Yesterday's Enemy

Yesterday's Enemy

3/5/1960 1h 35m 7.2/10

Overview

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.

Director

Val Guest

Top Billed Cast

Gordon Jackson

Gordon Jackson

Sgt. MacKenzie

Leo McKern

Leo McKern

Max

Stanley Baker

Stanley Baker

Captain Langford

Richard Pasco

Richard Pasco

2nd Lieutenant Hastings

Guy Rolfe

Guy Rolfe

Padre

David Oxley

David Oxley

Doctor

Reviews

John Chard

3/28/2015

9/10

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

Similar Movies

The Man Who Never Was

7.0

The Man Who Never Was

1956

A Walk in the Sun

5.8

A Walk in the Sun

1945

Before the Fall

7.0

Before the Fall

2004

Waterloo Bridge

7.5

Waterloo Bridge

1940

Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!

7.9

Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!

1966

'Pimpernel' Smith

7.1

'Pimpernel' Smith

1941

Twenty-Four Eyes

7.7

Twenty-Four Eyes

1954

None But the Brave

6.4

None But the Brave

1965

Objective, Burma!

6.9

Objective, Burma!

1945

Tea with Mussolini

6.5

Tea with Mussolini

1999

Interrupted Song

3.2

Interrupted Song

1960

Attack! The Battle for New Britain

6.0

Attack! The Battle for New Britain

1944