KING RAT Movie Review

1965 Bryan Forbes

James Clavell based his novel on his experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. That authenticity shows through in both physical and psychological details, making this adaptation one of the best World War II POW films. It has never equaled the boxoffice success of The Great Escape, which Clavell produced and co-wrote, but it is every bit as enjoyable for different reasons.

A fine, eerie opening establishes the infamous Changi Prison, 1945, home to several hundred British officers and enlisted men and a few Americans. Because it is located deep in the Malay jungle, guards and barriers are minimal. In fact, the officers live in huts outside the walls of the prison. It's a hot, hardscrabble place, and the men's gaunt appearance reflects months and years of poor nutrition. One of them, though, is in fine shape. Manicured, carefully shaven, and neatly dressed, Cpl. King (George Segal) is obviously pampered while those around him are dying by inches. He claims to be a hardworking entrepreneur who provides services as a middleman when prisoners and guards wish to make deals.

Lt. Grey (Tom Courtenay), the camp policeman, suspects otherwise and is obsessed with catching the American at something. Lt. Marlowe (James Fox) finds himself caught between the two men. Marlowe can speak Malay and so would be a useful translator for some of King's deals, but over time, the two also form a genuine friendship. Grey appeals to Marlowe's sense of duty and fair play to nail Cpl. King, but serious social and political issues divide the Brits. Grey's resentment of Marlowe's aristocratic upbringing is never far from the surface.

They're the central characters in a large ensemble cast. The episodic plot follows the torpid pace of life in the camp. The place is gradually revealed to function through a complex system of reward and punishment. It's a social system based on clear-cut rules that are regularly broken. Compromises must be made, but when does compromise become corruption? That's the real source of conflict as writer-director Bryan Forbes carefully lays it out. Most of the traditional devices of the POW film are missing. There are no escape attempts, no sadistic guards. The Japanese are presented as relatively unimportant supporting characters. Clavell and Forbes are much more interested in how the prisoners live from day to day, dealing with the isolation, the loneliness and, most importantly, the overpowering hunger. So much of the action revolves around the search for, production, and consumption of unconventional sources of meat that the film is contraindicated for vegetarians. Those same scenes are also some of the funniest.

Given the conventions and restrictions of the mid-60s, almost all of the violence occurs off camera. Forbes is still able to make the inherent brutality of the subject matter seem real enough, and he also uses a few visual tricks that were ahead of their time. His brief freeze-frames punctuate significant emotional moments nicely, and they're complemented by one of John Barry's best early scores. The cast of familiar character actors provides first-rate support. The unconventional plotting will keep most viewers guessing, and the film ends with a dead solid perfect closing line.

Cast: George Segal (Cpl. King), Tom Courtenay (Lt. Grey), James Fox (Peter Marlowe), James Donald (Dr. Kennedy), Denholm Elliott (Lt. Col. Larkin), Patrick O'Neal (Max), John Mills (Col. Smedley-Taylor), Todd Armstrong (Tex), Gerald Sim (Col. Jones), Leonard Rossiter (Maj. McCoy), John Standing (Capt. Daven), Alan Webb (Col. Brant), Sam Reese (Kurt), Wright King (Brough), Joe Turkel (Dino), Geoffrey Bayldon (Squadron Leader Vexley), Reg Lye (Tinkerbell), Arthur Malet (Makeley), Richard Dawson (Weaver), William “Bill” Fawcett (Steinmetz), John Warburton (The Commandant), John Ronane (Capt. Hawkins), Michael Lees (Stevens), Hamilton Dyce (Chaplain Drinkwater), Hedley Mattingly (Dr. Prodhomme), Dale Ishimoto (Yoshima); Written by: Bryan Forbes, James Clavell; Cinematography by: Burnett Guffey; Music by: John Barry. Producer: James Woolf, Columbia Pictures. Awards: Nominations: Academy Awards '65: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (B & W), Best Black and White Cinematography. Running Time: 134 minutes. Format: VHS, Beta.