By Peter Maddern
The fall of Singapore during the Second World War was one of the British Empires’ low points and the subsequent treatment of those left abandoned by the Japanese, especially on the Thai / Burma railway, one of humanity’s.
The Railway Man tells the story across two generations of Eric Lomax (the elder – Colin Firth, the younger – Jeremy Irvine), an engineer caught up in those times and a man with a pathological passion for all things rail. Indeed it is on a train journey that he meets up with a sweet, reserved young woman, Patty (Nicole Kidman) and then falls deeply in love with her. It is a whirlwind romance that sees them married within a couple of months, but it is on that wedding night, Eric starts to reveal the nightmares that haunt him about those times.
Eventually, with the assistance of past comrades in arms, particularly Finlay (Stellan Skarsgaard), he commits to return to Thailand and confront the very man who led his persecution and torture, Takashi Nagase (Hiroyuki Sanada). His wife is left throughout with the need to carry her man through dark times for them both.
As such this is all troubling and momentous stuff but director, Jonathan Teplitzky, allows his stars to exude the emotions and develop the gravitas without over-baking the production with affectations.
Firth is in fine form and Kidman plays a far more maternal and caring role than many of her fans would have seen her before, though in many ways, such a part allows her screen presence to blossom even more than usual. Jeremy Irvine as the young Eric is notable for the care taken with his preparation to channel not only the young Eric but also the young Eric of Colin Firth.
The concluding scenes with Nagase are powerful, especially then they first meet in the old railway prison interrogation room – the reality of these two times, etched in the participants’ memory coming together – face to face – is haunting.
For thinking movie goers, The Railway Man is excellent fare this Christmas season and for Teplitzky, a breakthrough movie that may well see him on the dais with his (til now perhaps) better known stars come awards time.
Kryztoff Rating 4.5K
Kryztoff spoke with director about The Railway Man and that interview can be seen HERE
Also, see his separate comments about working with and personalities of Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman by clicking HERE.
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