To End All Wars (2001)

Absolutely brilliant

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie covers an interesting - and important - episode in the history of the war with Japan, and it ought to be realistic, being based on the actual experiences of Captain Ernest Gordon as a Japanese prisoner of war. But it is let down by a clichéd, lightweight script, more suited to the playful inanities of Dad's Army than the harrowing deprivations and violence of life in a concentration camp.The direction and editing too are amateurish: the end result is a disconnected sequence of scenes, with little narrative or emotional development. Only Robert Carlyle's passion, James Cosmo's gravity and the Japanese commanders' brutal aggression make some of the early scenes convincing, shockingly so. But realism soon evaporates as we see fit, healthy, well-fed men suddenly start dying (which has to be explained with voice-over); we find the prisoners mysteriously transported back and forth between the camp and the railroad construction site, over a hundred kilometers away; and the soldiers who labor hard by day are wakeful and eager of an evening to indulge in philosophical study.I wonder though why I am almost alone in dissenting? It seems that the movie's wholesome homespun morals appeal too readily to sentimental Christians.

"To End all Wars": Starring Robert Carlyle ("Go Now"), Keifer Sutherland, and MANY talented men. As the film began, it felt like a cousin to "Bridge on the River Kwai", but the plot slowly morphed to an even MORE complex set of ethical issues, with divisions not seen in that great 1950's film. I see this new one as more related to the movie "Andersonville" - our own true American tragedy of a P.O.W. camp during the Civil War - and what THAT experience demanded of those interned. "To End all Wars" is certainly an anti-war film, and a true story, but looks at many individuals for the complexity of dealing with the horror...and offers bits of consolation...where it can be found. Its elegant ending reminded me of "Schindler's List". "To End all Wars" deserves to be considered a PROFOUND film.

I'm sick to death of hearing 'Gladiator' described as a war film in certain high profile, influential polls. Yes,'Saving Private Ryan','Apocalypse Now' etc. are fantastic but i believe this film belongs in at LEAST the top 10 war film of all time.The film in short (which is a true story based on accounts of the main protagonist memoirs, the actors whose name i will not mention because it wont mean anything till you watch the film)is about a Scottish regiment being the last line of defense in the world war against the Japanese.They are caught by the Japanese & sent to a prisoner of war camp. I feel it right to stop there because the description of the film itself does no justice at all to its sheer brilliance.the supporting cast,kiefer sutherland & robert carlyle was reason enough to watch this film as thy play an extremely integral part to the tale,but alas this film is quite 'sickeningly' underrated. it teaches the power of forgiveness (as its tag line suggests)& i hope if the film was a real person it could forgive the Oscar film board and public.this film is the only film where despite the antagonistic portrayal of the Japanese, it has great respect for there culture via dialogue and also the development of the characters. The character 'Edo' (the shin-obi code faithful commander) is one to watch out for, despite his few lines in the film his elegance,stern demeanour & performance shines through. Not many people noticed this i believe & as not to spoil it there is one very beautifully emotional scene part way through the film which anyone who is going to watch it will know what i am talking about involving a prisoner called 'dusty' and the commander 'edo'.I am one man who cannot make a difference with this,i hope my word will not fall on deaf ears and you go out & watch this film on DVD. i have seen all the war films that have been praised, this really is the best one i have seen, THERE!,I SAID IT!

I am an aspiring filmmaker and enjoy, possibly obsess, on watching a lot of movies. I am known as the "movie guy" and people ask me for my two cents about films all the time. When I heard of "To End All Wars" it sounded promising and decided to give it a try. It never came to a theater near me, but I did get to rent it when it came out on DVD. I have to say that touched me beyond any movie I have never seen and you can't even imagine how many movies I have seen. The directing was beyond glorious, that I'm sure Steven Spielberg would be moved. I very much liked how he portrayed the POW's and the Japanese soldiers. The POW's are very shaky, hand-held look while on the opposite side the Japanese are very still and clear cut. The story was powerful and something everyone can learn from. The Christian subtext is light and only adds to the characters. The acting was fantastic! Robert Carlyle and Kiefer Sutherland gave amazing performances, but I do think that they were upstaged by Ciaran McMenamin and Mark Strong. They convicted me and touched my soul as they brought out, only what I can call true life. If you want to watch something that will make a true impact on you and leave you breathless, then this is the movie to go with. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.