Customer Reviews

To End All Wars [VHS]

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"To End All Wars" is far and away the most gripping film I have ever seen. What begins as a prisoner-of-war story in the WWII Pacific Theatre, ends in the viewer's most private chambers of the heart and mind. People left so quietly out of the theatre that only a light rustling could be heard. Jack Cosmos delivers the single most impressive moment in acting that I have ever seen in film; an explosive moment that will leave all who see it breathless--if not catatonic. New-comer to the States, Ciaran McMenamin delivers when it comes to the raw moment that he realises he is in hell already; he takes on the manner of paranoid schizophrenic as he suddenly stumbles away from the chow line. Sutherland's acting as the lone Yank brings in a performance of steel, which later goes through a metamorphosis that must be seen. Carlisle displays a range of the most complex emotions imaginable with textured grace and flawless perfection. Mark Strong, who plays Dusty, exudes an inner dynamic and peace in the face of everything that demands hate. His very presence on screen is reassuring. There is a luminosity Strong brings to any scene that characterizes what is best about this movie.

This Indie has Academy Awards written all over it--but it must be seen in order to be nominated. I plan on seeing it several times to pick up more of Producer Hafer and Director Cunningham's subtle and oblique slants on ethics, what is true greatness and how are we to grip tightly to what we hold nearest and dearest.

I had never heard of this film. I picked it up because it looked to be an interesting war movie. On closer inspection, I became suspicious and suspected an apology and justification for Japanese war crimes. Just moments into it, I flipped the otehr way and thought it would be an acurate (as to the horrors of the Japanese treatment of prisoners) but shallow, depicting all Japanese as monsters and all allies as saints. Neither suspicion was well founded.

The brutality and horror of the Japanese treatment of POWs is graphically protrayed here. Some survivors who have seen it have horrified me by indicating that the movie pulled some of its punches and the reality was even worse. The thought that that could be true is utterly terrifying but does not detract from this film's ability to realistically protray that brutality. The film also protrays some virtues on some Japanese. The ugly facts are present but so too are some acts of humanity.

Neither were all the allied parts played as some sort of supermen. They had their good points and their bad. On balance, they WERE the good guys. That does not stop them from having the same assortment of humanity, with all its goods and ills, that any large gathering could be expected to have.

The story of the movie is fairly simple. Prisoners from the 93rd Regiment, the Argylle and Sutherland Highlanders, are forced to labor on a military railway by their Japanese captors. With them is a single American officer. The movie depicts the story of their mistreatment and their efforts to survive the horrors. Part of their approach in maintaining a degree of civilization amidst the barbarity is to run a "school". The school teaches such subjects as philosophy, music, drama, ethics and even Christian doctrine. They utilize whatever knowledge is possessed by the POWs. Some are skeptical but others thrive. The school gives hope. It is also apparent that the labors of the teachers bear fruit, especially with the concept of forgiveness. In the end, it is the ideas of forgiveness and redemption in the midst of suffering and brutality which are the point of the film.

It seems that some commentators take exception to the Christian message protrayed. Too bad. The story is taken from the account of a serving officer who became a chaplain at Princeton after the war. His story is a Christian one. I have no doubt that someone of a different faith would have couched his message in different imagry but that would have been a different story, not this one.

This is a powerful film. It cannot properly be calle entertainment (I hope) but it is still worthwhile. This graphic violence and suffering is difficult to take sometimes but the message is worth the effort. It is a work of excellence.

If I had never read the book (which happens to be FACT, it is written by Ernest Gordon himself), I would have thought this was a fine movie, and liked it.

but the movie has so successfully watered down the christianity of the book....the movie retained about 20% of the "religion".

While this may work fine for many other stories (I understand many audiences resent "religion" on screen).....this almost killed it. Because that was the whole point.

In the movie, the brutalized men become human again after reciting Shakespeare&Plato.... For Heaven's sake, it was the Gospels that they were actually reading!!!

I suppose it now will touch English Teachers deeply....but it no longer corresponds to reality...

ALso....two nonfactual messages were slipped into the movie that made it more palatable to Politically Correct people, but was very offensive, insulting the memory of dead men.
First: the movie spreads the lie (originating from the grossly inaccurate film "Bridge over the river kwai") that the POW's gleefully helped the Jap's construction projects....projects that would help the Japs imperialist conquests of mass rape and civilian torture. (Do you know what the Japs did to the Chineses and Koreans? Its as evil top notch...ripped open pregnant women for sport, etc.)
BUt in REALITY, Ernest GOrdon devoted a page of the book to DEBUNKING the whole lie. He clearly wrote that the men worked under watchful eyes of guards and whips, at point of bayonet, and whenever they could, SABOTAGED or shoddily built things on PURPOSE.

Second: at the end of the film, the POW's stare at the liberating Allied soldiers as if they were some aliens from Mars. There is a hint of hostility, and a feeling that the POWs have now all become peaceniks.
BUT in REALITY, Ernest Gordon writes, they hoisted some stunned paratroopers onto their shoulders, and shouted themselves hoarse with joy, hoisting up a Union Jack onto the flagpole....

THere. I had to set the record straight.

I know the directors probably didn't want to be "preachy", but for heaven's sake, ERNEST GORDON BECAME A PREACHER. THAT IS WHAT HE WAS DOING IN THE DEATH CAMPS!!!

Btw, a good family friend of mine was converted by Ernest Gordon after the War. And yes, my Korean Grandparents suffered under the brutal Japanese Occupation, until being liberated by the Allies.

This movie offers a strong message of characters that choose vengeance or forgiveness. Choosing vengeance and pursuing hatred destroys by the end of the movie the men who embrace them. Choosing forgiveness and displaying mercy rewards the men who exercise them.

"To End All Wars" is definitely a violent, gory, blood-and-guts war movie, but is very well done. The theme is definitely Christian in nature. It's a good film for Christian men who may be trying to understand the nature of Christ's unconditional love and substitutional death. It's definitely not a chick flick, but a great film for older male teens and men.

This is a film that everyone should view. Why it has never aired in the U.S. is beyond me. It's one of the most powerful films every, & is one of the best WWII films ever made, in addition to being an excellent history lesson.

Do yourself a favor & watch this excellent film. For the weak of heart, it has some moments that will make you squirm. PLEASE . . . watch the film anyway. You will understand why you should watch it, when you see how this film teaches the power of forgiveness.

To give it only five stars is such an understatement.

Based on the true story about the scottish regiment the argyll and sutherland highlanders 'to end all wars' is a superb story of survival in hell, although the movie is based on the building of a railroad through the burmese jungle the focus is more on events within the pow camp. the fear of beatings for no reason are a constant threat and malnutrition, disease and death are everday life, horrific scenes of soldiers being badly beating up will make you shiver particuarly kiefer sutherlands character 'yanka'.
the finale credits show you real footage of the meeting between an argyle soldier and japanese officer of which both men are characters portrayed in the movie. all in all not being a war movie buff i found this totally enjoyable.

I saw this film at a test screening quite a while ago and have been waiting for it to be released. I've told all my friends and family that they must see this film as soon as it is available. I don't understand why it didn't come out in a theatrical release, the quality is so much higher than all the films playing at my local theatre. Please support filmmakers who dare to make meaningful films and support this movie.

The film follows a group of allied POWs and the atrocities they face in a brutal detention camp. The film doesn't scrimp on depicting the conditions and there are some squemish moments, but it is well worth it. Eventually the men have to decide to work together if they are going to survive. In the midst of the most awful kind of evil they explore the meaning of life, and justice and learn from the teachings of Plato and Jesus.

The flim is ultimately an exploration of forgiveness and reconciliation. This film asks questions that our world needs to hear today: At what price mercy? Who is my brother?

To End All Wars is a profound journey that I urge you to take -- it's one you won't forget.

I stumbled across this film in a video store in Australia. I wanted to see if it was available in America yet and lo and behold it is! The story of this film is shocking. I couldn't help but compare it to "Bridge on the River Kwai", while watching it. Both films deal with similiar subject matter but this film takes the viewer where a 1950's audience could not go. Any attempt of negotiating with the captors is impossible. Escape also being impossible, the captives basically read philosophy to stay alive. An education amidst the horrors keeps the prisoners alive. This passive approach to survival is in great contrast to any other I have seen. Absolutely, marvellously astounding movie for anyone who has faith in the human character in the darkest of situations.

I'm not an advocate of war by any means. War is brutal and savage and brings out the worst in humanity and should be avoided as much as possible. But like all things, good can come out of the bad. Redemption and forgiveness can result from the suffering and destruction. And To End All Wars demonstrates this powerfully. The story has great character development, which is performed by some of the best actors around (all of whom are way underrated, in my opinion). In the POW camp and forced to build the railroad, in hopelessness and despair, the soldiers find redemption and hope and learn to forgive.

That this film is based on a true story makes it all the more powerful. I know the screenwriter not only worked with Ernest Gordon but he also did a lot of research to write this story. And most of what happens on screen indeed happened in real life.

This film is on par with Saving Private Ryan and Shindler's List in its emotional impact. I'm not sure if I could see it again because it is so intense. But I certainly recommend it to everyone as a not-to-be-missed film. Through it we see the reality of war as well as our need for forgiveness and redemption.

Movies that present lofty and transcendental truths are seldom devoid of cliché and sloganeering, not so with "To End All Wars." The words: powerful, life-changing, and inspiring are not hyperbolic in describing this faith-based true story. "To End" is akin to the iconic "The Bridge Over The River Kwai" in subject matter, theme, and the era of its occurrence (WW II).

Soldiers from the UK are imprisoned in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp in Thailand and are pushed to build a railroad line (Burma-Siam). The men are in the midst of dispossession and Japanese brutality as they seek to survive with self-respect and unflinching humanity. Kiefer Sutherland (should have earned an Oscar nomination) excels as an American who challenges the British mode of holding a stiff upper lip as one should just do your duty.

"To End All Wars" tells the true story of the POW Ernest Gordon. This movie is accurate to history in its presentation of the unlawful viciousness and the atrocities of the Japanese and with bad language earns its R rating (but the story requires therein).

This is not just an anti-war flick that exposes Japan's war cruelties, but is a story which depicts the truth that redemption, forgiveness, and human dignity can be maintained and displayed even in the midst of repression, revenge, war, despair, and suffering.

Buy this DVD, you will want to watch it every year on Memorial Day or Veteran's Day; stirring, deeply touching, and faith fortifying.
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