East of Elephant Rock

This tale of murky deeds in the British colonial era is no WHITE MISCHIEF, although it'll do as a warts-and-all retelling of life, love, and deceit during that era. It benefits hugely from casting the ever-great John Hurt in the leading role. Hurt plays an idealistic young man who discovers himself fighting racism and intolerance in an unnamed colony in the Far East, while at the same time falling in love with a forbidden woman.

EAST OF ELEPHANT ROCK is a virtually forgotten film today although it's not all that bad. The Sri Lankan filming locations are fantastic at least and there are numerous familiar faces in the cast list, all of whom contribute decent performances. I would've preferred a little more Anton Rodgers, but Jeremy Kemp (DR TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS) is fine as the blustering old timer. Best of all is Judi Bowker, who manages to capture something oddly ethereal in her character.

The plotting is a little slow and stodgy, and it's clear that Don Boyd was just starting out on his directing career because his direction is pedestrian. But for those who enjoy dark tales of murder and betrayal in the long-forgotten days of the British Empire, you might just like it.

I don't know when I first encountered this excellent film. Over the years I've been able to buy two VHS copies, but DVDs have proved elusive.

John Hurt and Judi Bowker are both personal favorites and they act well together. She's one of those underrated actresses that's little known.

In "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" she delivers a wonderful performance as Clare. I totally disliked "Clash of the Titans" in spite of her inclusion in the cast.

In "East of Elephant Rock" she delivers another excellent performance in a totally different role.

Yes, it's another film without heroes, but those are sometimes the best, even if they are the most difficult to watch.

It is difficult to understand why the credits did not acknowledge the strong connection with Somerset Maughns The Letter.This of course was a vastly superior film starring Bette Davis.So when you watch this all you can do is to compare Judy Bowler unfavourable with her.Despite the fact that the earlier film lacks the sexual explicitness of this film and that it has an ending dictated by the Hays Office it is superior on every level.Even then you can say that it means this film ending on a dramatic note whereas this just ends like a damp squid.The fact that this film was shot on location does not really benefit it much.Little surprise that this film is totally forgotten.

With so few reviews and no comments so far here on IMDb, EoER would appear to be an obscure film, which I came across on one of the lesser British TV channels.

Very handsome scenery, a good cast and a reasonable plot. John Hurt impressed and Judi Bowker - whom I can't recall seeing before - shone. But in the last quarter of the film some of the changes in characterisation did not convince, and it all rather fizzled out.

When EoER first came out, it attracted some controversy and hostile criticism and with the passing of years some of the racist language and "white" attitudes can make one wince. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_of_Elephant_Rock

The prurient might like to note that we get a brief full-frontal view of John Hurt as he jumps out of bed, whilst Judi Bowker's modesty is ensured by a sheet.

An obvious but unreined adaptation of Somerset Maugham's play "The Letter", directed in far more satisfactory fashion by William Wyler in 1940, this film features John Hurt as a First Secretary to the British Embassy in an unnamed East Asian British colony of 1948, manifestly patterned after post-war Malaya with its massive rubber plantations of that era. Hurt plays Nash, a randy office holder whose ruth for the King's misused Colonial subjects is hailed with a deafening thud by the plantation elite, chiefly embodied by Harry Rawlins (Jeremy Kemp), and who in addition finds time to languorously woo the young wife (Judy Bowker) of another plantation owner (simultaneously keeping a native mistress), all of which leads to murder and other unpleasantness. A strong impression is given that this is a work in progress, with director Don Boyd not knowing or caring quite what to make of the material at hand, with editing flaccid at best, a consistently obtrusive soundtrack (including some unintentionally humourous placement of songs), conventional handling of critical scenes, and with abrupt modifications upon characters' personalities enfeebling any logic which may be hiding within the script. Filmed entirely in Sri Lanka, much resembling Malaysia, which latter is laden to this day with East Indian workers imported by the English, the work is adequately cast, although Hurt is hindered by his lines, Bowker is far too unseamed and seraphic for her bitchy role, and perhaps the best actor of the cast, Anton Rodgers, has but sparse opportunity during his brief appearances to utilize his pungently dry manner.