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The Purple Plain
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The Purple Plain
The Purple Plain is a 1954 British war film directed by Robert Parrish, with Gregory Peck playing a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot serving in the Royal Air Force in the Burma campaign in the closing months of the Second World War, who is battling with depression after having lost his wife to German bombing in London. The cast also included Win Min Than, Maurice Denham and Lyndon Brook. The film was shot at Pinewood Studios and on location in Ceylon. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jack Maxsted. It was nominated for two BAFTA awards. The film was based on the 1947 novel of the same name by H. E. Bates.
Bill Forrester, a RCAF pilot serving in the Royal Air Force in Burma, pilots a de Havilland Mosquito, a two-seat fighter-bomber. Forrester is distraught after losing his new wife in the Blitz in London and has become self-destructive. His reckless conduct concern his commanding officer because it endangers his flight crews, and others become reluctant to fly with Forrester. The commander seeks to have him grounded. However it would require the approval of the base flight surgeon. The doctor agrees reluctantly to examine him, despite the fact that Forrester is highly decorated and the best pilot in the squadron. He convinces Forrester to visit a village, where he is introduced to beautiful Burmese woman named Anna. They strike up a friendship and continue to see each other. He tells Anna about the loss of his wife and his desire to end his own life by dying in action; "You'd think that would be easy in a war, but I just kept getting medals instead." Anna and he begin to fall in love and with Anna's support, Bill begins to recover.
Forrester is allowed to fly a ferry mission. He and his new navigator, Carrington, are assigned to fly Flight Lieutenant Blore, riding in the Mosquito's bomb bay, to Meiktila. An engine fire forces them down in a remote arid area controlled by the Japanese. The soil and surrounding hills have a purple hue, thus the name of the film.
Carrington is injured during the crash landing. His leg is badly burned and he is unable to walk. Without supplies and very little water, Forrester decides their best chance is to walk 30 miles to the nearest river, where they can get water. There they would stand a better chance of rescue. Blore, on the other hand, believes they should stay with the plane and wait for rescue, as search parties will surely be looking for them. Forrester points out that being spotted from the air is highly unlikely. They build a stretcher for Carrington out of bamboo and set out for the river, walking at night and resting during the day. Forrester proves to have the strongest will to live.
During the trek, Blore slips and falls down a rocky slope, breaking his collarbone and being unable to help carry the stretcher. With water running out, Forrester decides that Blore should go by himself and bring back water, while he stays with Carrington. Blore objects and wants to return to the plane. Forrester tells him to sleep on it, and they can decide once they get some rest.
Upon waking, Forrester discovers that Blore has gone, but he has left the canteen with some water in it. Forrester leaves the canteen with Carrington and sets out after Blore. However, Blore commits suicide before Forrester can reach him. He finds Blore's wallet with a picture of his family in it, a wife and two children. Forrester returns to Carrington.
Forrester carries Carrington on his back. Eventually, Forrester collapses on the desert floor. Carrington convinces him that their only hope now is for Forrester to go to the river and bring back water. Forrester struggles on by himself. He goes up a hill and falls face down, unable to go any further. He hears the sound of water. On the other side is the river. Forrester returns with water for Carrington, and the two are rescued. Forrester, still weak from the ordeal, is greeted by the base doctor who, upon giving him a quick examination, agrees to deliver him by jeep back to the waiting Anna. Forrester finds her asleep in her bed. He lies down beside her without waking her up and promptly falls asleep.
The Purple Plain is regarded generally as historically accurate with good production values and attention to detail, and depicts the native Burmese in a respectful manner. The film is based on the 1947 novel The Purple Plain by H. E. Bates who was commissioned into the RAF during World War II. It was one of three novels he wrote after his travels to Burma and India in 1945, on military assignment to write short pieces portraying the Burmese war for American readers. The novel was first serialised in the Saturday Evening Post in September and October 1947. The film script was written by novelist Eric Ambler in consultation with Bates.
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The Purple Plain
The Purple Plain is a 1954 British war film directed by Robert Parrish, with Gregory Peck playing a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot serving in the Royal Air Force in the Burma campaign in the closing months of the Second World War, who is battling with depression after having lost his wife to German bombing in London. The cast also included Win Min Than, Maurice Denham and Lyndon Brook. The film was shot at Pinewood Studios and on location in Ceylon. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jack Maxsted. It was nominated for two BAFTA awards. The film was based on the 1947 novel of the same name by H. E. Bates.
Bill Forrester, a RCAF pilot serving in the Royal Air Force in Burma, pilots a de Havilland Mosquito, a two-seat fighter-bomber. Forrester is distraught after losing his new wife in the Blitz in London and has become self-destructive. His reckless conduct concern his commanding officer because it endangers his flight crews, and others become reluctant to fly with Forrester. The commander seeks to have him grounded. However it would require the approval of the base flight surgeon. The doctor agrees reluctantly to examine him, despite the fact that Forrester is highly decorated and the best pilot in the squadron. He convinces Forrester to visit a village, where he is introduced to beautiful Burmese woman named Anna. They strike up a friendship and continue to see each other. He tells Anna about the loss of his wife and his desire to end his own life by dying in action; "You'd think that would be easy in a war, but I just kept getting medals instead." Anna and he begin to fall in love and with Anna's support, Bill begins to recover.
Forrester is allowed to fly a ferry mission. He and his new navigator, Carrington, are assigned to fly Flight Lieutenant Blore, riding in the Mosquito's bomb bay, to Meiktila. An engine fire forces them down in a remote arid area controlled by the Japanese. The soil and surrounding hills have a purple hue, thus the name of the film.
Carrington is injured during the crash landing. His leg is badly burned and he is unable to walk. Without supplies and very little water, Forrester decides their best chance is to walk 30 miles to the nearest river, where they can get water. There they would stand a better chance of rescue. Blore, on the other hand, believes they should stay with the plane and wait for rescue, as search parties will surely be looking for them. Forrester points out that being spotted from the air is highly unlikely. They build a stretcher for Carrington out of bamboo and set out for the river, walking at night and resting during the day. Forrester proves to have the strongest will to live.
During the trek, Blore slips and falls down a rocky slope, breaking his collarbone and being unable to help carry the stretcher. With water running out, Forrester decides that Blore should go by himself and bring back water, while he stays with Carrington. Blore objects and wants to return to the plane. Forrester tells him to sleep on it, and they can decide once they get some rest.
Upon waking, Forrester discovers that Blore has gone, but he has left the canteen with some water in it. Forrester leaves the canteen with Carrington and sets out after Blore. However, Blore commits suicide before Forrester can reach him. He finds Blore's wallet with a picture of his family in it, a wife and two children. Forrester returns to Carrington.
Forrester carries Carrington on his back. Eventually, Forrester collapses on the desert floor. Carrington convinces him that their only hope now is for Forrester to go to the river and bring back water. Forrester struggles on by himself. He goes up a hill and falls face down, unable to go any further. He hears the sound of water. On the other side is the river. Forrester returns with water for Carrington, and the two are rescued. Forrester, still weak from the ordeal, is greeted by the base doctor who, upon giving him a quick examination, agrees to deliver him by jeep back to the waiting Anna. Forrester finds her asleep in her bed. He lies down beside her without waking her up and promptly falls asleep.
The Purple Plain is regarded generally as historically accurate with good production values and attention to detail, and depicts the native Burmese in a respectful manner. The film is based on the 1947 novel The Purple Plain by H. E. Bates who was commissioned into the RAF during World War II. It was one of three novels he wrote after his travels to Burma and India in 1945, on military assignment to write short pieces portraying the Burmese war for American readers. The novel was first serialised in the Saturday Evening Post in September and October 1947. The film script was written by novelist Eric Ambler in consultation with Bates.