At the seventh dawn
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | At the seventh dawn |
| Original title | The 7th Dawn |
| Country of production | Great Britain |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1964 |
| length | 123 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Lewis Gilbert |
| script | Karl Tunberg |
| production | Charles K. Feldman |
| music | Riz Ortolani |
| camera | Freddie Young |
| cut | John Shirley |
| occupation | |
| |
In the seventh dawn is a British adventure film from the year 1964 , the Lewis Gilbert after the 1960 published novel The Durian Tree by Michael Keon staged.
action
The war in the Pacific is over. In British Malaya, Ng, Dhana and Ferris, who fought together against the Japanese, now part ways. The Chinese Ng moves to Moscow to complete his training there. Dhana and Ferris stay in Malaya and fall in love. Ferris becomes a successful plantation owner, Dhana works as a teacher.
In order to drive the British out of Malaya, communists are covering the country with terror. Ferris doesn't care about politics, however. He learns that Ng is the leader of the communists and promises that there will be talks with the British colonial administration. Ng, who does not want to negotiate with the British, is happy to see his old comrade again.
Ferris makes the acquaintance of Candace, the daughter of the British High Commissioner Trumphey. He accepts the invitation to a ball in the Commissioner's residence. There is an assassination attempt at the ball. A grenade is thrown under the dancers. Ferris saves Candace by throwing her to the ground. The British believe that the terrorists are hiding in the village where Dhana works as a teacher. Ferris and Dhana protest against the British attack that burned the village.
When the police found grenades in Dhana's bicycle basket following an anonymous tip-off, they were arrested. Sentenced to death, she can save her life if she or Ferris reveal Ng's whereabouts. Both refuse. Dhana asks Candace to take care of Ferris after she dies. Candace seeks out Ng and offers himself up as a hostage. She hopes that her father will release Dhana in return. Ng hides Candace and uses leaflets to announce that she will be killed if Dhana is not released at some point.
For Ferris, the friendship with Ng is over. He offers to track down Ng. He is given ten days, although Dhana is supposed to be executed in seven days. In fact, Ferris can find the communists, capture Ng, and free Candace. During the action there is a fight between Ng and Ferris. When Ng threatens to kill Ferris, he is gunned down by Candace. The dying Ng confesses that he placed the grenades in Dhana's bicycle basket.
The rescue operation comes too late for Dhana. She will be executed. A little later, Ferris leaves Malaya, never to return. Candace admits that she loves him.
criticism
The lexicon of international films describes the film as "a flat gossip with a political mallet tendency, sentimentalism and cruelty in itself."
The film magazine Cinema saw the film as an "old Cold War camel in front of an exotic backdrop" and drew the conclusion: "Too much propaganda, too little tension."
background
The film premiered on June 24, 1964 in Boston. In Germany it was released on October 23, 1964.
The film was shot in Malaysia.
The figure of Ng is based on the long-time head of the Communist Party of Malaya, Chin Peng , while the figure of Dhana is partly based on the Chinese doctor and writer Han Suyin . Her most famous novel, All Glory on Earth , was made into a film in 1955 (with William Holden in the lead role).
Web links
- In the seventh dawn in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ At the seventh dawn. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Critique of Cinema