The Railway Man (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Jonathan Teplitzky (director) |
Key people | Chris Brown, Bill Curbishley, Andy Paterson (producers) |
| Products | War film |
| Parent | Screen Queensland, Screen Australia, Silver Reel, Creative Scotland |
The Railway Man is a 2013 war film helmed by director Jonathan Teplitzky, based on the 1995 memoir written by Eric Lomax. The cast features Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Irvine, and Stellan Skarsgård. Its debut screening took place at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2013.
The production was overseen by Chris Brown, Bill Curbishley, and Andy Paterson, with backing from organizations such as Screen Queensland, Screen Australia, Silver Reel, and Creative Scotland, among others. Distribution responsibilities were handled by prominent companies including Paramount Pictures and Lionsgate UK, focusing on audiences in Australia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and France.
With an $18 million budget, The Railway Man earned $22.3 million worldwide. The film’s visual storytelling was crafted by cinematographer Garry Phillips, while David Hirschfelder composed the score, both contributing to its resonance within English-language territories internationally.
Plot
Set during World War II, British officer Eric Lomax is taken prisoner by Japanese forces in Singapore and compelled to work on constructing the Thai-Burma Railway. While imprisoned, Lomax endures torture inflicted by the Kempeitai after being accused of espionage for assembling a radio receiver intended to uplift fellow prisoners’ spirits. Eventually, Lomax and surviving inmates are liberated by British troops.
Years later, Lomax continues to grapple with emotional scars from his ordeal, supported by his wife Patricia, who has a passion for railways. His companion and fellow former prisoner Finlay informs him that their previous captor, Japanese interpreter Takashi Nagase, is now employed as a tour guide at the very camp where they were held. Before Lomax can meet Nagase, Finlay takes his own life. Determined, Lomax journeys to Thailand to confront Nagase and relives the trauma through intense questioning.
The encounter intensifies when Lomax menaces Nagase with instruments once used for torture on POWs. Nagase admits he had been subjected to brainwashing during the conflict and was unaware of the full extent of the Imperial Japanese Army’s atrocities. Ultimately, Lomax lets Nagase go, discards his weapon, and returns home to Britain.
Following a remorseful letter from Nagase, Lomax and Patricia revisit Thailand where they share a heartfelt reconciliation. The epilogue notes their enduring friendship until Nagase’s passing in 2011 and Lomax’s death in 2012.
Cast
- Colin Firth as Eric Lomax
- Jeremy Irvine as Young Eric Lomax
- Nicole Kidman as Patricia Lomax (née Wallace)
- Stellan Skarsgård as Finlay
- Sam Reid as Young Finlay
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Takashi Nagase
- Tanroh Ishida as Young Takashi Nagase
- Ewen Leslie as Thompson
Production
During the development of the screenplay, co-writers Frank Cottrell Boyce and Colin Firth visited Eric Lomax at his home in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland; he was then 91 years old. Firth emphasized that the film delves into the enduring psychological impact of war, prioritizing an exploration of relationships and lasting emotional wounds rather than solely depicting immediate suffering.
Rachel Weisz was originally cast for the role of Patricia but had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts involving reshoots for another project.
Principal photography commenced in April 2012 across various sites including Edinburgh, Perth, Berwick-upon-Tweed, North Berwick, and St Monans in Scotland before relocating to Thailand and Ipswich in Queensland, Australia.
Box office
The movie generated $4.4 million domestically in the United States and accumulated $17.9 million from international markets, resulting in a global total near $22.3 million.
Critical response
With 128 reviews counted, Rotten Tomatoes assigns the film a 67% approval rating and an average score of 6.4 out of 10, recognizing its heartfelt true story and compelling lead acting despite a somewhat sluggish pace. Metacritic presents a score of 59/100 from 33 critiques, reflecting a generally mixed or average consensus.
Performances by Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, and Jeremy Irvine were widely praised. Reviewers highlighted Kidman’s powerful and restrained depiction of a middle-aged survivor, avoiding overt sentimentality, while Firth received accolades for his intense portrayal of a man wrestling with trauma. Certain critics pointed out that the narrative’s link between trauma and resolution felt somewhat too tidy.
Accolades
Historical accuracy
Philip Towle, a specialist in prisoner-of-war treatment from University of Cambridge, awarded the film three stars out of five regarding its historical authenticity. In BBC History Magazine's History Extra, he commended the depiction of POW hardships and Japanese behavior but remarked that the film’s representation of former POWs after the war was somewhat generalized.
Towle also clarified that the encounter between Lomax and his captor was preceded by letters, contrasting with the film’s portrayal as an unexpected meeting. He emphasized that by the time of rescue, the railway was nearly finished and that principal dangers faced by POWs included starvation, illness, allied bombings, and possible execution orders from Japanese authorities as the war concluded.
Additional resources
- The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957 motion picture)
- The Narrow Road to the Deep North (novel)
External resources
- Articles with short description
- 2013 films
- 2013 biographical drama films
- 2013 war drama films
- Australian biographical drama films
- Australian war drama films
- British biographical drama films
- British war drama films
- War drama films based on true events
- Burma Campaign films
- Films based on biographies
- Films set in Northumberland
- Films set in Thailand
- Films set in the 1980s
- Films shot in East Lothian
- Films shot in Edinburgh
- Films shot in Fife
- Films shot in Scotland
- Films shot in Thailand
- Pacific War films
- World War II films based on true events
- World War II prisoner of war films
- APRA Award recipients
- Films scored by David Hirschfelder
- 2013 drama films
- Screen Australia productions
- Transmission Films productions
- Lionsgate productions
- Films filmed at Village Roadshow Studios
- Films directed by Jonathan Teplitzky
- 2010s English-language films
- 2010s British films
- English-language war drama films
- English-language biographical drama films
- Screen Australia films