To End All Wars |  | Director: David L. Cunningham
Actors: Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland, Ciarán McMenamin, Mark Strong, Yugo Saso
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $2.37
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Rating:  87 reviews
Sales Rank: 12078
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 117 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2222581D
UPC: 024543125808
EAN: 0024543125808
ASIN: B00021R7BM
Theatrical Release Date: 2001
Release Date: June 15, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
A Japanese P.O.W. camp during World War II becomes the battleground for the souls as well as the lives of its Scottish and British prisoners. Based on a true story, To End All Wars centers around Ernest Gordon (Ciaran McMenamin), a young soldier who wants to teach philosophy. When Gordon recovers from seeming death by illness, the other prisoners agree to become Grodon's pupils, studying Plato, Shakespeare, and the Bible. Gordon's superior officer, Ian Campbell (Robert Carlyle, Trainspotting, The Full Monty), scoffs at the increasingly pacificist bent of Gordon's teachings. Jim Reardon (Kiefer Sutherland, 24, Freeway), a lone American running a black market, is equally skeptical. But under the relentless brutality of the camp, the only way for the soldiers to survive is to find what gives their lives meaning. The strong performances of To End All Wars makes this moral conflict as vivid as any gun battle. --Bret Fetzer
Product Description
Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 05/13/2008
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 87
 Very Intense Film. March 10, 2010
Kyle Richie (Kentucky)
One of my Amazon friends initially recommended this film to me and after reading Ernest Gordon's powerful memoir "To End all Wars", I decided to give the film a try. Rarely has a film surpassed my expectations as much as this one did.
"To End all Wars" is a fictionalized portrayal of the true story of Scottish Captain (and later chaplin at Princeton) Ernest Gordon's coming to faith while a POW working on the infamously brutal Thai Burma Railway built for the Japanes in WWII. The film's subject matter alone gave it the potential to be a solid personalized War film. Afterall I liked David Lean's even more fictionalized "Bridge on the River Kwai" set during the construction of the same railway. In terms of drama though, "To End all Wars" blows Lean's film out of the water.
The acting is solid from about every member of the cast. Robert Carlyle gives a very memorable performance as a Scottish officer though frankly this film is full of excellent acting on both the Allied and Japanese sides. While not possessing a huge budget compared to many major films, the cinematography gives a surprisingly epic feeling to the film as well as captures both the natural beauty and inhuman brutality depicted. The film's musical score is very well composed and very appropriate. Especially at the film's conclusion, photographs and footage of the real Ernest Gordon and historical locations add a special historical quality to the picture (one interesting photograph appears to be the real Bridge on the River Kwai after being bomber by Allied aircraft [note: the River apparently had a different name at the time]).
What really caught my attention with "To End all Wars" was the film's graphic intensity and moral message. This is a film which like Saving Private Ryan tries to capture the hellish nature of war. In this case though the brutality is less from the conflict itself as it is man's inhumanity to man. In the midst of appaling work conditions and cruelty from their Japanese guards, charachters choose whether to forgive or hate. The film is generally from a Christian perspective and contains a strong religious allegory in one of the characters, though I think other reviewers were correct in noting that the filmakers played down some of the book's religious message. "To End all Wars" has a great deal of violence and cursing. However, neither is exploitative and are simply necessary gritty historical realities. At times, I came close to tears, not a common occurance for me in most films.
Overall, "To End all Wars" is a very powerful and well-made film. It is also a film which brings important topics about faith and humanity. I strongly recommend it though I caution viewers that it is realistically brutal and intense.
 Little of this and a little of that February 25, 2010
Eric Sanberg (Berwyn, IL United States)
I came to this with rather high expectations given the positive user reviews. (Amazon customers seem to be a very forgiving lot). Anyway....I just wasn't that impressed, probably because it seemed to be a pastiche of too many other movies. I felt as though I were watching parts of Bridge on the River Kwai, Empire of the Sun, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, King Rat and The Great Escape.
Many aspects of the movie were fine. The acting, cinematography, editing, etc. were all fine. For my money it failed at the script level. Things progress through the first two acts well enough, (even though you're reminded of those other movies), but in the third act the entire thing falls apart. I understood it but I didn't believe it. It all seemed way too forced. I cannot be a spoiler by divulging the events, but as much as I would like to believe people would act with as much nobility as do these POWs, the years under my belt tell me no. This was a savage and harsh reality. What these men went through should never have to be endured by anyone, anytime. To think that, as the tide turns, these same men would take the high ground severely taxes credulity.
As unbelievable as the ending is, it's also very heavy handed. The religious imagery is so overt and over the top it made me wince.
Overall this is not a bad movie by any means. It certainly doesn't hurt to watch. Just keep in mind that you'll be seeing things you might have already seen in other movies. Movies that have done a much better job handling this particular subject matter.
 Realistic Reflection to Bridge Over The River Kwai June 9, 2009
Jym Cherry (Wheaton, IL United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
To End All Wars covers much of the same ground as the classic The Bridge Over The River Kwai, not only in plotting but theme as well.
A group of British soldiers (in this case Scottish) lead by a headstrong Colonel are brought to a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the middle of Thailand and put to work on the labor force to build a railroad through the jungle to India. In the face of deprivations and the cruelty of the Japanese the prisoners find ways to maintain their dignity and humanity. I half expected to see Alec Guiness or William Holden in a far off shot of the next prison camp over. Though Kiefer Sutherland does seem to playing the William Holden part, the roguish American thrown in with the bewildering British while he offers commonsense existential wisdom to the British stoicism.
While this isn't a remake of Bridge Over The River Kwai the stories are remarkably similar, but that just maybe because the stories are set in the same proximity, time and of course the Japanese building the railroad. While Bridge is a fictional account To End All Wars is based on a true story by Ernest Gordon. This movie is much more realistic in its depiction of the cruelty and war crimes of the Japanese than Bridge was. It is also more realistic in the depiction of the living conditions, I believe going by the adage that if you tell the truth about war you have created an anti-war movie. The maintaining of dignity in this movie is much more complex undertaking than in Bridge, here Ernest starts teaching the prisoners, unbeknownst to the Japanese, of course. Although the lessons taught in the "jungle university" and the moral of the story maybe more informed by Ernest's post war career, 26 years as Chaplin of Cambridge than what may have actually been taught at the time.
The bonus extras include a directors commentary, a making of documentary, and the film trailer.
One of the best war movies of all time June 7, 2009
Harry M. Shin (Livermore, CA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
1. I watched this movie on a whim, thought it might be decent movie but was in shock and amazed with the inspirational story.
2. The movie is well written, well acted and actually has a theme/ point. One of the best war movies of all time. Highly recommended.
Deeply moving!!! April 27, 2009
Manuel N. Elnar (Daly City, CA USA)
Best and great ANTI-WAR movie We've seen!!! And it is based on true story. 'Showed compassion and forgiveness on both sides. TERRIFIC!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 87
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