King Rat
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Movie Reviews of King Rat
Movie Review: Classic POW film
Summary: 5 Stars
This film made a tremendous impact on me when I saw it as a young adult. Many years later, I saw the film again, and it held up quite well. I would rank it with All Quiet on the Western Front as a war movie, although of a different sort. The impressive cast is superb in their roles, and George Segal is outstanding in the lead role of the opportunistic and roguish wheeler/dealer, especially since he was a comparative unknown at the time. In this movie, there are few uplifting lessons to be gleaned amidst the interminable ennui and misery of prison camp life, in contrast to The Bridge Over the River Kwai, with which it shares some similarities. But in the latter movie, the prisoners triumph through sheer discipline, hard work, and stiff-upper-lip stoicality (to coin a horrible neologism, but I couldn't think of any other way to put it) over their power-crazed, cruel, venal, and lazier Japanese captors, in contrast to King Rat, where all we have are the ignoble oppressors and the miserable oppressed, and the brutal reality of prison camp life is omnipresent. Overall, one of the best POW movies and one which presaged Clavell's later and even greater success with the miniseries, Shogun.Movie Review: Survival under unthinkably brutal conditions
Summary: 5 Stars
"King Rat" is a faithful rendition of James Clavell's fine novel of the same name. British soldiers (with a sprinkling of American Gis among them) in Singapore were ordered to surrender, and were placed by the Japanese in the Chinga prison camp. The Japanese completely disrespected the Geneva Convention, and conditions in the camp quickly deteriorated to a very low order of existence in which one's daily caloric intake was at a starvation level, sanitation was nonexistent, and the level of brutality by the Japanese against the Allied prisoners was unconscionable.
Within the camp, an American corporal, against all odds, has managed, through his savvy, intelligence, and trading prowess, to survive and thrive. He has the officers in the camp on his "payroll" and he seeks to survive by pitting his wits against the Japanese, the officers in the camp, and his fellow prisoners. "Corporal King" ("the King") comes to dominate the camp, and this is the story of his struggle.
And a great story it is. George Segal is unforgettable as Corporal King. This is an engaging film that deserves more recognition than it has received. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: A Gem, and Yes, Better Than Kwai
Summary: 5 Stars
I missed the film when it was first released in 1965.
I saw it recently and found it the best WWII prison film.
I agree with David Thompson, it is Better Than
The Bridge on the River Kwai!
I've seen many George Segal's film over the years but
this is the first time that I found him a great actor in
drama, and not only in comedies.
In this gritty black & white film, he was supported a great
cast of British actors like John Mills, James Fox, James
Fox, etc.
Brian Forbes who started as an actor and screen writer
was one of the best British directors in the '60s
and this probably was his greatest achievement.
It is survival story of prisoners of war which revealed men's
tenacity and vulnerability under the most difficult conditions.
A gem of a film.
Movie Review: A Story of Humanity and Survival - Don't Miss It!
Summary: 5 Stars
Based on a novel by James Clavell, King Rat tells the story of life in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II. This was Clavell's first international success, and it drew on the author's personal experience as a prisoner of war.
Beautifully rendered, the film presents the humanity and inhumanity of people placed in extaordinary circumstances, and the spirit of survival inherent in us all.
You simply don't want to miss all the insights into human nature the film brings to its audience. The script is brilliant, the direction sure and deft, and the acting superb. I highly recommend this film for anyone who enjoys intelligent film making at its best.
Movie Review: Gripping true story
Summary: 5 Stars
I didn't realize that the author actually lived this movie, but should have. The acting, in my opinion, is what makes this a moving
experience, with no performances that I would consider "light weight". My personal favorite is Fox here; a touch of class in a real hell hole. These men for the most part are each heroic in maintaining their manhood and dignity. The film is stark alright, but is endowed with a cinematography that is an asset all around. Segal may have anticlimactically gone out as a corporal, but is the
"king". This is one of the few flicks that I can honestly say haven't become numbed by Hollywood after repeated viewings.