MovieChat Forums > The Railway Man (2014) Discussion > 'Some time the hating has to stop'

'Some time the hating has to stop'

posted 11 years ago by cjlove2523
6 replies | jump to latest

I read the amazing story of Eric Lomax's "The Railway Man" several years ago as an undergrad.. and reading that last line in the incredible book gave me chills & left me in tears. I remember an actual tear dropping onto the page after reading it & now seeing the trailer and hearing Colin Firth say Lomax's incredible (and true) comment made me emotional again. I cannot wait to see this movie! I've heard the screenplay was overly dramatic and was skeptical that filmmakers would turn this tragically true story into just another "Oscar bait" movie with the focus on Nicole Kidman.. but my fears were alleviated after seeing the trailer! Did anyone else read or know of the real Eric Lomax's story before seeing this trailer?

[–] Pgle05 11 years ago

I knew of him but never read his book though.. Im more excited for this movie than I have ever been for a movie in my life. I think the trailer sells it phenomenally. I cant wait.

[–] Ambrosia-I 11 years ago

Just saw the film this afternoon. I'd heard about this story on the BBC news, but I haven't read Lomax's book. Firth and the entire cast (with the exception of Kidman) were excellent. It was a harrowing and deeply moving story and I was weeping by the end - the fact that Lomax could find it within himself to forgive Nagase and even become his friend made for a wonderfully uplifting and inspirational story.

Unfortunately, in my view, Kidman was miscast. She and her static forehead really added nothing to the movie and I think the film's makers would have been well advised to cast somebody else. Luckily, Kidman's role wasn't big enough to sink the film, but when she was on, I always kept wishing I was looking at a different actress.

Still and all, I gave the film a 9 out of 10 because everybody else was so good. Jeremy Irvine as the young Lomax was superb, as of course was Colin Firth.

[–] sarahj-787-918632 11 years ago

I have just seen the film, definitely not sentimental of Hollywoodised,If anything I thought Nicola Kidmans part was bit underwritten - I will be asking for the book for Xmas. Do go and see it.

[–] coolbrett 11 years ago

The ending was pretty powerful. I went to a screening tonight with a Q+A from the director and a producer. I heard lots of sniffles come closing credits. I came close to crying.

[–] spasticfreakshow 8 years ago

well, it is not usually the people who won't stop hating. i attend coexistence events in israel, with palestinians. people themselves could make peace. but you go talk to the imams, who are inciting violence. or send the next reincarnation of lomax there. because there are so many lomaxes - both jews and palestinians, who have such big hearts. for example, these folks: https://www.abrahamicreunion.org/peacemakers/

but Hamas and some crazy imams will not allow the average Palestinian to even participate in any event (often including getting healthcare for their children) that in any way indicates "normalization" of relations.

if only the average joe could forgive and, in the epic words of aviv geffen, "A word from you could put an end to war."

that is to say, people hating does not necessarily create war. religious, proselytizing nutjobs and sociopathic greedy rich people do.

[–] Kawada_Kira (7282) 8 years ago

The colonial occupation is what creates hate there. The frequent bombings, the blockade of Gaza, the theft and colonization of land, the apartheid wall, the checkpoints where ambulances are held up until patients die, the imprisonment and torture of Palestinian men, women and even children, for the crime of being Arabs in a land that Israel considers to be only for Jews. A million daily crimes and humiliations. THAT war is not over. It's been going since the 1940s and hasn't ended. In occupied Palestine, the torturers still hold power. Burma (now Myanmar) was no longer occupied, Nagase wasn't still torturing people. That's why forgiveness became possible. The Israelis are still occupying and torturing. That is why the hate hasn't ended. And it won't end until the occupation ends and the apartheid regime falls. Until that day, the Palestinian people have every right to fight back by any means necessary for their liberation. That is the right of occupied and oppressed people.