If the railway man, like many films about combat, is reflexively antiwar, it unabashedly. The only glaring issue with the railway man is its treatment of the story. Its a very british film which, behind its initially stiff upper lip, connects with deep emotions that make it a quietly moving story of forgiveness and redemption. I stopped eating for role in the railway man the actor who rose to stardom in steven spielbergs war horse went to extraordinary lengths starvation, waterboarding.
The railway man 2014, directed by jonathan teplitzky. I remained involved in the story, but i do wish it had a bit more focus or maybe was told in a linear fashion. Australian director jonathan teplitzky has adapted the traumatic events. It is an adaptation of the 1995 autobiography of the same name by eric. Everything you want to know about the filming locations is right here. Still, one of the wonders of lomaxs story is that in.
Rent the railway man 2014 starring nicole kidman and stellan skarsgard on dvd and bluray. The railway man remains a moving film, with strong performances, but its intentions are perhaps better than its delivery. Apr 16, 2014 the scenes in the railway man showing the brutality inflicted on lomax and his fellow prisoners are brief paterson estimates that entirety of the films violence takes up a total of four. Apr, 2014 director jonathan teplitzky the railway man talks about the humanity and forgiveness and how colin firth carried the character as an actor, and finding actors that match characters at. The films writer frank cottrell boyce last wrote sometimes always never and goodbye christopher robin. Jan 26, 2015 the railway man director aims to reteam with producer chris brown on mr crankypants, a black comedy in the vein of their 2003 hit gettin square. Donald utters the last words of the film, madness, madness. That is the situation that the railway man, a britishaustralian drama starring two of americas most respected imports, colin firth and nicole kidman, found itself in earlier this year. The railway man is engaging to a point, but when the films schizophrenic focus fails to create an attachment to the lead character, the climax and conclusion mostly fall flat, leaving the.
Railway man is in some ways your most ambitious film. A look at the the railway man behindthescenes crew and production team. The railway man is a small film being distributed by the weinstein company that is based on the autobiography of eric lomax, a british military man in world war ii who finds himself in a japaneserun prison camp in 1942. It is an adaptation of the 1995 autobiography of the same name by eric lomax, and stars colin firth, nicole kidman, jeremy irvine, and stellan skarsgard. The railway man packs an emotional punch to move even the coldest heart. With colin firth, nicole kidman, stellan skarsgard, jeremy irvine. The railway man is based on a true story and, even though this movie is flawed, is impactful in many ways. The railway man is a good movie with great actors that failed to hit the mark. Its certainly an interesting film, despite its unfocused narrative. Railway man director hopes graphic waterboarding scenes ignite. The railway man is the harrowing true story of a british soldier who lived to confront his torturer40 years later. The railway man is a 20 britishaustralian war film directed by jonathan teplitzky.
I thought it was important that the film embrace that. The film s director jonathan teplitzky last directed churchill and mr. The book won the ncr book award and the penackerley prize for autobiography synopsis. The railway man screenwriter talks films torture, ptsd. While a majority of the film transitions fluidly between key scenes and different time periods, certain turns in. Sep 07, 20 in an era of truly visceral war movies like those of kathryn bigelow, the railway man feels like an antiquated prestige miniseries. Growing up before world war ii, lomax is fascinated by railways. In an era of truly visceral war movies like those of kathryn bigelow, the railway man feels like an antiquated prestige miniseries. Interview with railway man director jonathan teplitzky. A former british army officer, who was tortured as a prisoner. The railway man 2014 rotten tomatoes movie trailers.
A former british army officer, who was tortured as a prisoner of war at a japanese labor camp during world war ii, discovers that the man responsible for much of his treatment is still alive and sets out to confront him. Apr 17, 2014 director jonathan teplitzky recreates the era and the railway with meticulous attention to detail. Advertisement with usborn, ukbased writer brock norman brock hes developing don don, a feature about the encounter between a new york millionaire and a thai buddhist monk, both named don. Teplitzky depicts it all in an artfully staged and lighted fashion. Director jonathan teplitzky talks the railway man if magazine. Based on the remarkable bestselling autobiography, the railway man tells the. There are so many big names in the railway man that i expected it to be nothing but brilliant. This included being beaten, kicked, waterboarded and locked up in a bamboo cage the size of a large dog crate.
The railway man is an evocative, intelligent, and well made dramatic film based upon the real life story told by eric lomax in his published autobiography. Director jonathan teplitzky the railway man talks about the humanity and forgiveness and how colin firth carried the character as an actor, and finding actors that match characters at. The railway man 20 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The film s writer frank cottrell boyce last wrote sometimes always never and goodbye christopher robin. Look, you try very hard not to set out to make simply a. Adapted by australian director jonathan teplitzky from a memoir written by world war ii veteran eric lomax, who was captured by japanese soldiers and set to work on the thaiburma railway, railway man is one of this years pedigree boxing day releases. While david leans film displayed a sanitized view of the slave labor conditions that between. Sceen it is the ultimate guide for locations of movies and tv series with stars like jeremy irvine or colin firth. Dec 20, 20 close to 2,600 people awarded the railway man with an extended standing ovation at the films gala premiere screening at the toronto international film festival this year. A remarkable film in every way, it relates the true story of eric lomax, a british soldier.
His experiences, after the secret radio he built to bring news and hope to his colleagues was discovered, left him traumatised and shut off from the world. Sep 07, 20 the railway man is engaging to a point, but when the films schizophrenic focus fails to create an attachment to the lead character, the climax and conclusion mostly fall flat, leaving the. Colin firth as former prisoner of war eric lomax in the railway man. The film is an adaptation of an autobiography of a british officer eric lomax, who was a. Everything you need to know about the railway man movie 2014. The films director jonathan teplitzky last directed churchill and mr. The reallife patti lomax attended the films world premiere at the toronto film festival in 20. Allstarthe weinstein companysportsphoto ltdallstar the railway man 20 director. The railway man ponders reconciliation rather than revenge. The star on his new film the railway man with nicole. Railway man director hopes graphic waterboarding scenes.
Colin firth gave a wonderful performance that must be reward with an oscar nomination or maybe winning, because he is all talent. Nicole kidman, stellan skarsgard, colin firth director. In the film, patti cant get the story out of him, so. The star on his new film the railway man with nicole kidman by the globe and mail.
In churchill, the new film directed by jonathan teplitsky the railway man, the story focuses not just on the 96 hours before dday but also what churchill was thinking in the days leading up to it. Railway man director hopes graphic waterboarding scenes ignite torture debate. The film is a dramatized version telling his story with academy award winners colin firth the kings speech, bridget jones diary and nicole kidman birth, the hours in the leading roles. In the opening part of the film lomax and patti wallace, his future wife, are on a train and i immediately thought this was set somewhere in the late sixties, but in fact it is supposed to be in the early eighties lomax was around sixty at the time but he looks like a secondary school. The railway man film the railway man is a 20 britishaustralian war film directed by jonathan teplitzky. In the week that 12 years a slave offers a definitive take on slavery in america, it would be easy to overlook a quieter film examining a related topic from more recent history. The railway man director jonathan teplitzky interview. The film has an exceptional cast including stellan skarsgard, nicole kidman. The railway man director aims to reteam with producer chris brown on mr crankypants, a black comedy in the vein of their 2003 hit gettin square. Colin firth, jeremy irvine, nicole kidman, stellan skarsgard, hiroyuki sanada, tanroh ishida.
The japanese are seeking to build the great railroad from thailand to india on the backs of their. Austere and oldfashioned almost to a fault, the railway man offers tastefully safe treatment of a horrific subject. Eric lomaxs autobiography has been adapted as a moving film about posttraumatic stress by australian director jonathan teplitzsky burning man. Sanada and firths encounter is way too short and under examined. The source material is a 1995 autobiography by eric lomax, a british army officer who was captured by the japanese during the fall of singapore, forced to participate in. The scenes in the railway man showing the brutality inflicted on lomax and his fellow prisoners are brief paterson estimates that entirety of the films violence takes up a total of four. Colin firth gave a wonderful performance that must be reward with an oscar.
New tracks for the railway man director if magazine. Shot between 2008 and 2016, on every operating railway route in thailand according to the title card that closes out the film, sompot chidgasornpongses directorial debut closely observes a crosssection of life and activity in the railway cars that crisscross the country. The railway man jumps back and forth between lomax and finlay remembering this harrowing time and images of the torture itself. The railway man 20 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and. The scenes between kidman and skarsgards characters are masterfully done, but there wasnt time to dig any deeper into. Railway man is a genuine surprisea film that heads toward a revenge drama before pivoting into a much more. The film is an adaptation of an autobiography of a british officer eric lomax, who was a prisoner of war in a japanese camp. Rent the railway man 2014 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Based on eric lomaxs bestselling memoir, the railway man is an. The story is based on the book by eric lomax, the lead character in the film, played by colin firth and his experiences as a british officer held by the japanese armyand those of many of his colleagues in building the death railway and as important, his inability to let go of what happened, thus reliving the brutality of what happened, the suffering caused mentally as well as physically each day and night. The film, directed by jonathan teplitzky burning man from a screen adaptation of lomaxs 1995. The railway man is an autobiographical book by eric lomax about his experiences as a prisoner of war during world war ii and being forced to help build the thai burma railway for the japanese military.
Title the railway man the weinstein company and screen australia in association with silver reel, screen queesnland, creative scotland, screen nsw and lionsgate uk present. Growing up before world war ii, lomax is fascinated by railways and spends his holidays trying to spot. I thought it was important that the film embrace that, the director tells the hollywood reporter. When director jonathan teplitzky invited the real patti lomax on stage, who is portrayed in the film by nicole kidman, the ovation was triggered once more. Fastforward some fifty years to director jonathan teplitskysthe railway manand once again the setting is the jungles of burma and the themes of madness associated with the forced slavelabor building of the thaiburma death railway by the japanese during world war ii. When director jonathan teplitzky invited the real patti lomax on stage, who is portrayed in the film by nicole kidman, the ovation was. The railway man is a peculiar act of prestige filmmaking, a dramatization of a revealing memoir that contains scenes of great, quaking horror, but also ones that seem to have been designed to blunt the impact of its truths. Apr 11, 2014 the railway man jumps back and forth between lomax and finlay remembering this harrowing time and images of the torture itself.
Close to 2,600 people awarded the railway man with an extended standing ovation at the films gala premiere screening at the toronto international film festival this year. Years later, he met patti, a beautiful woman, on a train and fell in. Director jonathan teplitzkys film remains respectable and restrained until the very endbut the performances are so strong and the ultimate. The railway man is an autobiographical book by eric lomax about his experiences as a prisoner of war during world war ii and being forced to help build the thaiburma railway for the japanese military. The railway man is a stark reminder of what it means to be a hero regardless of the horrendous treatment received at the hands of the enemy. Jeremy irvine in the railway man 20 colin firth at an event for the. The railway man director jonathan teplitzky interview youtube. The railway man, a true tale of wartime torment and reconciliation. Colin firth gives another rich and persuasive performance as lomax, a railway enthusiast haunted by wartime memories. Jonathan teplitzky is a director and writer, known for the railway man 20, burning man 2011 and gettin square 2003. Dec 24, 20 with a big budget and a starstudded cast, it is the largest project yet for teplitzky, whose films include better than sex 2000, gettin square 2003 and burning man 2011. Film guide international day of peace, 21 sep a film guide that looks at the railway man 20, exploring its key topics and themes through informal discussion. The railway man 2014, directed by jonathan teplitzky film. Director jonathan teplitzky talks the railway man if.
Nicole kidmann and colin firth at tiff 20 gala presentation of the. The railway man tends to get better as it goes along. Pows that the japanese forced to work on the construction of the thaiburma railway. A look at the the railway man behind the scenes crew and production team.
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