To End All Wars
Encyclopedia
To End All Wars is a 2001 war film
starring Robert Carlyle
, Kiefer Sutherland
and Sakae Kimura and directed by David L. Cunningham
.
ese prisoner of war
labour camp where the inmates are building the Burma Railway during the last three and a half years of World War II
.
The screenplay is based on the autobiography
of Ernest Gordon
and recounts the experiences of faith
and hope of the interned men. The autobiography was originally published under the name Through the Valley of the Kwai
, then later as Miracle on the River Kwai (not to be confused with the separate novel The Bridge over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle). Gordon's book was finally re-issued with the title To End All Wars to tie in with the film.
, Hawai'i, with some excerpt shots of Thailand
. The film was rated R in the U.S. for war violence and brutality, and for some language.
review aggregator website. The film was awarded the Crystal Heart Award and Grand Prize for Dramatic Feature at the Heartland Film Festival
.
on her subsequent solo albums, most recently 'Mo Mhian' on My Match Is A Makin'
.
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
starring Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
, Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
and Sakae Kimura and directed by David L. Cunningham
David Loren Cunningham
David L. Cunningham, born in Switzerland and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, is an international filmmaker. Besides his documentary credits in more than 40 countries, Cunningham has also directed several feature films including To End All Wars and the TV miniseries The Path to 9/11...
.
Storyline
The film is set in a JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
labour camp where the inmates are building the Burma Railway during the last three and a half years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The screenplay is based on the autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of Ernest Gordon
Ernest Gordon
Ernest Gordon was the former Presbyterian dean of the chapel at Princeton University. A native of Scotland, as an officer in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Gordon spent three years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during the Second World War...
and recounts the experiences of faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and hope of the interned men. The autobiography was originally published under the name Through the Valley of the Kwai
Through the Valley of the Kwai
Through the Valley of the Kwai is the autobiography of a Scottish captain named Ernest Gordon and recounts the experiences of faith and hope of the men held in a Japanese prisoner of war labour camp, building the Burma Railway during the last three and a half years of World War II.The book was...
, then later as Miracle on the River Kwai (not to be confused with the separate novel The Bridge over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle). Gordon's book was finally re-issued with the title To End All Wars to tie in with the film.
Cast overview (first billed only)
- Robert CarlyleRobert CarlyleRobert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
- Maj. Ian CampbellIan CampbellIan or Iain Campbell may refer to:*Iain Campbell, Scottish footballer*Iain Campbell Smith, Australian diplomat, singer/songwriter and comedian*Ian Campbell, 12th Duke of Argyll , Scottish Peer and Chief of Clan Campbell... - Kiefer SutherlandKiefer SutherlandKiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
- Lt. Jim Rearton - Ciarán McMenaminCiarán McMenaminCiarán McMenamin is an Irish actor who is now living in South London. He is best known for playing Matt Anderson, replacing Jason Flemyng as lead on Primeval.- Early life :...
- Ernest GordonErnest GordonErnest Gordon was the former Presbyterian dean of the chapel at Princeton University. A native of Scotland, as an officer in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Gordon spent three years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during the Second World War... - Mark StrongMark StrongMark Strong is an English actor, with a body of work in both films and television. He has performed in films as varied as Body of Lies, Syriana, The Young Victoria, Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla, Stardust, and Kick-Ass...
- Dusty MillerDusty MillerJoan 'Dusty' Miller, O.Ont is a former Canadian politician who served as the first woman mayor of Thunder Bay, Ontario from 1978 until the end of 1980 when she was defeated. Miller was married to Lakehead University history professor Tom Miller. Prior to her political activity, she was active in... - Sakae Kimura - Ito
- Masayuki Yui - Noguchi
- James CosmoJames CosmoJames Cosmo is a prolific Scottish actor, with numerous credits in film and television since the late 1960s and Cosmo is still currently acting. Cosmo was born in Clydebank, Scotland, the son of actor James Copeland...
- Coloniel McLean - John Gregg - Dr. Coates
- Shu Nakajima - Nagatomo
- Yugo Saso - Takashi Nagase
- Pip TorrensPip TorrensPip Torrens is an English actor.He was born in Bromley, Kent, England. He studied English Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge...
- Foxworth - Adam SinclairAdam Sinclair (actor)Adam Sinclair is a Scottish film and television actor. Sinclair is originally from East Kilbride but now lives near Venice Beach, California with his disc jockey wife Michelle Kath, and son Hamish.- Filmography :*Boyz Unlimited as Jason Jackson...
- Jocko - Winton Nicholson - Duncan
- Greg EllisGreg Ellis (actor)Greg Ellis is an English actor known for his TV, movie, and video game voice over work. He has appeared in films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the 2009 Star Trek film , Titanic, Beowulf, To End All Wars, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith...
- Primrose - James McCarthy - Norman
- Daryl BonillaDaryl BonillaDaryl Bonilla is an actor, comedian, professional wrestler and founder of the Hawaii based professional wrestling company Action Zone Wrestling , where he serves as booker, announcer and wrestler.-Acting:...
- POW - Joji Yoshida - Guard #1
Production
It was filmed primarily on the island of KauaiKauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, Hawai'i, with some excerpt shots of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The film was rated R in the U.S. for war violence and brutality, and for some language.
Reception
The film holds a 64% positive rating, based on 11 reviews, on the Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
review aggregator website. The film was awarded the Crystal Heart Award and Grand Prize for Dramatic Feature at the Heartland Film Festival
Heartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. First held in 1992, its goal is to "recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."In May 2007, Heartland...
.
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack was never released as a stand-alone release. Various songs have been re-recorded by Moya BrennanMoya Brennan
Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
on her subsequent solo albums, most recently 'Mo Mhian' on My Match Is A Makin'
My Match Is A Makin'
My Match Is A Makin' is a music album by Irish musicians Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra. This is Moya's eighth album to be released. It was released on the 14 April 2010 exclusively to concert goers on her Spring 2010 tour of The Netherlands...
.