Hell In The Pacific (1968)

Five-time Oscar nominee John Boorman (Hope And Glory; Deliverance; Point Blank) directs Hollywood hard man Lee Marvin (Point Blank; The Dirty Dozen; Cat Ballou) and the best-known Japanese actor of his generation, Toshiro Mifune (1941; The Battle Of Midway; Yojimbo), in Hell In The Pacific, released by Fremantle Home Entertainment on 27th October 2008, the gripping World War II drama concerning two men from opposing sides of the conflict marooned together on a remote, uninhabited island.

It is 1944 and the war in the Pacific between the United States and Japan is at its height. Forced to crash-land his plane into the ocean, a US naval pilot (Marvin) manages to make his way to a small island, where he hopes to find provisions to help him survive and, eventually, some chance of discovery and rescue.

Expecting the island to be deserted, he is surprised to discover another inhabitant, a similarly marooned Japanese navy captain (Mifune). Natural enemies, the two men initially continue their futile hostilities, regularly coming to near-deadly blows and eventually, by turns, taking each other prisoner. It soon becomes apparent, however, that in order to survive they must cease their fighting, settle their differences and work together, despite the barriers of language and culture. But can suspicion, pride and mutual hatred, be overcome even though a failure to do so must surely result in the death of at least one of them?

Virtually silent and featuring just two actors, Boorman's beautifully shot film is a textbook example of virtuoso filmmaking featuring a pair of powerhouse performances from stars Marvin and Mifune.

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