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IMDbPro

The Purple Plain

  • 1954
  • Approved
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
Gregory Peck and Win Min Than in The Purple Plain (1954)
ActionAdventureDramaWar

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.

  • Director
    • Robert Parrish
  • Writers
    • H.E. Bates
    • Eric Ambler
  • Stars
    • Gregory Peck
    • Bernard Lee
    • Win Min Than
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    2.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Parrish
    • Writers
      • H.E. Bates
      • Eric Ambler
    • Stars
      • Gregory Peck
      • Bernard Lee
      • Win Min Than
    • 45User reviews
    • 14Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 BAFTA Awards
      • 4 nominations total

    Photos100

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    Top cast20

    Edit
    Gregory Peck
    Gregory Peck
    • Squadron Leader Bill Forrester
    Bernard Lee
    Bernard Lee
    • Dr. Harris
    Win Min Than
    Win Min Than
    • Anna
    Brenda de Banzie
    Brenda de Banzie
    • Miss McNab
    • (as Brenda De Banzie)
    Maurice Denham
    Maurice Denham
    • Blore
    Lyndon Brook
    Lyndon Brook
    • Carrington
    Anthony Bushell
    Anthony Bushell
    • Group Captain Aldridge
    Josephine Griffin
    Josephine Griffin
    • Mrs. Bill Forrester
    Ram Gopal
    • Mr. Phang
    Dorothy Alison
    Dorothy Alison
    • Nurse
    • (uncredited)
    Peter Arne
    Peter Arne
    • Flight Lieutenant
    • (uncredited)
    Ernest Blyth
    • Man Dancing at Wedding
    • (uncredited)
    Kurt Christian
    Kurt Christian
      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
        • Robert Parrish
      • Writers
        • H.E. Bates
        • Eric Ambler
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews45

      6.52.6K
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      Featured reviews

      9SmilingBrian

      Unusual, well written, acted and produced love/war movie.

      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.
      8cstewart61-417-609527

      A fine, beautiful and unusual film

      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.
      7AlsExGal

      A commentary on the transitory nature of life

      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.
      6RIO-15

      Good movie

      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.
      10roy-buswell

      The Purple Plain

      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

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      Related interests

      Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
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      Drama
      Band of Brothers (2001)
      War

      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Win 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.
      • Goofs
        When 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 credits
        Opening credits prologue: BURMA 1945
      • Connections
        Referenced in Toon in with Me: On This Day... June 25th (2024)
      • Soundtracks
        Onward Christian Soldiers
        (uncredited)

        Music by Arthur Sullivan and lyrics by Sabine Baring-Gould

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      FAQ17

      • How long is The Purple Plain?Powered by Alexa

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • November 26, 1954 (Finland)
      • Country of origin
        • United Kingdom
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Flammen über Fernost
      • Filming locations
        • Elephant Pass, Sri Lanka
      • Production companies
        • J. Arthur Rank Organisation
        • Two Cities Films
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Budget
        • $2,000,000 (estimated)
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        • 1h 40m(100 min)
      • Color
        • Color
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.66 : 1

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