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I do not know whether the events in this mini-series really happened or not. They do look pretty genuine to me though.

The storyline is quite complex, whereby they basically consist of three separate stories that are all experienced by the same person. Three stories that the viewer will experience in 5 episodes, which are a continuous back-and-forth between all these different stories.

First of all, this mini-series is about a love story. This whereby the main character is challenged to choose between his already existing relationship with a girl that is part of the most elite family in Australia. Next to her, he experiences real love with the young wife of his uncle.

Second, this mini-series is about the main character having to go to war (WW2), whereby he eventually ends up in a Japanese POW camp. Located in Thailand, he and his fellow soldiers experience how truely evil man can be. As POW's, they are forced to work on the infamous "Burma Railway", which is also known as the "Railway of Death".

Third and last, this mini-series is about the main character being at old age, whereby he is a successful surgeon. This part of the story is about looking back to his past. You see the struggles that defined him in all his years post-war. I see in this part a message that the horrors of war can not be explained other than by really experiencing themselves. And this whereby these war experiences will define a person for the rest of his life.

Considering the complexity of the 3 above-mentioned stories, it takes some time to really understand who is who and what exactly you are watching. After having watches all five episodes, I went back and rewatches episode one. And this caused me to really better understand the events that took place at the start of the mini-series. I therefore think that the director of this mini-series might have made a mistake in mixing the three stories. Maybe it would have been a better choice to show all events in a chronological way. But no matter what, in its current state it still is a great watch. You will just need some time in episode one and two to get accustomed to who is who and what events you are looking at. I guarantee you though that this mini-series will leave quite some impression on you in episodes three and four... This where you will experience the true horrors of life in a Japanese POW camp.

A combination of great acting and truely breathtaking cinematography - especially the scenes that take place in the POW camp are "eye candy" - this mini-series is a great experience to watch.

Overall, I score this mini-series as 8.1/10, resulting in a well-deserved 8-star IMDb rating. Especially the story that takes place in the POW camp make this mini-series a very worthwile watch and a reminder of the cruelties that took place during WW2.

I agree with comments by other reviewers about the dark murky lighting on parts of the series. I know the intent is to create atmosphere but possibly taken too far. The three timelines were also a bit confusing especially as the two main female characters resembled each other in the early episodes. However, those are small quibbles. This is one of the better series I have seen. A compelling story which stays with you for a long time. The acting was superb. There are scenes which are difficult to watch because they are brutal. Not for the squeamish. An important time in history which poses questions relevant today.

Yes, this series suffered from a lack of lighting and nonlinear storyline, but for me these served to exentuate the enderlying tones of this dark story.

To those seeking entertainment, I cannot recommend this series. Knowing that it's grounded in actual events it was a painful experience to watch this pretty much from beginning to end. The cruelty, the suffering. No attempts were made here to sugar coat brutal realities or wrap them up nicely with a classic hollywood happy ending. But it is precisely this that made it so compelling and important tp watch.

I also appreciated that the main characters weren't wholly good or bad, but complex - as often is the case in life.

Bottomline: not for the fainthearted, and have a box of tissue nearby.

One of the hardest things I watched yet one of the best things I watched.

Do yourself a favour and press play. Photography is just alluring, poetic and yet so descriptive that you just can't look away. Storytelling is compelling and keeps you constantly engaged, its tragedy and mourning, and romance, and longing and suffering and friendship and companionship. All together, all at once.

Despite being a short series, you get to know every character in such a way that it becomes personal, you suffer with them, you laugh with them and you miss them when they are gone.

It's a shot straight to the heart but oh such a lovely one.

In response of some critics about... The cinematography is one of the best I've ever seen. Mist, darkness, murkiness... it feels like material heaviness... rain, mud, humidity... It's so rare to 'feel' the visual in contemporay cinema... It is the meaing of the supersensible, synaesthetic overtones that Ejzenstejn spoke of, perfectly reproduced with digital tools. As for the plot: the first two episodes are absolutely solid and convincing. Kurzel proves to be one of the most prepared directors, in the name of a certain incandescent naturalism that borders on material evocation, as already underlined. TV at its best.

The wartime scenes were done well, in particular the POW scenes really did get across the dirt and horror of the situation in a way not many shows manage.

However, the constant change in timelines flipping back and forth from wartime, to pre-war, post-war then present day disrupted all natural flow. Character development (other than the main character, who was rather one demential) also suffered due to this.

In particular the present day scenes added very little despite taking up a significant portion of the runtime.

I would still recommend watching this for the wartime scenes. It could have been great if it focussed on these and constructed a more fleshed out script around them.

One of the best and the hardest show I have ever watched. I sat watching this with my father next to me telling me of the stories his father would tell him of working the Thai-Burma railway in those very conditions. I watch as he had tears telling me this was like a visualization of those very stories. The story was well written and the characters were all play so well. The cinematography was brilliant despite what other reviewers say, you felt as though you were there in that jungle and the soundtrack was haunting and will stick with you. It left me very shaken but was well worth the watch, would highly recommend but be warned it is very full on and doesn't shy away from brutality.

Well acted and shockingly realistic visuals but the whole affair focus and the disproportionate amount of time flashing to the present day completely ruins the flow.

Seriously a soldier had an affair during the war?

Stop press.. Yawn

Im not sure what point they were trying to make.

Its like interspersing "Platoon" with "Neighbours". A poorly thought out concept.

My Spanish grandmother was under house arrest during the Japanese occupation of British North Borneo during the war. She told me stories of the treatment of Australian soldiers held captive. This show is serious television. It is part English Patient, Tree of Life, Thin Red Line, and Bridge over River Kwai. It is haunting, erotic, intimate, brutal, humanistic, and historical. This was a show made to honor the fallen and to preserve memories and experiences and is unflinching. It is the kind of series that will penetrate your dreams, make you feel small, and humble you. These kinds of series are not often made. The showrunners are owed gratitude and respect for having pursued this undertaking. It is unabridgedly effective.

I really wanted to watch this series. However, as seems to be a cinematography trope with some films and series these days, e.g. 'Nosferatu' I could not see the actors faces in a lot of the scenes as it's been colour graded with a dark hue that prevents me being able to see the nuances in the characters interactions. This artistic choice spoiled it for me. Does the darkness represent the lead characters ethical/moral struggles as complex multilayered people and the inhumanity and darkness of war and it's ongoing residue in their minds, probably, but I would have preferred to be able to see them struggling with these emotions. I tried really hard as the acting, set design and direction are striving towards something truthful and beautiful but ruined in my opinion by the cinematography. The actors commitment to their roles is admirable, however in search of truth the actors sometimes belong to the mumble, whisper my lines style that makes the dialogue unintelligible. Maybe it's my smart TV's inability to render it watchable, but I doubt it!

This miniseries just creeps up on you. The love entanglements and pre war backstory can be a bit confusing; Then episode 4 drops on you, and you are just blown away.

This should be one of those success stories of a little known, under marketed miniseries that came out of nowhere. But the right people take notice and it spreads like the virus it deserves to be.

It is a story about how humans can treat each other, and how the lead characters traumatic experience haunts him later in life despite his clearly major success. While it's fictional I'm sure the atrocities are based on fact. Episode 4 is truly harrowing. If you enjoyed the Pacific or Band of Brothers for its exposure of the inhumanity and futility of war - this will be a real treat.

It's haunting and makes you think. It sticks in your mind. My hope is that in 6 months from now people will be raving about this and it will garner the awards and recognition it deserves.

Finding it really difficult to navigate what's going on as it's so misty and dark in every scene. It's distracting from the whole story. I will persist but finding it it hard to appreciate what is an important historical subject with good actors and dialogue. If only I could see better what is happening visually. It seems a strange choice of technique. I am impressed with the Australian accent of the main character when older. If only I could see the expressions on the faces of him and all the other actors. I can see why the director didn't want glaring colours for the atmosphere but adding a misty veneer is unnecessary.

You can rarely see a good series or movie from the australian perspective. It's a short series but keeps you engaged at almost every scene. The brutality of the japanese or the POW struggling for survival really comes through the screen on an emotional level.

I would say it's a unique World War 2 series, can't put it in a category. It's not really about the war but how we humans sometimes lack the humanity, emphaty or the communication so we could understand each other. When we can't communicate or express ourselves then we just move on instead repairing the thing that brings us the most joy or even who brings us the most love.

A must watch for anyone who enjoys war series with less action and more emphasis on the emotional and personal struggles for both the character and You, the viewer.

Haunting and gruesome and riveting: a full spectrum of emotions like a life in fast-forward. Its complexity does not have a tidy resolution; it offers no sweeping redemption, but a kind of peace. A form of justice, like memory. Beautifully and soulfully acted. Brilliant cinematography that doesn't shrink from horrors but zooms in on tenderness so it lingers. A score like a witness. Gratifying to see Jacob Elordi take on projects that capitalize on his substance as an artist. It left me sleepless and reeling with Tennyson ringing in my ears, but not hopeless or bleak. "Come, my friends. Tis not too late to seek a newer world."

My favorite series of 2025 so far. An epic story of war, love, and brutality. This series has the best production values I've seen in a long time. Fantastic cinematography, acting, and score. The series bounces back and forth through three time lines; the events leading up to the war, the events of the war, and present day. In the end everything comes together to give the audience a truly meaningful conclusion. I wish we got more fantastic series like this one, you can tell the director, along with the producers truly cared about this series. Also, you might notice from watching this series there are none of the typical Hollywood touches that diminish the quality of their productions these days. One minor quibble is that the lighting at times is a bit dark and I just wish there was more of this series.

Had high expectations, but was very disappointed. The misty, murky photography made it hard to watch and I gave up. The lead actor mumbles his way through the episodes and Ciarin Hind's Aussie accent is even worse, and he too mumbles. The producer should have hired someone who knew how Aussies spoke in 1941, because they certainly did not call a dinner jacket , a tuxedo, nor say hi in a formal setting. I know the series is based on a book, which I have not read, but the movie, Bridge on the River Kwai was better and if you want to know about the hardships suffered by Aussies in Japanese POW camps, read about Sir Weary Dunlop.

This had such potential, except it's so slow and stretched out it feels like an endurance test for the audience as much as for the characters!

There is not a whole lot of character development going on for the extended runtime either - we barely get to truly understand Dorrigo (who is the focus) since his real depth is kept at arms length. The scenes in Australia drag the pace to a crawl, and very long shots of the characters faces are supposed to make up for the lack of interaction and actual plot.

It's a shame really, since its a stunning production and impeccably acted by the cast. I can't fathom the lengths the actors playing the soldiers went through to look like they do, and you can truly feel their anguish and pain throughout.

A worthy production that tries to make a lot more of its shallow story than it should.

I'm not up to scratch on the history of the POW during WW2, but this programme has made me look into it. The actors/actresses are amazing and deliver their characters perfectly. Some of the true stories I have read on the internet are unbelievably horrific, and these are reflected in the programme.

Parts of the programme made me feel sick to my stomach during the torture scenes, and I like to think I am pretty desensitised to TV brutality (long time horror watcher).

If you come away from watching this series without feeling affected in some way, maybe you are a robot, because the emotions it evokes are so strong.

As other reviewers have said, the series is so dark and so hard to see the faces of the characters. Even the beach scenes in daylight look like miserable days.

If Producers think that people only watch tv at night they are certainly mistaken, many watch during the day and in doing so cannot hardly see the image on their tv.

As others have said so many sex scenes, do we really have to look at these all the time.

This was a terrible time in history, I should know I lived through part of it. Today we are now repeating history in Ukraine and Russia as the news continues to show us.

We will remember them.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

It's hard for me to put into words the feelings this show brings. It was brutal and emotional. I kept thinking about all the horror and all the deaths brought on by this "pointless railroad" that was dismantled shortly after the war.

The way everyone who survived had to just return to life with these memories and scars, no one but them could understand.

Then there were the human connections, the complex relationships, the sadness of it all.

All and all, it truly was just a very sad and emotional mini series, but so well done.

Props to the actors who played their parts brilliantly. A great (mostly) Aussie cast of relatively new and seasoned actors. Bravo to you all.

I had read Richard Flanagan's Booker Prize winning novel many years ago, and then re-read it in anticipation of watching this series. It was a relief to see that the series was (with only minor changes) faithful to the source material.

Flanagan's own father was one of the captured soldiers who were forced into building the infamous Burma Railway. His book, and this series, certainly feel real.

To me, it shows what it is like to be human in the extremes of the experience, i.e. Forbidden love as well as starvation and torture. It examines these in detail.

Those who followed the true life story of Weary Dunlop will recognise the character of Dorrigo. He was an extraordinary man.

Jacob Elordi is mesmerizing in the lead role. Ciaran Hinds gives a powerful performance, as do the whole cast.

When I watched the final scene, I found myself having to just sit quietly for a few moments. It affected me profoundly.

This is one of the most brutal yet beautiful mini-series or show I've ever seen, a perfect display of the human condition - cruelty and love in all facets of life.

Without spoiling too much, there's three plot lines happening here that all follow the protagonist Dorrigo; before war, his experience in a japanese POW camp building the tragic "Death Railway" and 40 years after the war.

Dorrigo's not painted as the perfect protagonist, no one is here, his life before and after the POW camp is filled with cheating and affairs and he's a man deeply scarred even before the POW camp, he's not a protagonist you root for but one you understand.

The series portrayal of relationship affairs is perhaps is a little glorified, but that's sorta the point I feel, it's to show in a bitesized format desire for 'what could've been'.

"You Burn Me" features prominently throughout the show, which is an old poem about the pain of fleeting or unrequited love, and it can be applied in every form of relationship in the show, affair or not, and it's something that's so so captivating here, the idea of love no matter how brief or taboo can be just as impactful and cherished as "acceptable love" for lack of a better word, is a beautiful, albeit idealised, theme.

This is a story that needed telling just to remind us of what the war was like and the maltreatment of prisoners of war by the Japanese. You can't watch without understand the hatred it built up during those early post war years by the people that suffered through it.

That being I just wish that the cinematography and narrative could have been approached in a more balanced way. It is a dark and moody thing that makes it very hard to know what on earth is going on, but worse still who is who. And understanding the characters is made more challenging by the style of the narrative. It is almost like a endless series of vignettes jumping forward and back to reflect the moodiness of the main character. All in all it downright depressing and very hard to becoming engaged. After the first episode it took me a few days to want to watch the next episode and so it goes. It is a pity. The story is worth telling, but someone not from the school of Baz Luhrmann.

A beautifully shot and scored series that's tough to watch at times but worth it. Loved seeing an Australian cast and Australian stories so powerfully depicted on screen.

Jacob Elordi brings quiet grace to the lead role and the storytelling is both moving and important. I learned a lot about Australia's history. A confronting but necessary watch that stays with you long after the credits roll.

For those who've said it's too dark, I found it okay and could see everything that was happening. Maybe turn the bright up on your tv. I have to write 600 words so am popping this in and hoping it will let me submit it.

Unfortunately, it is filmed in such low light that it is unwatchable. Okay I guess if watched in a totally dark room. But not everyone has the benefit of watching that way.

The parts I watched at night in a dark room were entertaining, although it would have been more believable if all the characters were carrying lanterns to see in the dark.

The story is slow moving and viewers must be able to follow multiple story lines and characters. The dark filming makes it easy to confuse certain characters.

The cinematography is probably excellent from what I could see. Again, it's a shame that so much is lost in the darkness.

My advice: take a pass on this series. Slow moving, multiple storylines and characters all filmed in an extremely annoying low light level.