Main Cast: George Segal, Tom Courtenay, James Fox, Patrick O'Neal, Denholm Elliott, John Mills, Todd Armstrong
Release Year: 1965
Country: UK
Run Time: 134 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
James Clavell incorporated a few of his own experiences as a British POW in his novel King Rat. Bryan Forbes' film version stars George Segal as the mastermind of all black market operations in a Japanese prison camp. He is called "King Rat" because of his breeding of rodents to serve as food for his emaciated fellow prisoners; the nickname also alludes to Segal's shifty personality. British officer James Fox helps Segal expand his operation to include trading with the Japanese officers. Though on surface level a thoroughly selfish sort, Segal saves the ailing Fox's life by wangling precious antibiotics from the guards. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Although movies had previously dealt with prisoner-of-war (POW) camps (e.g., Stalag 17), most of these films focused on the efforts of the men trapped inside to escape. Although escape and freedom are discussed in King Rat, the film really is more concerned with how men survive inside the prison. Indeed, the title character is not necessarily looking forward to an eventual liberation of the camp. Inside, he is somebody to be feared and respected; outside, he is one of the crowd. The film also examines how people create prisons of their own making, such as Grey, who is trapped by his own rigid (and unsatisfying) code of conduct. This is easier to make work in a novel than onscreen, and too often the film settles for melodrama rather than insight. The actors, however, are consistently good. George Segal gives what is arguably the best performance of his career, capturing the smugness and toughness of the character, never flinching from presenting his flaws, yet still making him somewhat sympathetic. It's a performance that grows richer upon repeated viewings. Tom Courtenay delivers another one of his impressive performances, of which there were many in the 1960s, and James Fox is a good counterbalance to Segal. A bit too long and sometimes afraid to delve deeply enough into its subject, King Rat is still an interesting and involving character study. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
James Donald - Dr. Kennedy; Leonard Rossiter - Major McCoy; John Standing - Capt. Daven; Alan Webb - Col. Brant; John Ronane - Capt. Hawkins; Hamilton Dyce - Chaplain Drinkwater; Joe Turkel - Dino; Geoffrey Bayldon - Squadron Leader Vexley; George Pelling - Maj. Barry; Dale Ishimoto - Yoshima; Edward Ashley - Prouty; John Barclay - Spence; Laurence Conroy - Townsend; Richard Dawson - Weaver; Roy Dean - Peterson; William Fawcett - Steinmetz; David Frankham - Cox; David Haviland - Master; Dick Johnson - Pop; Wright King - Brough; Michael Lees - Stevens; Reg Lye - Tinkerbell; Arthur Malet - Makeley; Hedley Mattingly - Dr. Prodhomme; John Merivale - Foster; John Orchard - Private Gurble; Sammy Reese - Kurt; Teru Shimada - Japanese General; Gerald Sim - Col. Jones; Michael Stroka - Miller; John Warburton - Commandant; Brian Gaffikin - Prisoner in hut
Credit
Ed Ware - Costume Designer, Bryan Forbes - Director, Walter Thompson - Editor, John Barry - Composer (Music Score), John Barry - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ben Lane - Makeup, Joseph di Bella - Makeup, Robert Emmet Smith - Production Designer, Burnett Guffey - Cinematographer, James Woolf - Producer, Frank A. Tuttle - Set Designer, John Burke - Special Effects, Bryan Forbes - Screenwriter, James Clavell - Book Author
George Segal's character is seen wearing the shoulder sleeve insignia of the U.S. Army's elite 34th Infantry Division, the feared Red Bulls. The 34ID fought the Germans during WWII, not the Japanese. It is highly unlikely that a member of the 34ID would have been transferred to the CBI or Pacific theater and seen action against the Japanese, and then get captured.
