ianlouisiana Review of Jungle Fighters

Jungle Fighters (1961)

"Flingers on bonce....flingers off bonce"Mr L.Harvey.

[7/10 · 26 January 2015]

I saw the original stage play from which only Mr Kenji Takaki survived intact to reprise his role as the captured Japanese soldier whose presence presents a moral dilemma to a retreating British Army patrol in the Burmese jungle. The play was a cause celebre at the time because of its use of "barrack room" language,most of which except for the racial slurs you can now here on CBBC. Also,after a decade of uncritical portrayals of the British military,it presented an uncomfortable view of O.R. soldiers under pressure that retired colonels from Cheltenham were extremely unhappy with. Thus its success was ensured by a theatre audience whose make up was for more egalitarian than that of today. When it came to making the film the producers chose "Box Office" actors like Mr R.Todd and Mr L.Harvey for the showy roles where "acting" equated to shouting at the tops of their voices.A close second in terms of sheer volume came Mr R.Harris,with the tragically largely forgotten Mr R.Fraser in third place,several lengths behind. Mr Harvey,possibly the worst "Romeo" in cinema history was unaccountably popular for a brief while,possibly for his profligate use of Brycleem which was obviously hidden somewhere in his kitbag along with eyebrow tweezers and a nailfile. His one golden moment came in "Expresso Bongo" where he was a fast - talking jerk who was not so clever as he thought,a role he was born to play. And not so far removed from Pte Barmforth,whose cockney accent is as transient as his rationality. When the patrol capture the unfortunate Mr K.Takaki, Barmforth takes it upon himself to "civilise" the prisoner by shouting very loudly at him in English - jamais plus change. Mr R.Todd is the "tough" sergeant in charge of the patrol,another whose accent is of the temporary variety,a bit like Mr J.Mills when demoted to the Lower Deck. In real life Mr Todd had led men in battle so he knew at least something about military action which put him in a position of advantage over his fellow thesps,but he was too nice a man to point out their inadequacies,evidently.It's what being British was all about. Viewed from 50 - odd years distance,"The Long and the Short and the Tall"(a quote from the old Soldiers' song "F*** 'em all") may seem quaint and stagey,and,frankly,laughable in the days of sexed - up dossiers,suicide bombers and waterboarding,but it was a pretty big deal in 1961. To be honest I'd forgotten about it until I watched it on television yesterday afternoon. And I was straightaway transported back to the Theatre Royal,smoking My "Gitanes"(pretentious-moi?) with every chance of holding my girlfriend's hand for an hour if I contrived to miss the last bus home . That's worth a "7" in anybody's book.