Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Blistering performances.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

It's sad how little the U.S. has learned from the British Empire that preceded it. But that's the politics and it's somewhat interestingly presented here. The biggest problem with this movie is it opens as a love triangle: Holden/Tambo/Capucino. Before the first scene is over Tambo wander off to become a commie revolutionary and in wanders Susannah Can't Act York. So it's a different love triangle. Except Holden and Capucino aren't in love; they seem to have more of a roommate-with-privileges relationship. A few people get blown up real good. Holden does some dashing things we've already seen in Bridge...Kwai. Snore. This movie is notable for featuring a still-fit Holden, with bags forming under his eyes to show the hard living of the past decade. This might also be the point where he's no longer the cynical individualist with a smile and a wink to the cynical survivor with a bitter smirk. He's closer to the bitter washed-up Pyke of The Wild Bunch at this point. I want some UCLA film student to write his doctoral thesis on Holden's career and life as it played out on the screen. For now I might just have to read Stefanie Powers' book about him.

"The 7th Dawn" was released in 1964, the year that President Lyndon Johnson took the initial critical steps in escalating the war in Vietnam. In turn, the film was based on the 1959 novel "The Durian Tree" by Australian author Michael Keon. It is remarkable to think that the novel and the film both provided lessons that could have served as warnings about the tragic war that contributed to breaking the back of the American Century.The strength of the film is the ambiguous depiction of nationalist insurgents in Mayasia (formerly known as Malaya), who are rebelling against their British overlords in the aftermath of World War II. The film distorts the historical record by pointedly avoiding the labeling of the guerrilla fighters as "communists." The leader of the insurgents, a World War II hero who fought with the allies, is portrayed sympathetically until the very end of the film.The performances are uniformly excellent with the charismatic Capuchine and the luminous Susanna York in the leading women's parts. Tetsurô Tanba conveys the patriotic zeal of the leader of the insurgents. William Holden is serviceable as the apolitical American entrepreneur who is inevitably drawn into the conflict between the British and the Mayayans.The noted cinematographer Freddie Young captures a harrowing jungle sequence with a nearly unprecedented naturalism of detail. The beauty of the natural environment of Malaysia is juxtaposed with the violence of the British military in burning a village. This was the film artist who photographed "Doctor Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia." The haunting musical score of Riz Ortolani is at the heart of a breath-taking opening credit sequence.Perhaps the content of this film has become less relevant with the passing of more than a half century. On the other hand, the recurring word that is used throughout the film to describe the insurgents is not communists, not guerrilla warriors, not rebel fighters, and not nationalists. The word that is used is "terrorists." For this reason, the film may continue to speak to us in a nuanced way about vital issues in the twenty-first century.

The communist uprising in Malaysia following WWII lasted for many, many years and many people were killed. Yet, oddly, it's seldom the subject of films--as if it never took place.The film begins at the end of WWII---as a MODERN helicopter brings word of the Japanese surrender. Jump forward a decade and two comrades in the struggle against the Japanese have gone on very different paths. One (William Holden) is now a hugely successful plantation owner. The other (Tetsurô Tanba) is now a communist revolutionary--leading the revolt against the interim British government. As for Holden, he's pretty apolitical but his girlfriend (Capucine) is appalled by the stupidity of the British government--she is sympathetic towards the revolutionaries. When she is captured and accused of smuggling weapons for the communists, Holden is finally compelled to take sides.The film is pretty good, but there is another character that was a bit uneven and a bit annoying. Susanna York plays the daughter of the new governor. She appears a bit kooky and flighty for much of the film--even though everything is deadly serious. Only later in the film does she show her pluck--but this is only after she COMPLETELY inexplicably surrenders herself to the revolutionaries. Had her character been written better, the film could have earned an 8. As is, it's still pretty good and worth a look.

Odd, that I don't recall the word 'communist' being uttered throughout this picture. Anyone notice if it was? It was pretty clear from the references and the red stars the Ng and his guerrillas were communists. This is an entertaining film from a jungle war that has been largely forgotten in the shadow of Vietnam. The British spent 12 years eradicating the elements they called "communist terrorists" before Malaysia became independent. Most of their enemies weren't convenientlyuniformed like Ng's forces, but were more like the grenade-tossing chauffeur. The SAS played a key role in suppressing the communists, and the British pretty much wrote the book on how to deal with these sort of insurgencies, lessons theAmericans too often seem to forget (though they slowly seem to be figuring it out in Iraq and Afghanistan). Saw this movie years ago and liked it, liked it more in a recent viewing, in spite of its flaws. Always liked Holden, have a real soft spot for Susannah York - and Capucine was splendid. Some great cars in this movie, too (and a Gloster Meteor, too, I think). And yes, superbly photographed.