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Stanley Baker leads up an ensemble cast in this more-than-respectable anti-war flick from Britain’s Hammer Films. Baker stars as a U.S. army captain leading his exhausted troops through the Burmese jungle during World War II. They take over a small village where Baker resorts to killing villagers in an attempt to make a suspected Japanese agent reveal vital information. When the Japanese finally close in on Baker and his men, the tables get turned — and Baker is forced to choose between revealing what he knows to the Japanese commander, or watching his men die.
Yesterday’s Enemy is a tight, claustrophobic morality play sprinkled with moments of action and suspense as the soldiers evade the Japanese and struggle with life-and-death decision making. Baker is supported by a fine roster of actors, including Leo McKern (Ladyhawke) and Guy Rolfe (Dolls) as a journalist and preacher who challenge his moral judgment. Richard Pasco has a ripe supporting role as Baker’s 2nd lieutenant, a nervous man who struggles to find his courage but demonstrates bravery when the chips are down. Philip Ahn brings gravitas as the Japanese commander who turns out to be very much the equal to Baker’s character. Both men wrestle with the morality of their decisions, but ultimately do what war demands of them.
The film is a tragedy that puts a spotlight on the often unacknowledged tug-of-war that goes on in the hearts and minds of soldiers. It’s a thoughtful film that becomes genuinely emotional as we grow to care about some of the characters and their fate. While the writing feels better suited for the stage than the silver screen, and indeed the film was shot entirely on sound stages, Yesterday’s Enemy conjures its own verisimilitude. The lack of a musical score adds another layer of realism.
Directed by Val Guest (The Abominable Snowman, The Camp on Blood Island). With Gordon Jackson, David Oxley, and Wolfe Morris.