IMDb RATING
6.5/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
In World War II Burma, a Canadian bomber pilot becomes reckless after losing his bride in a Luftwaffe air raid.In World War II Burma, a Canadian bomber pilot becomes reckless after losing his bride in a Luftwaffe air raid.In World War II Burma, a Canadian bomber pilot becomes reckless after losing his bride in a Luftwaffe air raid.
- Nominated for 4 BAFTA Awards
- 4 nominations total
Brenda de Banzie
- Miss McNab
- (as Brenda De Banzie)
Dorothy Alison
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
Peter Arne
- Flight Lieutenant
- (uncredited)
Ernest Blyth
- Man Dancing at Wedding
- (uncredited)
Richard Duke
- Nightclub Patron on Dance Floor
- (uncredited)
Jack McNaughton
- Sgt. Ralph Brown
- (uncredited)
Lane Meddick
- Radio Operator
- (uncredited)
Harold Siddons
- Navigator Williams
- (uncredited)
Mya Mya Spencer
- Dorothy
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
This is a Rank Company (British) medium budget production of a post war H. E. Bates novel. Well directed by Robert Parrish, the screen writing by Eric Ambler is quite good. It was shot on site in, what was then, Ceylon. (Same location as "Bridge on the River Kwai")
The young Gregory Peck plays Bill Forrester a Canadian pilot in the RAF serving in far off Burma in the closing months of WWII. He flies a two seat Mosquito fighter-bomber. (The actual aircraft was provided through the cooperation of the RAF and repainted in accurate camouflage and markings, for once.) Forrester, it seems, has gone "round the bend" after losing his new wife in the Blitz. He's self destructive, wanting to end it all in combat. "You'd think that would be easy in a war", he explains to Anna, "but I just kept getting medals instead." Anna is a small, slim, pretty teacher, played very well by Win Min Than, a Burmese actress (how refreshing). They, of course, fall in love (It's a MOVIE, folks) and his life really seems to be turning around. But, on a routine flight, he and two others go down in a very remote desert area of Burma's central plain (hence, the title). From there on we have a rather good, believable survival saga.
The English love eccentric characters and this story has several, all well depicted by some of those fine performers who bounce back and forth between the British "legitimate" stage and cinema. Watch for Brenda De Banzie, who plays Miss McNab, an elderly missionary. (Ya couldn't miss her!)
The Purple Plain is a good movie, a fine movie really. Not too heavy, it's historically accurate with good production values. Forrester's growth curve coming out of his personal hell is quite interesting. I found the depiction of the native Burmese was respectful without being condescending. For instance, the love between Bill and Anna is portrayed in a very reserved manner, as it would be between a Westerner and a Christian Asian woman in real life. All in all, the story line and performances are very believable and very enjoyable. I highly recommended The Purple Plain, if YOU can find it.
The young Gregory Peck plays Bill Forrester a Canadian pilot in the RAF serving in far off Burma in the closing months of WWII. He flies a two seat Mosquito fighter-bomber. (The actual aircraft was provided through the cooperation of the RAF and repainted in accurate camouflage and markings, for once.) Forrester, it seems, has gone "round the bend" after losing his new wife in the Blitz. He's self destructive, wanting to end it all in combat. "You'd think that would be easy in a war", he explains to Anna, "but I just kept getting medals instead." Anna is a small, slim, pretty teacher, played very well by Win Min Than, a Burmese actress (how refreshing). They, of course, fall in love (It's a MOVIE, folks) and his life really seems to be turning around. But, on a routine flight, he and two others go down in a very remote desert area of Burma's central plain (hence, the title). From there on we have a rather good, believable survival saga.
The English love eccentric characters and this story has several, all well depicted by some of those fine performers who bounce back and forth between the British "legitimate" stage and cinema. Watch for Brenda De Banzie, who plays Miss McNab, an elderly missionary. (Ya couldn't miss her!)
The Purple Plain is a good movie, a fine movie really. Not too heavy, it's historically accurate with good production values. Forrester's growth curve coming out of his personal hell is quite interesting. I found the depiction of the native Burmese was respectful without being condescending. For instance, the love between Bill and Anna is portrayed in a very reserved manner, as it would be between a Westerner and a Christian Asian woman in real life. All in all, the story line and performances are very believable and very enjoyable. I highly recommended The Purple Plain, if YOU can find it.
A really fine film and quite remarkable especially for it's time; shot on location (Ceylon standing in for Burma) in color and with an actual Burmese woman for the female romantic lead. As a war film the pacing and lack of any real 'battle scenes' might disappoint a few people. But the film is at its core is a character study of a RAF pilot (Peck) who has 'gone round the bend' suffering from what we'd call PTSD today and how his battle with it consumes him as much as the war with the Japanese.
The other major character - other that the wonderful Win Min Than as the 'love interest' - is the location itself. 'Location as Charter' is something that David Lean latter became famous for but here in this film the immense expanse of jungle and plain becomes a beautiful but deadly antagonist The 'actual enemy', the Japanese Army, is tellingly, never seen.
As this is a British film all the performances (except for -shockingly- the one Scotswoman in the film) are nicely understated. At one point Peck's character admits that he has been trying to get himself killed in battle ever since the death of his wife to which he drolly adds ' you think that would be pretty easy in a war....but all they kept doing was giving me medals....' WWII airplane geeks ( guilty as charged) will appreciate the shots of the De Haviland Mosquitoes in operation.
The other major character - other that the wonderful Win Min Than as the 'love interest' - is the location itself. 'Location as Charter' is something that David Lean latter became famous for but here in this film the immense expanse of jungle and plain becomes a beautiful but deadly antagonist The 'actual enemy', the Japanese Army, is tellingly, never seen.
As this is a British film all the performances (except for -shockingly- the one Scotswoman in the film) are nicely understated. At one point Peck's character admits that he has been trying to get himself killed in battle ever since the death of his wife to which he drolly adds ' you think that would be pretty easy in a war....but all they kept doing was giving me medals....' WWII airplane geeks ( guilty as charged) will appreciate the shots of the De Haviland Mosquitoes in operation.
This well-produced and often-moving J. Arthur Rank production stars Gregory Peck as a Canadian flyer serving with the British in Burma, suicidally reckless after his wife's death in the Blitz, who finds new reason for living after meeting a beautiful Burmese girl. Then, however, his plane crashes in the wilderness behind Japanese lines and he has to find a way to get back home with his injured crewman and complaining passenger. It's beautifully shot, well-acted, and a powerful story of hope vs. Despair. Apparently, a popular hit in Britain, it doesn't seem to have made much of a mark in the U. S. but deserves to be much better known.
Peck is a neurotic, suicidal pilot in Burma during WWII. He's transformed by his love for a native girl, which gives him the drive to survive the trek through the harsh burmese wilderness after his plane crashes.
A good,dramatic film with serviceable performances by the cast. Especially by Brenda De Banzie as a missionary.
A good,dramatic film with serviceable performances by the cast. Especially by Brenda De Banzie as a missionary.
I suppose the reason why I loved the film so much was that I was actually watching the film being made in Sigaria in Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka). I was part of an RAF Police team from RAF Columbo called to investigate the theft of some property from the set of the film. The visit also gave me the opportunity to actually have breakfast with Grgory Peck before the days shooting. I was astounded by the amount of detail that went into the making of the film, and the amount of responsibility put upon Jean, the continuity girl. Gregory Peck was a perfect gentleman, and I was so proud to actually be introduced to him by Brummie Benson, an RAF extra on the film set. To me, the film depicted courage at it's best, and as said by a previous critic , a simple story, with no over blown heroics,a good and believable cast, and a most enjoyable though somewhat predictable conclusion. But, NO bad language..... It's a pity more films of today cannot follow the same pattern. In all a very good example of the Royal Air Force at it's humble best, and a credit to the J.Arthur Rank Studios for its production
Did you know
- TriviaWin Min Than's husband was so jealous about losing her to the film's "decadent" Hollywood star Gregory Peck, he ordered his wife to eat garlic before romantic scenes with Peck. Fortunately, the production crew was able to convince her husband that Peck and the others were respectful of her so he went home leaving her to finish the picture in peace.
- GoofsWhen Peck's co-pilot looks out at the starboard engine, it is leaking some kind of fluid, but that fluid is running down the side of the engine. It's not showing any sign of what would have to be, at least a 200 mph wind, passing over the nacelle.
- Quotes
Anna: It's not good to die inside.
Squadron Leader Bill Forrester: It's like living a bad dream.
Anna: Here we bury the dead in the earth not in our hearts. Is the dream over now?
Squadron Leader Bill Forrester: I think so.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: BURMA 1945
- ConnectionsReferenced in Toon in with Me: On This Day... June 25th (2024)
- How long is The Purple Plain?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $2,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime
- 1h 40m(100 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content