The 7th Dawn

This movie is set in Malaysia after World War II, and focuses primarily on three characters who all worked together in the resistance against the Japanese occupation. Ferris (William Holden), who has gone on to be a big time landowner/industrialist in Malaysia. Dhana (Capucine), who has gone on to a career in teaching, and is frequently involved in non-violent demonstrations against actions taken by the British provincial government. Ng (Tetsuro Tanba), who went to Moscow after the war, and is the leader (or one of the major players) in the Malaysian Communists rebellion against the British provincial government.

The British government insists it is going to withdraw, once things are in place for a peaceful transition to a democracy. For Ng, that either isn't happening fast enough, or won't ensure the Communists are running things, depending on how you want to read it. My guess is the film thinks the latter, but I'm unconvinced. My dad would say that's my anti-British stance; I'd say it's understanding people might not be willing to take the word of the country that treated them as a colony that it will let go.

There's a whole love triangle where Ng loves Dhana, but Dhana loves Ferris, and Ferris, I guess likes Dhana, but not enough not to fool around with other women when he gets the chance (and then get snippy when Dhana gives him shit for it). I was more interested in the deep loyalty the three appear to have for each other, where neither Dhana or Ferris will turn against Ng, despite repeated pressure from the government, and Ferris is the one big landowner that doesn't get attacked by Ng's forces. Dhana's the only one who holds to that until the very end, though, as Ferris and Ng both have something they value more.

Really have to question some of the tactics the British use. Not just the bit where after a man throws a grenade into a fancy party, they decide to burn his entire village to the ground as a demonstration. But they're moving everyone to a new village, just 15 miles away. Except they also insist that they are moving them to where the Communists can't reach them. 15 miles away is out of reach? But it's not like they can tell who is a Communist and who isn't.

That was dumb, but the real head-scratcher is at the end, after Ng has abducted the provincial government head's daughter, Candace, to force the government to concede. The SAS locate Ng's base, and jet bombers proceed to bomb it, then a bunch of soldiers parachute in and start shooting basically everything that moves. So we're not even attempting to rescue her? Because if you are, that is the stupidest way of going about it I've ever seen.