Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

The Railway Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 4, 2014

The Railway Man is the sort of movie that movies were made for. Here's a story that gets to the essence of man as shaped by the dueling sides of conflict. It's about not simply the physical pain in the moment of war but the resultant emotional turmoil that can linger and simmer through the years and evolve into more than bad memories, morphing into something that manifests in the physical in any number of ways: depression, a nearly crazed lust for revenge, a search for answers, a quest for reconciliation, some odd combination of all of the above that can reduce a man to nothing, even with the greatest support he could ever hope to have. Director Jonathan Teplitzky's (Burning Man) The Railway Man, based on the true story as told in the book of the same name, is an instant classic that speaks on the horrors of war, the haunting memories that reduce a man to nothing, and the power of forgiveness to overcome even the worst tragedies that may befall a man in time of war, war that is both physical conflict and the inner struggles that are a result of it.

Broken.

Eric Lomax (Colin Firth) meets, falls in love with, and marries Patti (Nicole Kidman). Their picture-perfect relationship soon faces its first real challenge when Eric suffers an attack of his post-traumatic stress disorder, sending him into convulsions and leaving his wife in search of answers. With her help, and that of his friend and fellow former prisoner of war, Finlay (Stellan Skarsgård), Eric sets out to set right a number of past wrongs. As he does so, the film flashes back to his imprisonment under the Japanese flag in World War II and the hard labor and torture he endured throughout his stay in the camp.

Though comparisons between The Railway Man and The Bridge on the River Kwai are rightly inevitable, the two are largely incongruous beyond their shared setting. Whereas the William Holden classic blends together fragments of the human toll on World War II labor camp prisoners of war, The Railway Man makes that human toll the primary focus, eschewing action and any other bits of surrounding drama for a much more intimate, personal, haunting, and ultimately satisfying journey of interpersonal conflict resolution engendered by unspeakable suffering at the vicious hands of the ravages of war.

The picture captures, first, the innermost devastation of what is, in essence, a classic case of post-traumatic stress disorder of the highest level. It opens with a haunting aural overlay that gives way to a gently developed and heartfelt romance that is broken in an instant by the sudden onset of inner duress manifest in the physical. Eric Lomax transforms from loving husband into a man completely unrecognizable, writhing in physical agony on the floor, inwardly reliving the worst moments of his life even as life's best moments now greet him with every morning rise. The film is a startling display of contrast, of beauty and terror, wherein true love and friendship struggle to reconnect with a man becoming evermore lost to his past, a victim of unspeakably deep emotional scars that, within the confines of his safety net, prove impossible to heal.

The Railway Man is beautifully photographed, so much so that the gently flowing, intimate, captivating photography often plays in stark contrast to both the physical brutality playing out on the screen during the flashbacks and the inward terror that underlines most every scene in the present. It makes for an unusually intoxicating blend of emotional pleasure and pain, which only reinforces those same ideas and values that are placed on display with much intensity for the duration. The film perfectly conveys both ends of the spectrum with a chilling simplicity that favors subtle camera movement and tight focus to expose characters' innermost feelings while at the same time frequently pulling back for a greater, sweeping vista that offers another interesting juxtaposition, one of how even great agony can feel distant and even, almost, insignificant against a larger picture of the world.

The film is, further, wonderfully acted. Colin Firth is both verbally and physically poetic in the lead role, portraying a man ravaged by the complexities of countering emotions of love and hate, of acceptance and rejection, of freedom and fear, of certainty and doubt, of the conflict building inside him between the need to move on and the need to revisit the past, pushed forward by the incessant hands of time and building within him to the point of breaking him. Firth commands the moment in every scene, building a fully convincing character in every stage, a range that includes a train hobbyist and a shy lover all the way to a broken man and a seeker of both revenge and resolution in the story's building moments and final act. He's surrounded by several quality performances, including those from Jeremy Irvine as a younger Eric, Nicole Kidman as his wife, and Stellan Skarsgård as a lifelong friend and fellow former prisoner of war. Perhaps no other performance, beyond Firth's, is so powerfully emotional as that of Hiroyuki Sanada as the elder Takashi Nagase; his final on-camera moments define the movie to perfection.

The Railway Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Railway Man pulls onto Blu-ray with a sparkling 1080p transfer. This is quite possibly the best transfer seen yet from Anchor Bay and one of the absolute best Blu-ray releases the format has yet enjoyed. Details are crystal-clear in every scene, aided not simply by the generous 1080p resolution but the robustness of the source material and a clarity that's to die for. Precision, nuanced details are commonplace, from sweaty and bloodied faces and bodies to all variety of clothing, including clean suits and dirtied military uniforms. Terrain and vegetation in the flashbacks and complex stone work in the "present" are immaculately presented, revealing the finest nuance with an effortlessness reserved for the finest Blu-ray releases. Colors are just as superb. Natural greens are incredibly even and well pronounced, including shade nuance that helps to distinguish one leaf from another even at medium distance. Blood red, clothing hues, and other colors are excellently reproduced, whether in bright exteriors or darkened interiors. Black levels present no problems, and flesh tones appear accurate. The image suffers from no perceptible noise, banding, blockiness, or other eyesores. Though there's a slightly flat, digital sheen to the image, it's about as close to full, complex film texture as one is likely to find at the current state of the technology. All in all, this is a wonderful transfer from Anchor Bay.

The Railway Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Railway Man's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is every bit as good as its video counterpart. The track handles all variety of elements, from the most hushed ambient effect musical note to the most robust action sounds, with equal precision. Musical delivery is excellent. No matter the style, it enjoys a positive, effortless flow about the stage, an even surround element, and wonderful clarity. The track produces plenty of supporting environmental ambience throughout the film and regardless of location. A rumbling, braking train; the rattle heard inside a speeding train car; light jungle ambience; and a heavier, more chaotic din at the prison camp are all wonderfully presented with a spacious surround presence that effortlessly immerses the listener into the film's many environments. Heavier action effects, such as rumbling tanks and zipping fighter planes, are presented with equal fluidity, toughness, stage placement, and accuracy. Dialogue reproduction is excellent, from whispers to screams and everything in between. This is a tremendous effort from Anchor Bay.

The Railway Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Railway Man contains two supplements, an audio commentary and a detailed making-of. A UV digital copy code is included in the case.

• Audio Commentary: Director Jonathan Teplitzky and Co-Writer/Producer Andy Paterson discuss both major overview insights as well as more intimate story and filmmaking details. Discussions range from story themes to costumes, performances and shooting schedules, plot details and differences from the book, and much more. This is a very well spoken track that fans, historians, and those interested in the process of brining history to the screen will want to hear.
• The Making of The Railway Man (1080p, 26:07): A piece that examines the history behind the events depicted in the film, character dynamics, cast performances, cast chemistry with the real-life people they portray, shooting locations, and more. Though it covers the usual swath of material, it does so in a more intelligent, meaningful manner than is found in the standard making-of, which compliments the film nicely.

The Railway Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Railway Man is frequently difficult to watch, but it's one of the most rewarding cinema experiences of the past several years. The film's portrayal of a broken man is a runaway success, featuring a once-in-a-lifetime performance by Colin Firth. The film is dramatically weighty and emotionally heavy, and even as it builds to a rather predictable resolution, the journey feels nearly as harsh as that which must have been experienced by Eric Lomax himself. The picture is sumptuously crafted and exquisitely performed. It's one of 2013's finest films and one of 2014's best Blu-ray releases. Perfect video and audio are flanked by two quality supplements. The Railway Man earns my highest recommendation.