The Railway Man is a complex WWII drama, based on the true story of POW Eric Lomax

I often have mixed feelings when I decide to watch a war movie.  My hope when I do, is that the film is going to criticize and show the consequences of war, rather than portray war as glorious. I prefer war films that highlight the complexities of human experiences, rather than a black and white, good versus evil approach. The Railway Man is a film that focuses on the aftermath of war and forgiveness.

The film is based on the autobiography of Eric Lomax and his experiences during World War II. The film cuts back and forth between Eric’s (played by Colin Firth in 1980 and Jeremy Irvine in 1942) life in 1942 and 1980. The film opens in 1980 where Eric meets Patti (Nicole Kidman) on a train ride. The two fall in love and eventually get married. Patti soon realizes that Eric still suffers from his experiences during the war and tries to find out what happened to him. When Eric is not forthcoming, Patti asks his friend, Finlay (played by Stellan Skarsgård in 1980 and Sam Reid in 1942), who served with Eric during the war. Finlay shares with Patti how after they surrendered in Singapore, they were transported by train as prisoners of war to work on a railway for the Japanese. When Eric, Finlay, and their friends build a radio, and Eric begins to work on a map, they are found out. Eric steps forward and accepts the blame and he is taken away. Finlay does not know what happened to Eric while he was gone; however, he does know the man responsible, Takeshi Nagase. Takeshi (played by Hiroyuki Sanada in 1980 and Tanroh Ishida in 1942) was an interpreter, but also took part in Eric’s torture. Finlay finds a picture of Takeshi in the newspaper and encourages Eric to seek his revenge, and Eric eventually confronts him.

The film focuses on the post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by Eric following the torture he endured. The story is told in a non-linear way where, not only is there the back and forth between 1980 and 1942, but it also includes the hallucinations Eric experiences. This operates well in the film as Eric is fighting with his own mind over the memory of his trauma.  The other interesting aspect is that what happens in 1942 is almost entirely told through different narratives. Patti tells Finlay the part of the story Eric told her, Finlay tells Patti his own memories of the war, and, during his confrontation with Takeshi, Eric’s perspective of the events is illustrated. There is also a chance to see Takeshi’s memory during Eric’s torture and Takeshi’s time following the war. The storytelling is what I found most intriguing about the film because, as I mentioned earlier, most war movies focus on the black and white, whereas this film allows for a combination of perspectives. The film makes clear that the experiences of the war continue to be impactful even after the war is over.

This isn’t the typical film that comes out this time of year. The spring/summer movie season is full of comedy, action, and superhero films; rarely do we see dramas of this caliber this time of year. The performances in this film are excellent, but understated. They’re not the kinds of performances where the actors are going for the biggest expression or the most dramatic moment. The portrayals in this film are of people dealing with emotion from the inside and, yet, these feelings translate to the audience nicely. Also, the cinematography is beautiful. The only negative aspect is that it takes time for the film to get started at the beginning. It feels a little bit slow, but it does give the viewer a chance to gauge the tone and feel of the film. Overall, The Railway Man is a well-structured film with superb acting.