Hell in the Pacific (1968)

During WW2, on a deserted island in the Pacific, two soldiers, one American, the other Japanese, continue the war alone. Neither willing to put aside hostilities until realising they must work together to survive.

The two characters are essentially nameless, although Toshiro Mifune is credited as Captain Tsuruhiko Kuroda, and Lee Marvin is simply known as, the American Pilot. Throughout the film names are not used, they communicate in their own languages minus subtitles, in-between all those grunts and shouting. It helps to put yourself in their confusing world, and is the source of each persons frustration with the other. But adding to the realism is the minimal use of dialogue.

It opens on a silently sitting, back rod straight Mifune and a ranting shouting Marvin in the jungle. The reserved Japanese soldier, the loud brash American. A two hander where we jump straight into the action. There is no set up, no prelim to how they both end up there, we only hear briefly about the American Pilots arrival towards the end in a drunken conversation.

Here the two opposing soldiers are carrying out their private war. A branch in place of a katana, Mifune still strides purposefully across the stand like the Samurai of old. Marvin with his knife is all swaggering rage. The film immediately setting up the difference between the two. Initially we see Mifunes ingenuity, creating a source of water compared to the helplessness of Marvin shaking leaves for rain drops, or where Mifune makes fish traps, and Marvin destroys them out of pettiness. It’s comical elsewhere such as Marvin’s attempts to steal Mifunes water from a tree above. But beneath it all is a palpable sense of tension, the simmering heat, the glaring sun and sea add to the feeling of frustration, desperation and confusion.

Director John Boormans eclectic style, the same he bought to Point Blank (‘67) is just as evident here. Most notably in an early scene where imagined deaths play out to screeching Jazz, and later a smoke drenched beach front as the two characters hunt each other.

The film, I’m sure, can be a hard watch for some with its structure and minimal dialogue but for me, seeing two of my favourite actors working together made this film a delight. In fact the only sticking point is the ending. There are two, and to avoid spoilers here I will say it’s rather abrupt and being aware of the other, they both feel as though Boorman wasn’t sure how to end his film. But besides this, it’s still a great survivalist war film.