, as well as manmade.

The score sets the tone of the film beautifully; subtle and understated, even during the battle scenes; the music drives the narrative at an almost subconscious level, never burdening the action by making bold statements that the onscreen events cannot live up to. Although the first act could live up to the most bombastic of scores, it is to everyone’s credit that once again the story is allowed to be the emotional core of everything on screen.

At its essence, Assembly is the story of one man and his battle with the grief of losing his friends, his guilt because he alone survived, and his fight to have the sacrifice his men made for their country recognised by the state. The performance of Zhang Hanyu as the remorseful Gu Zidi is quite simply astounding - truly one of the most believable portrayals of grief from recent times. Gu Zidi is flawed, driven, and uncompromising, yet it is impossible not to sympathise as his symbolic, one-man struggle against the state literally manifests itself into a struggle against a mountain. Despite his injury ravaged body, Gu Zidi digs his way through years of manmade coal excavation’s as he attempts to find, not only the trapped bodies of his dead comrades, but his own salvation. The fact this is based on a true story makes the action all the more remarkable.

The supporting cast is also excellent, with broadly drawn characters all behaving naturally in impossible conditions. This is refreshing as, unusually for films where the main character struggles against a large organisation, in this case the Chinese state, it is easy to find sympathy with everyone involved, even if the position the state authorities adopt with regards the status of Gu Zidi’s dead comrades seems infuriating.


Assembly is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, as thought provoking and intelligent as it is thrilling and arresting. This is an absolute ‘must-have’ for anyone who loves war movies, and there is much to admire for everyone else. SM

REVIEW: DVD Release: Downfall

Film: Downfall
Release date: 19th September 2005
Certificate: 15
Running time: 149 mins
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Starring: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler
Genre: Biography/Drama/History/War
Studio: Momentum
Format: DVD
Country: Germany/Italy/Austria

In films portraying Hitler, representation of the man himself ranges greatly across genres, from comedic parody to the manifestation of evil in the flesh. Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Downfall, however, presents Hitler (Bruno Ganz) in his final hours within the confines of his bunker in Berlin, as Russian tanks lurch ominously towards the last remnants of the Third Reich. There is a man behind the monster, where Hirschbiegel and Ganz as Hitler reveal an uncomfortable and, at times, horrifying portrayal of the worst in human nature, amidst the uncertain chaos in Germany as Nazi rule came to an end.

As the title suggests, Downfall examines the last days of Hitler’s regime in Germany in 1945, and his own being. The account of events comes from Hitler’s final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), a woman who was in the bunker with Hitler, and his closest cohorts, experiencing the horrors therein.

The real-life elderly Junge appears at the beginning and end of the film, adding a sense of historical authenticity to the terrible events that unfold. As Hitler’s secretary, Junge is privy to many of Hitler’s final private moments, including his interaction with his lover, blind follower and eventual wife Eva Braun (Juliane Köhler).

Like the Fuhrer himself, and many of those around him, Braun appears initially in denial that the end is nigh. However, as the Russian tanks continue to roll in to Berlin, Hitler’s despair increases rapidly as his most trusted generals begin to question his strategic sanity. As the terrifying inevitability of the end of the Third Reich becomes clear for its followers, including the grim and icy Joseph and Magda Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes and Corinna Harfouch), Hitler’s brokenness seeps throughout the bunker amidst scenes of death, despair and shocking brutality as Berlin burns outside...


In the midst of events in Downfall, Bruno Ganz’s physically uncanny portrayal of Hitler is unquestionably one of the great film representations of the notorious dictator. For months before filming his role, Ganz reportedly studied recordings of Hitler’s movement and voice, and it shows; authentically showing Hitler’s sudden mood swings from quiet tones to violent outbursts to the involuntary shaking of his hands from the onset of debilitating Parkinson’s disease. This is not the public grandstanding or mythical view of Hitler we have seen numerous times before, but rather a man coming to terms with the fallibility of his own (and a nation’s) God complex, even if it ultimately is something he cannot face up to.

Ganz’s Hitler looks increasingly fragile during his crazed outbursts towards his generals in the bunker, where true to the dictatorial nature of his regime, he cannot accept that the abundance of troops he imagined would combat Allied assault largely exists in his own mind. To emphasise the Fuhrer’s desperate delusions, Hirschbiegel reveals glimpses of Berlin outside the bunker; a city war-torn and scattered with the final stand of surrounded Nazi death squads, and misguided (doomed) members of the Hitler Youth amidst burning debris and human remains.

Downfall is a bleak and inevitably downbeat film, where a deep sense of tragedy and futility pervades throughout in contrast to, say, the crowd pleasing wish-fulfilment of Inglourious Basterds. For instance, when a Nazi general (whom Hitler had at one point sentenced to death upon incorrect accusations of abandoning his post) is promoted to become Berlin’s Commander of Defence, he exclaims: “I would rather have been shot than have this honour.”

There is a very enclosed feel to the film, suitably encapsulating the feeling of Nazi paranoia and panic, as the high command await their fate. There is also a purposeful drabness and dim lighting to the cinematography inside the bunker and the Nazi headquarters, again highlighting extreme levels of Nazi despair and confusion. Indeed, as the bunker begins to shake under the weight of explosions and mortar fire, the supporting characters around Hitler begin to echo his despondency. In one scene, Juliane Köhler’s Eva Braun attempts to dance in a final party in the muted opulence of Nazi headquarters in Berlin, before a Russian bomb explodes directly on top of the building.

For Hitler’s closest followers in Downfall, there is a growing and foreboding sense of a terrible finality to their own existence, where life without the Third Reich and Nazism is simply unimaginable. This is all the more horribly evident in Ulrich Matthes and Corinna Harfouch’s portrayal of Joseph and Magda Goebbels. As two of Hitler’s closest associates, both choose the ultimate destruction of themselves and, most tragically, their children, with a terrible coldness that lives up to their beloved leader’s philosophy that “compassion is for the weak.”

As Hitler’s individual downfall is cemented, Hirschbiegel’s film does not end as one might expect, but rather continues amidst further misery as the young and naive Traudl Junge leaves the bunker in order to cling on to survival. At times, this is an emotionally draining section of the film to watch (as Hirschbiegel intended it to be), where the final death throes of the German military machine and the self-destruction of those within it are shown unflinchingly. Yet Hirschbiegel’s portrayal of Hitler and the fanaticism of Nazism as a whole in Downfall is a brave one. It is much more effective (and frankly more chilling) in the sense that it reveals Nazi followers to be complex and fallible human beings capable of horrendously misguided acts, rather than larger than the life baddies often portrayed in countless Hollywood productions.


With a particularly mesmerising central performance from Bruno Ganz as Hitler, Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Downfall is an unflinching and bleakly enthralling account of the demise of the Third Reich. There is a dark sense of historic intimacy to events in the bunker, where the viewer witnesses the destructive capabilities of human beings and becomes immersed in the shocking true events as they unfold. An exceptionally made German-language film, Downfall has a sense of fearless authenticity that adds to its importance as a study of Hitler and Nazi Germany’s final days. DB

REVIEW: DVD Release: The Admiral

Film: The Admiral
Release date: 14th June 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 99 mins
Director: Andrei Kravchuk
Starring: Konstantin Khabensky, Elizaveta Boyarskaya, Vladislav Vetrov, Sergei Bezrukov, Richard Bohringer
Genre: War/Drama/History/Romance
Studio: In2Film
Format: DVD
Country: Russia

When the Tsar took Russia into the First World War against Germany, he had no way of foreseeing the terrible events that would unfold, and the men and monsters that would be unleashed upon his country. When the revolution strikes, Russia is thrown into chaos as the Communists fight for power, but in the East a movement has arisen. The Whites to fight the Reds. They are led by a national hero, Admiral Kolchak - the Supreme Leader of Russia.

In late 1916, Admiral Kolchak is in charge of a mine laying ship in the Baltic Sea when a German ship – the Karl Friedrich arrives on the horizon. The Friedrich is many times more powerful than Kolchak's ship, and practically blows her to pieces. Kolchak, with most of his crew dead or wounded, personally fires a direct hit on the enemy battleship and then succeeds in luring her into the mines Kolchak has just laid. An almost suicidal strategy, but one that succeeds. The Friedrich is beaten.

At the subsequent celebrations, Kolchak meets Anna Timirev, the wife of his second-in-command, Sergey Timirev. Kolchak and Anna fall in love immediately, but Kolchak chooses for them to be separate to avoid further pain to their spouses. Even so, they write often. Sergey eventually asks to be transferred to avoid further humiliation.

The Tsar promotes Kolchak to Vice Admiral, commanding the Baltic fleet, but the Tsar is soon deposed. The sailors of the fleet revolt and the officers of Sergey's ship are executed, Sergey manages to escape, and he and Anna flee to the East. Kolchak's ship also revolts, but Kolchak avoids bloodshed by surrendering power. The provisional government sends him into exile in America.

Kolchak soon returns, gaining a power base in Irkutsk, Siberia. He takes command of the resistance. The Siberian “White” government opposing communism and fights his way west using trains to take his army across the icy landscape. Anna hears of his return and travels to meet him, but on seeing him give a speech, she becomes a nurse, and follows the army anonymously so that she does not distract him from his destiny.

As the army pushes towards Omsk, their base in Irkutsk is threatened. Kolchak makes the decision to retreat in order to consolidate his strength, but the railway workers on which he is dependent are beginning to revolt. As his train makes the dangerous journey back East, Kolchak finds Anna and they are finally able to be in love in the last few days until the train is finally stopped. Kolchak, Supreme Leader of Russia, is executed…


The Admiral is a film that wants to be Dr Zhivago. An epic love story stretching across the Russian Revolution. Unfortunately, it comes across as an empty story devoid of emotion and devoid of context.

Kolchak is one of the major figures of Russian history, but by the end we are none the wiser as to who Kolchak is. His achievements are treated strangely, the fight with the Karl Friedrich at the beginning is pretty much pure cinematic fiction, and Kolchak's achievements as an explorer are ignored. His exile, return and installation as Supreme Leader of Russia all occur off-screen, and his final campaign is treated without context. Why does Kolchak oppose communism? Was he a royalist? A friend of the Tsar? An anti-communist? Or simply exploiting an opportunity? Worse still, the allegations that Kolchak presided over massacres and mass torture in a brutal military dictatorship are completely ignored. This is available in further reading, but in the context of the film not only does it leaves our ‘hero’ without life, without reason for anything he is seen to do, but at best it betrays the man, and at worst, deliberately misinforms.

The film tries to focus on the love story between Kolchak and Anna, but without knowing Kolchak, or indeed Anna, beyond the fact that they both look beautiful, we cannot understand what attracts them to each other. The ‘love story’ is completely empty, devoid of reason, the history a hotch potch at best. Kolchak and Anna spend the entire film whispering sweet nothings about how much they love each other, but at no point does the film show why.

This lack of emotional understanding by the director extends beyond the basic story. Kolchak and Anna's spouses are treated equally badly. After establishing that Kolchak is married and has a son, and that they are upset about his adultery, they are given almost no screen time, and are completely absent from the final third of the film. Sergey gains a little more exposition, but also disappears from view once Anna leaves him. Kravchuk is only interested in his two principals, but this hamstrings the whole film.

Several battle scenes in the second half, choreographed with skill and looking good, are also pointless as we have no reference to the men fighting the battles, only their high command, which is Kolchak looking stern and severe in a train carriage. The cast and two leads give us their best, but without the backing of script or director, their efforts are in vain.

It is impossible to deny, however, that the film looks good. The CGI is used sparingly and effectively, with the Karl Friedrich, in particular, positively terrifying. The costumes are sumptuous, the cinematography bewitches at every turn. If only this was all that were required to make a film. For a historical epic, it's a sadly wasted opportunity.


A pretty film hides an emotionally empty story, all the sadder for it being true, and therefore a failure to show the reality and events of the time. The longer it goes on, losing context and character development as it goes, the more soft focus it becomes. Until, by the end, you're not sure why you cared. A folly. PE

REVIEW: DVD Release: Soldier Of Orange

Film: Soldier Of Orange
Release date: 16th August 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 149 mins
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Rutger Hauer, Jeroen Krabbe, Susan Penhaligon, Edward Fox, Derek de Lint
Genre: Adventure/Drama/Thriller/War
Studio: Palisades Tartan
Format: DVD
Country: Netherlands

Paul Verhoeven has always been a cynic, teetering on just the right side of violent nihilist. Robocop was a vicious satire on the police. Starship Troopers a vicious satire on the military. Soldier Of Orange is set during the Second World War, it would be forgivable to call it a vicious satire on war, but it's not. It's a relatively gentle (for Verhoeven) satire on life and friendship that is no less devastating in its critiques for that.

Eric Lanshof is attending a fresher party at university. During the ritual humiliation dished out by seniors, he is knocked unconscious by the union president Guus Lejeune. Later Guus apologises, and the two share digs and a group of friends - Robby, Nico, Alex, Jan and Jack. As war descends upon them unexpectedly, these seven men react in very different ways.

Robby sets up a secret transmitter. Nico becomes heavily involved in the Dutch Resistence. Eric and Guus both decide to escape to England. Jan and Jack try to sit out the war, while Alex, whose mother is German, becomes ever more seduced by the German army. After an aborted attempt to reach England, which leads to the capture and execution of the Jewish Jan, Eric and Guus finally escape, but Eric has been fed false information about a traitor, and almost shoots the wrong man.

As two of only a handful of Dutch escapees, Eric and Guus are introduced to the exiled queen Wilhelmina, and recruited into her plan to bring the leaders of the Dutch Resistance to England. The plan is complicated and the traitor strikes again. The resistance leaders, Nico and Robby are shot and killed and Guus executed.

Eric returns to England once more, and becomes a pilot in the RAF, before becoming the queen's aide. On her triumphant homecoming to a free Holland, Eric returns to his flat and finds Jack, the only other survivor of his friends…


Soldier Of Orange is a film that bears all the hallmarks of being unremarkable, and yet, by the end, has left you breathless. It has gained the tag ‘epic’ due to its sheer length, yet it does not deserve such a tag - epic films are those that deal in broad sweeps of history. The characters in Soldier Of Orange don't so much make history as stumble around events that they barely comprehend, and mostly end up getting killed for their trouble. Thus while the characters are at first unremarkable, the events small and every day, we are slowly brought into their world, bearing witness to their deaths and entrances, and most especially, their failures, until the end scene, which is understated, yet quite devastating. Eric, the hero, has returned home. As he opens the doors to a scene of mass jubilation of freedom, he is asked what he will do now. “I don't know,” he replies, instantly hollowing out the perception of heroism and forcing the viewer to face a reality of war, that warriors become defined by what they do, that they have no purpose other than to fight, and while the Nazi's needed to be fought, what then? That Verhoven can express so much with a single line, instantly smashing the perceptions of a broad sweep of history, of heroes and villains, of bravery and cowardice, indicates the full power inherent in this film.

Verhoven is painting in shades of grey, his camera is a pure eye of realism, and he doesn't falter when covering his characters mistakes and failures, which are many. Indeed, Eric's RAF career, where he is successful, is barely covered. Verhoven isn't interested in it. He knows that heroes are created by how they face their mistakes, not how they celebrate their successes. Eric and Guus run a disastrous mission that ends up with most of the group dead. As Eric realises the danger and tries to save the mission, he puts himself in greater and greater danger, until, in a staggering scene, he finally finds himself literally dancing with his old friend Alex, now a fully fledged Nazi, and having to bluff his way past someone who knows almost everything about him.

The image of Guus escaping across the beach is unforgettable cinema in a film filled with memorable moments. Guus later guns down the traitor in broad daylight, and is immediately caught and then executed. By this point, we have almost forgotten that Guus sadistically humiliated Eric on their first meeting. Verhoven does not judge, however, his camera is simply there to record journeys. We sympathise with Alex, Jack, Robby and Esther, his wife, because we know why they do the things they do.

But this film could not have succeeded without its cast, all of whom are outstanding, but, of course, Rutger Hauer as Eric gives one of the great film performances. Hauer is a very difficult actor to film because he has such a gigantic presence on screen that he can often be allowed to dominate the camera, without even intending to. When he is onscreen, it's difficult to remember that other actors are around him. Some directors exploit this; others aren't good enough to control it. Verhoven, perhaps uniquely, manages to keep Hauer as part of a talented ensemble, and, in so doing, brings out shining performances.

Every major character is unforgettable, filmed beautifully, acted perfectly, and with understatement. We watch them grow and flower, whether as heroes, cowards or Nazis. We understand their justification, whether or not we accept it. Esther, who has turned a blind eye to the obvious, says, “I survived.” Esther is Jewish. Jan, the other Jewish character, did not survive. The audience do not need telling the obvious. How many of us would make the same decisions? These are real people we are watching.


Soldier Of Orange is a film made by a director at the height of his powers. The script, cinematography, direction and acting are all beyond compare, and sent Hauer and Verhoven to Hollywood. A masterpiece of European and war cinema, this is essential viewing, not just to cineastes, but to everyone. Unflinching and real. PE

REVIEW: DVD Release: Lebanon

Film: Lebanon
Release date: 23rd August 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 89 mins
Director: Samuel Maoz
Starring: Reymond Amsalem, Ashraf Barhom, Oshri Cohen, Yoav Donat, Michael Moshonov
Genre: Drama/War
Studio: Metrodome
Format: DVD
Country: Israel/France/UK/Germany

The talk of Cannes and winner of the Leone d’Oro at the 2009 Venice Film Festival, Lebanon partially documents personal war experiences of the film’s director, Samuel Maoz.

The film follows an Israeli tank crew entering a hostile town on the first day of the 1982 conflict. With the exception of the opening and closing shots, the action takes place entirely from inside the tank, while we receive occasional glimpses of the outside world through the crosshairs of the crew’s gun-sights

Upon entering the vehicle, Israeli tank-commander Asi familiarises himself with the men under his command; a veteran weapons loader, a young driver, and a gunner on his first mission. Following an air-strike on a nearby town, they must accompany a paratrooper platoon into the settlement and clear-up any remaining resistance.

Confronted by horrific scenes of destruction, and the confused parameters of their mission, the tensions inside the tank increase. The confined space – worsened by the addition of a corpse and a prisoner – takes its toll on the men, physically and mentally, and as they battle with each other, the enemy, and their environment, the true horrors of war begin to dawn.

Realising they may have gone off-mission, and with the enemy bearing down upon them, the men must fight for their lives…


Lebanon is an unrelentingly tough viewing experience, but one that offers rich rewards. Despite the motif of characters stuck in an enclosed space being done a number of times in cinema history (in a war context,. most memorably in the stage-plays Journey’s End and The Long And The Short And Tall, both of which have received movie adaptations) Lebanon maintained a refreshingly original feel throughout.

The tensions and interactions between the crew make for compelling drama, delivered with stunning conviction from an excellent cast. Each of the crew are presented as developed, three-dimensional characters, and while the issues they face are common in war films – the gunner, for instance, struggles with the morality of killing people – the setting and levels of emotional engagement ensure that the film rises above stereotype or cliché. Other characters occasionally enter the tank, such as the crew’s superior officer, a Syrian prisoner, and a Phalangist, with each being a catalyst that worsens the relationship between the crewmen as well as offering diversity in the dialogue.

Visually, the film shocks and frustrates. Maoz captures the claustrophobic horror of the setting superbly, presenting a richly textured depiction of the sights, smells and suffering inside the vehicle. The engines deafen, dust and fumes fill the air, and you can almost smell the blood, sweat, and urine. Despite the grim reality, there is still great artistry within the direction; for example, the arresting sight of blood-like oil slowly running down the vehicle’s walls, as if the tank itself were alive and bleeding. Indeed, the machine ultimately becomes a character in itself, so affective is its personification.

However, although everything inside the tank is delivered with nightmarish perfection, the film fails when looking at the outside world. These come solely through the crew’s cross-hairs – accompanied by the sound of the turret moving along with the camera – and although disturbing and upsetting, they lacked any form of subtlety. Examples included a close-up of a painting of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus, before a woman and her child are forced in front by a Syrian soldier; a situation the tank’s gunner is ordered to fire into. Another instance involved the camera/gun-sight zooming in on a seemingly dead donkey, only to see it is still breathing, and when it blinks, a tear rolls down its face. While these hammered home the anti-war message of the film, they felt so staged and heavy-handed that it belied the realism of the action inside the tank. The images, constant close-ups, and lingering shots seemed to underestimate the audience’s intelligence, as if they would not understand the movie’s message if presented in a subtle manner.

Despite these flaws, the film must be applauded for its attempt to show that war affects and brings suffering to both sides, and its impartial outlook contrasts nicely to other war movies that are often overly biased to one side. The film is supposedly based on many of Moaz’s personal experiences during the war, and it should be further commended for its unflinchingly real representation of warfare that makes for compelling, if exhausting, cinema.


The contradictory treatment of the visuals ultimately left the film feeling uneven, but it remains a highly worthwhile viewing experience, horrific and gripping in equal measure, with instances of imaginative direction and superb performances. CD

REVIEW: DVD Release: Axis Of War: Night Raid

Film: Axis Of War: Night Raid
Release date: 5th July 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 85 mins
Director: An Lan
Starring: Wang Yongming, He Dandan
Genre: War/Drama
Studio: Metrodome
Format: DVD
Country: China

Axis Of War: Night Raid, is the third part in a trilogy of recent releases, covering an incident in the Sino-Japanese war prior to WW2.

Axis Of War: Night Raid begins with one army led by Captain Chen and another led by Captain Gao fighting over which of them can use a train to travel. Gao wishes to go south to the front. Chen wants to go north where the Japanese have invaded but there is no fighting. Gao, a female photojournalist and later revealed as Captain Gao's sister, accuses Chen of cowardice. A Japanese plane attacks both armies and Gao gets the train.

Chen marches his men north, the Japanese planes a constant threat. Chen stumbles on their ‘nest’, but his radio transmitter has been damaged. He cannot receive or send orders. After an intelligence raid on the nest goes wrong, and one of his soldiers is killed, Chen decides to march on to his destination.

As they march, the planes cease to attack them. Chen is emboldened and turns back under cover of night. Both Captain Gao and his sister have returned home to a local village following their mothers death in a bombing raid. Gao has brought all the munitions from his army with him. Chen pleads with Gao's father to have the superior equipment for his attack on the airfield. The next evening, the attack on the well defended airfield begins…


In the 1970s, the Western World was dealing with Vietnam, and the propagandist war film all but disappeared from our screens. Cinema was always an effective propagandist, but such films have one purpose, patriotism. Art often falls by the wayside. Triumph Of The Will and Went The Day Well? Survive as standout examples of propaganda by outstanding artists, such as Hitchcock, and Pressburger got in on the act, too, but many films sank without trace. Post war films – Ice Cold In Alex, for example - were able to portray war without being exercises in patriotism. However, it's interesting to note where British war films draw the line between triumphalism and balance. There's a huge difference between a film such as Escape To Victory and Malick's The Thin Red Line.

Night Raid is a propaganda film. If not directly financed by Beijing, it certainly has no interest in portraying reality. Japanese pilots cackle to themselves evilly as they strafe Chinese soldiers. At one point a Japanese soldier armed with a Katana faces a Chinese soldier armed with a machete, and the Japanese Soldier drops dead from fear! Every Chinese death is mourned over with saddened faces and orchestral music. The Japanese receive no characterisation at all. Gao, the journalist, castigates everyone she thinks is a coward, until she discovers they are actually to attack, at which point she falls in love with everyone. The finale is an orgy of destruction as the Chinese suicidally throw themselves into the airport attack, making up for lack of training through guts and derring-do.

Supposedly a true story, when viewed through such an obvious prism, it's difficult to accept any of the events at face value. Did the Chinese really volunteer for the ‘Suicide Squad’ with smiles on their faces? Did Captain Chen really send home those who had family to support? Because we're having to question everything on screen as being viewed through rose tinted spectacles, it's practically impossible to engage with the film emotionally.

That's not to say that the Japanese empire was not a brutal one in war, or that the film is totally without merit. Wang Yongming, as Captain Chen, with his long suffering eyes and hangdog face carries the film singlehandedly, and deserves much better material to showcase his talents. But the propaganda element undermines the emotional truth the actors are doing their best to portray. However well they act, we never believe them, because the direction carries such blatant artificial distortion.

The final set piece attack on the airfield is painfully bad. Acted with enthusiasm, but it is obvious that the sets are small and cheap, and the poor special effects simply make no sense. When the entire base has been decimated, and most of the soldiers on both sides are dead, we are served with an explosion where dozens of soldiers appear from nowhere to be caught in the blast. It's not the low-cost special effects that ruin the film; it's the fact that no-one spent the effort to get the continuity or editing correct because, despite the best efforts of the actors, the production is cynical.

Propaganda films can be works of art in their own right, and there is nothing wrong with the Chinese wanting to celebrate their war heroes, but if a film must be propaganda, then talented artists are required in order to rise above the extreme limitations of the genre - directors and scriptwriters with a bit of subtlety, at least. This film is as subtle as being hit over the head with a brick.


Poorly made propaganda without any real artistry, as this is, has no merit whatsoever beyond its nationalistic ambitions. If this film serves any purpose outside of China it will simply be to provoke a desire to find an unbiased account of the last Sino-Japanese war. PE

REVIEW: DVD Release: Axis Of War: The First Of August

Film: Axis Of War: The First Of August
Release date: 10th May 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 95 mins
Director: Song Yeming
Starring: Liu Jin, Hou Youg, Lue Leong Wai Ray, Wu Waidong, Zhang Zaixin
Genre: War/Action/Drama
Studio: Metrodome
Format: DVD
Country: China

Axis Of War: The First Of August is the first of a loose trilogy of films chronicling the forming of the Chinese Republic, and depicts the disruption of the alliance between the KMT and the Communist Party, leading up to the Communist occupation of Nanchang on August 1st 1927. From the outside looking in, it proves to be entertaining not so much as a film in its own right but as a piece of State-sanctioned propaganda.

This feeling creeps in right from the start, during the credits. Apparently in China, there is no need to entice your audience with the names of your actors - producers, production directors, executive producers, no less than five screenwriters, cameramen, art designer, editors, sound designers, etc., are all prominently displayed before the actors and directors get a look-in.

The film proper starts with a pretty decent battle scene, reminiscent of the trench warfare of World War I. The Kuomintang (KMT, or Nationalist Party) and its Communist Party allies are launching an offensive against the remaining warlords of the Northern provinces. It’s a bloody and brutal battle, which eventually turns in favour of the KMT, with the timely cavalry charge by General He Long.

Waise Lee (Bullet in the Head), the only recognisable name in the cast, plays Wang Jingwei, the head of the KMT. Whilst his forces fight hand in hand on the battle-front, at home there is a growing rift between the two parties…


This is a very confusing film for the casual viewer. Anyone without a decent knowledge of the events in question is going to be left dazed by the plethora of real characters who will carry no resonance whatsoever. It’s quite difficult to discern who is fighting for whom, at least for the first half of the film. Things settle down a bit, though, when the film concentrates on the CPC’s attempt to entice Ye Long to the Communist party. It’s a shame that the plot is so cumbersome, because the film is handsomely shot, with some nice cinematography and high production values.

The story is decidedly very one-sided, showing the dastardly lengths the KMT go to oust the Communist Party (lots of public executions of “traitors”) without actually delving into what caused the rift between the two parties. Waise Lee’s character, in particular, becomes more of a comic-book villain as the film progresses. Meanwhile, the Communist Party (and Ye Long in particular) are shown to be humanists who argue endlessly about the cost of taking up arms and rising up against oppressors. Even when inexperienced officers take draconian actions against some starving peasants who try to steal back some rice, it ends up being a lesson of stoicism vs. humility (and results in one of the most bizarre marriage proposals ever).

As the film draws nearer to its climactic battle, we are treated to scene after scene of patriotic propaganda – stirring anthems playing over battalions of soldiers all at attention, wearing their red neckerchiefs. To be fair, though, the propaganda elements and overt patriotic imagery probably aren’t much worse than the sort of stuff that appears in the likes of Michael Bay’s Armageddon or Pearl Harbour.

The film makes good on its promise of a decent scrap at the end, as the army led by Ye Long attempts to take hold of Nanchang, their red ties distinguishing them from the opposition. The battle scenes are juxtaposed with those of the temporary HQ where the party leaders attempt to coordinate their attack. The battle itself contains moments of derring-do to get the heart pumping, and ends in a climactic moment full of pathos.

The film’s main problem, however, is the script, which spends way too much time on ponderous conversations between would-be protagonists.


A film which will likely lose a lot of viewers in the opening third of the film, or will at least have them reaching for Wikipedia to get an understanding of what is going on, but persevere and the film settles down and becomes much easier to follow. MOW

REVIEW: DVD Release: Kippur

Film: Kippur
Release date: 22nd February 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 116 mins
Director: Amos Gitai
Starring: Tomer Russo, Liron Levo, Uri Klauzner
Genre: War
Studio: Optimum
Format: DVD
Country: Israel/France

Kippur goes the unlikely route of producing a war film without any of the fighting - Amos Gitai creating a movie that focuses on the humanitarian aspect, and the inner and outer hell faced by the soldiers.

Set during the Yom Kippur War of the 1970s, when Egypt and Syria attacked the Sinai and Golan Heights regions of Israel, Kippur is director Amos Gitai's retelling of a war he experienced firsthand. Assisting in this retelling are Liron Levo and Tomer Ruso, as the two main characters: Sgt. Weinraub and Lt. Ruso - two reservists who have lost their unit and end up assisting a helicopter rescue team. The story centres around the exploits (or lack thereof) of these men as they guide their team (also consisting of a doctor played by Uri Klauzner) from the relative safety of Yoran Hattab's helicopter to scenes of destruction on the frontlines of war.

Along with dialogue, plot and exposition are things Gitai considered surplus to what he wanted to achieve with Kippur. The film's quality is in its stark atmosphere, in the parts where Gitai clearly attempted to establish a similar dynamic to Vietnam movies like Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. There is a genius in having your protagonists do almost nothing in a film while still managing to make this nothingness seem scary, against the backdrop of a war. Therefore, even though the enemy remain unseen throughout the entire movie (and only two shots are visibly fired on screen over the whole running time), the fact that there is a war on is inescapable. You won’t get a cavalry charge, but you will get the impending sense of danger…


What really strikes you about Kippur is the effort that went into surrounding the main characters with an insular web of equal parts desperation, disorganisation and futility. The whole situation in which they find themselves seems totally untenable, unwinnable and frankly pointless, despite the fact that who is actually winning the war is never mentioned. This is not the sort of film where the heroes come home to a fanfare of trumpets and a sea of fluttering flags. Hell, this isn't even the sort of film where they come home to their families and are forgotten about by the rest of the world. The one character who has anything to return to is Sgt. Weinraub, who enjoys a beautiful, unique, if rather pointless love scene that takes up the first nine minutes – thought, it establishes at least a human link.

There are scenes in Kippur that are hard to watch: four men heaving an injured soldier around a field so muddy that they can barely move, breaking the stretcher, dropping him numerous times, panting, heaving, struggling…this is hard to deal with. It is at times like this when the scale of Gitai's achievement with Kippur, and the message imbued within it become clear: you don't need to be killing people to see war in all of its bleakness. However, underneath it all, there is an incredibly black sense of humour – poking fun at the futility of war. It is, to my mind, the most powerful (and simultaneously the most horrible) scene in the entire film, as it on one hand shows what war is actually like before Hollywood fills it with explosions, and on the other shows that Gitai's 'real war' as being pretty terrible even without them.

However, a film with scenes that are hard to watch runs the risk of also being a film that drags, and Kippur occasionally falls foul of this. The acting is solid, but with so little attention paid to dialogue, or any real characterisation, the responsibility for driving the film onwards when nothing is really happening (note: this occurs a lot) falls to the film's unique dynamic. This works most of the time, but relying on a sense of minimalism and banal terror to progress your movie is always a risky business, and Kippur does not always manage to remain stimulating. That said, the vibe that it establishes – part Easy Rider, part 'Nam movie – is consistent, foreboding and scarily effective, so much so that it would be unfair not to stress the film's success in this regard once more.


Kippur is nothing if not an ambitious movie. Fortunately for fans of war films this is just the beginning of what Amos Gitai's hugely watchable work offers, but be warned, if you're after Bruckheimer-esque explosions then look elsewhere: Kippur is a movie that focuses on what war does to the heart and the head, not the body. JD

NEWS: DVD Release: Rome, Open City

Roberto Rossellini's Open City (Roma Citta Aperta) is “a landmark in the history of cinema, a humanist masterpiece and one of the earliest incarnations of Italian neorealism.” Based on real events, it tells the harrowing story of several Italian Resistance fighters battling fascism in Nazi-occupied Rome.

When Gestapo agents raid an apartment where Manfredi (Marcello Pagliero), a prominent member of the underground, is hiding, they arrest the young man who gave him refuge. Manfredi manages to escape, then enlists the help of a parish priest, Don Pietro (Aldo Fabrizi), to make a clandestine delivery to other members of the movement. Eventually, Manfredi is betrayed, and he and the priest are quickly captured by the Germans; what follows is one of the most brutally disturbing war torture scenes ever recreated on screen.

With Open City, “Rossellini has created a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of horrible adversity, in a story that extols the heroism of defiant, ordinary people who strive to hold onto their humanity in the cold, chaotic world of WW II.”

Open City is all the more remarkable in that it was made immediately following the liberation of Rome, had been developed while Rossellini himself was in hiding, and was filmed in the locations where the true events that the story is based on, occurred.

The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay; Fellini collaborated with Rossellini in the writing of the script.

Film: Rome, Open City
Release date: 15th March 2010
Certificate: 12
Running time: 102 mins
Director: Roberto Rossellini
Starring: Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani, Marcello Pagliero
Genre: War/Drama
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD
Country: Italy