"Madness!"

Rating: 9/10 (21 November 2006)

This one is a classic example of a past cinematic era. Epic and a little out of hand, it holds a great esthetic appeal. While the film ostensibly has the structure of a traditional action-movie, complete with climatic explosion in the end, the tone and subtext is unique.
It has a wonderfully complex narrative structure in particular in reference to the main characters, which are all flawed, sophisticated, and textured. The film simply does not allow for simple characterizations of protagonists and antagonists. Shears (William Holden) is the closest thing to a classic hero, but he is a malinger, impersonates an officer, and only ends up in the mission because the alternative is the brig. Warden (Jack Hawkins) is a quirky ex-professor who ends up killing his own men. Clipton (James Donald) is clear-eyed, but completely passive. Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) is a fish out of water, cruel, vain, but in an odd way sympathetic because he is so completely beaten down by the end. Nicholson (Alec Guinness) is perhaps the bravest and most charismatic character, but also a man of limited vision, possible insane. Guinness' performance is very subtle and careful. We get to identify with Nicholson and almost rooting for his mad schemes to succeed. And that is why, at the very end, his moment of clarity is utterly powerful and devastating.