Windom (Finch) is a doctor who is passionate about the welfare of people, saving lives and much less interested in social climbing. This may be the reason he left his estranged socialite wife Lee (Ure) back in the UK and went to Malaya. However she comes to Malaya for one last chance at reconciliation with him; their personal drama is played out at the same time as Malaya is in the midst of an 'emergency', teetering on the brink of revolt and civil war.
Finch's combination of an impassioned nature and a stiff upper lip is put to good use here; he and luminous beauty Ure do look like a mismatched couple in many respects. Their troubled and mismatched relationship is perhaps paralleled by the troubled and mismatched relationship between the government, the rubber business, and the people in that part of the world.
Much of the film was shot in Pinewood, with location filming done on Corsica; look in the background and you can see the hills are arid and practically barren, even if there are palm trees and verdant undergrowth placed in the foreground.
Every time I see Ure onscreen, I can't help but be reminded of her untimely death; she was only 42 when she passed away. Here she could have been little more than going through the motions but she does more than that. The rest of the cast is well chosen too; from Michael Hornden's uncaring plantation manager to Aslan's official.
Arguably this isn't an action film, it isn't a drama, and it isn't a political sounding board. However it does contain elements of all three. Today it perhaps serves best as a period piece; a snapshot of how goings on in the colonies were portrayed at the time.
If you see this film today the chances are that you are looking at a video transfer of mediocre quality, taken from a second or third generation print that has itself been well-used. It doesn't really do the camerawork, locations etc justice and a better restoration/transfer would be most welcome.
This is also Burt Kwouk's first (uncredited) appearance on celluloid.
This film is well worth watching and as period piece it gets 7/10 from me.
Finch's combination of an impassioned nature and a stiff upper lip is put to good use here; he and luminous beauty Ure do look like a mismatched couple in many respects. Their troubled and mismatched relationship is perhaps paralleled by the troubled and mismatched relationship between the government, the rubber business, and the people in that part of the world.
Much of the film was shot in Pinewood, with location filming done on Corsica; look in the background and you can see the hills are arid and practically barren, even if there are palm trees and verdant undergrowth placed in the foreground.
Every time I see Ure onscreen, I can't help but be reminded of her untimely death; she was only 42 when she passed away. Here she could have been little more than going through the motions but she does more than that. The rest of the cast is well chosen too; from Michael Hornden's uncaring plantation manager to Aslan's official.
Arguably this isn't an action film, it isn't a drama, and it isn't a political sounding board. However it does contain elements of all three. Today it perhaps serves best as a period piece; a snapshot of how goings on in the colonies were portrayed at the time.
If you see this film today the chances are that you are looking at a video transfer of mediocre quality, taken from a second or third generation print that has itself been well-used. It doesn't really do the camerawork, locations etc justice and a better restoration/transfer would be most welcome.
This is also Burt Kwouk's first (uncredited) appearance on celluloid.
This film is well worth watching and as period piece it gets 7/10 from me.