Tortured mercilessly, he survived, psychologically scarred. If there's someone in your past, who still has a hold on your future, you need to see The Railway Man.“The Railway Man,” starring Colin Firth, is based on the autobiography of Eric Lomax, a British POW who was forced as a young officer by the Japanese to work on the infamous “Death Railway” connecting Burma and Siam during World War II.
While some of the war scenes are intense and harrowing, they're necessary to establish Lomax's fragile state of mind. These adjustments are only noticeable to those familiar with the history or autobiography and don't derail the emotional core of the drama. The Railway Man is not overly concerned with historical accuracy and has tweaked the story to create more dramatic tension. The prisoner-of-war scenes dig into a turgid part of war history that was only touched on by The Bridge on the River Kwai and while it languishes in understatement, it's still moving. The journey is engrossing and even though you may think you know how it ends, the real surprise is the emotional jolt before you disembark. The Railway Man may be slow-moving, but like a steady train it carries much power and weight. The editing and Irvine's performance smooths over the transitions quite masterfully, tuning a radio connection between the past and present.
He's in no rush, immersing us in the vivid recreation of the labour camp and Thai/Burma railway construction at one moment only to wallow in the quiet battlefield drama of the Lomax household. Irvine is unrecognisable, embracing the role to the point of losing a substantial amount of weight and subjecting himself to some of the torture.ĭirector Jonathan Teplitzky harnesses strong performances from his talented cast to relay this powerful true story. Then, Jeremy Irvine ( The War Horse) arguably delivers the most challenging performance, embodying Firth as Lomax to connect the histories. The ever-beautiful Kidman shatters the ice queen image and breathes life into a caring, committed and likable counterpart to Lomax. He's supported by Nicole Kidman as Patti in a performance that captures the woman's heartfelt concern for her husband.
Firth is dignified, yet affected - portraying a quiet, intelligent man obsessed with trains and desperately trying to find real intimacy in his marriage. Firth plays an older Lomax, whose memories of the war continue to haunt and distress him to the point of seeking closure. Both stories entrench themselves in the devastation of war, the dire consequences and each character's quest for closure.Ĭolin Firth, Nicole Kidman and Jeremy Irvine star in this quietly powerful, sometimes harrowing drama. The true story of Eric Lomax is inspiring, moving and incredibly powerful, echoing Unbroken - the biography of Louis Zamperini, which is currently being adapted to film with Angelina Jolie signed on to direct a screenplay written by the Coen brothers. Lomax's award-winning novel, The Railway Man, has been adapted into a film that shifts between his time as a prisoner working on the railway and his later life when he discovered that the man responsible for much of his torment was still alive. The Railway Man is a drama based on the life of Eric Lomax, a former British Army Officer, who was tortured as a prisoner-of-war at a Japanese labour camp during World War II.
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