As others have noted, The 7th Dawn is a surprisingly good film and deserves more attention. It opens with a stunningly photographed title sequence that evokes the haunting atmosphere and strange tension of Henri Rousseau's jungle paintings. As soon as the titles fade, however, we are suddenly thrust into the middle of a brutal mass execution towards the end of World War II in Malaysia. The entire film plays off of this combination of sudden violence and the mysterious, unearthly beauty of the jungle.
In its quest for national independence for Malaysia, a guerilla army threatens British colonial society with acts of terrorism that leave the good civilized folk on edge. They ask an American ex-pat, William Holden, to intercede with the leader of the rebels, played by Tetsuro Tamba, because the two are old friends and served together in a guerilla army on the side of the Allies when they were all fighting the Japanese. Capucine also served with the two men in their guerilla days, and these three form an interesting romantic triangle that goes much deeper than those found in most films, involving loyalty to and betrayal of friends, lovers, family, nation, and ideology.
Though we've seen Holden's character, Major Ferris, in other movies (from Rick in Casablanca on down), it's a great role for the actor, who fills it with vigor, intelligence, and the necessary animal sensitivity. It helps that he has good writing behind him, and, in fact, the screenplay is one of the strengths of the movie, with complex characters involved in murky moral situations, a plot that keeps you intrigued and guessing, and some larger themes right out of Joseph Conrad. Susannah York's character may be a weak point of the film, but the acting in general is quite good. The Malaysian setting is quite exotic, and Freddie Young's (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, etc.) incredible photography adds to the moody, violent and lush atmosphere of the film. It all adds up to action, adventure, mystery, political intrigue, some refreshingly mature romantic relationships, and even a touch of humor. Though it doesn't quite rank up there with The Bridge on the River Kwai or Lawrence of Arabia, people who liked those films should find The 7th Dawn a surprisingly strong film and definitely worth watching.
