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poster of Yesterday's Enemy
Rating: 7.1/10 by 33 users

Yesterday's Enemy (1959)

Set during the Burma Campaign of World War 2, this is the story of courage and endurance of the soldiers struggling at close quarters against the enemy. The film examines the moral dilemmas ordinary men face during war, when the definitions of acceptable military action and insupportable brutality become blurred and distorted.

Directing:
  • John Peverall
  • Val Guest
  • Beryl Booth
Writing:
  • Peter R. Newman
Stars:
Release Date: Thu, Sep 10, 1959

Rating: 7.1/10 by 33 users

Alternative Title:

Country:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 35 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0

Plot Keyword: army, war correspondent, world war ii, burma, jungle, informant, british soldier, firing squad, anti war, japanese army

Stanley Baker
Captain Langford
Gordon Jackson
Sgt. MacKenzie
Richard Pasco
2nd Lieutenant Hastings
Wolfe Morris
The Informer
Burt Kwouk
Japanese Soldier
Timothy Bateson
Simpson (uncredited)
Alan Keith
Bendish (uncredited)
Arthur Lovegrove
Patrick (uncredited)
Edwina Carroll
Suni (uncredited)
Brandon Brady
Orderly (uncredited)
Donald Churchill
Elliott (uncredited)
Barry Steele
Brown (uncredited)
Howard Williams
Davies (uncredited)

John Chard

Stunning! "When You Go home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today" There's a school of thought in film world that all war films are anti-war films, some, however, are the definition of such and are cream of the crop. Yesterday's Enemy is one such picture. Out of Hammer Films, it's directed by Val Guest and written by Peter R. Newman. It stars Stanley Baker, Gordon Jackson, Guy Rolfe, Leo McKern and Philip Ahn. Story has the surviving members of a British Army Brigade holing up in a Burmese jungle village, where Captain Langford (Baker) happens upon a map that could prove critical to operations involving the Japanese forces in the area. Unable to get clarity from a potential traitor, Langford must make decisions that will outrage those in his quarters, but could well be for the greater good of the war effort. All while the Japanese are advancing on the village. There is no music here, this is purely a sweaty black and white piece that booms with literary class. These men caught in a claustrophobic crossfire of moral quandaries, faiths and life altering judgements. Complex issues are brilliantly handled by Guest and his superb cast, with ace cinematographer Arthur Grant (shooting in MegaScope) completely making a mockery of the stage bound production to make real a Burmese jungle village. Come the sobering finale the realisation dawns that this was a bold movie for its time, pushing the boundaries of 1950s war movies. It's a must see film for anyone interested in the real side of that famous saying, war is indeed hell. 9/10


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