Amazon.co.uk Review
Three years after
Lawrence of Arabia, the largely impressive
Lord Jim (1965) finds Peter O'Toole again essaying a self-doubting but remarkable, white Englishman who leads a foreign people against their oppressor. Based on the Joseph Conrad
novel,
Lord Jim is the story of a British maritime officer, Jim (O'Toole), who takes a brief post on a tramp steamer and flees in terror during a storm at sea. Dogged by a reputation for cowardice, Jim attempts to reinvent himself in his own eyes, commanding an attack against a feudal warlord (Eli Wallach) in a distant, Southeast Asian village and basking in god-like glory afterward. A sinister plot by a gentleman pirate (James Mason) sets the stage for Jim's confrontation with his true destiny. Simplified and adapted by writer-director Richard Brooks (
In Cold Blood),
Lord Jim sometimes feels rushed and obvious, but O'Toole's golden performance and legendary cinematographer Freddie Young's 70mm footage are outstanding.
--Tom Keogh
Synopsis
This faithful adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1900 novel tells the story of a romantic young Englishman, Jim (Peter O'Toole), who takes to the sea on a merchant vessel in his quest for adventure. Imagining himself to be a great man with a bright future, Jim instead deserts at the first true test of his mettle--in a torrential storm that threatens the ship and the lives of its passengers. Wracked with guilt and shame over his cowardly act, Jim travels the world in search of an opportunity to prove his worth and retrieve his lost honour. He finds such an opportunity in the jungles of Southeast Asia, where he leads the oppressed natives in a revolt against the tyrannical general who rules over them. Peter O'Toole is charming as the well-mannered and honourable Englishman who is haunted by his past mistakes. Surrounded by lush beauty and the captivating spirit of the islanders, he rediscovers his courage and honour and ultimately finds redemption. Filmed on location in Cambodia and Hong Kong, this epic resonates with the power of its exotic and gorgeous settings, creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere.