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Prisoners of the Sun

Play trailer Poster for Prisoners of the Sun R 1991 1h 49m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 42% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
An Australian captain (Bryan Brown) tries to prosecute a Japanese baron (George Takei) for POW-camp crimes, despite a postwar U.S. major (Terry O'Quinn).

Critics Reviews

View All (2) Critics Reviews
Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Rated: 3.5/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Aug 1, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (16) audience reviews
Audience Member Prisoners of the Sun (1990) C-108m. ???? D: Stephen Wallace. Bryan Brown, George Takei, Terry O'Quinn, Russell Crowe. Gripping POW drama about Japanese atrocities in death camps, journalists response. Underrated film bursts with heavy emotional impact, rich performances. Aka BLOOD OATH. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member There is no such thing as just another atrocity, but "Prisoners of the Sun" comes close to being a "just another atrocity" movie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Prisoners of the Sun is worth seeing for really only one reason, to see Russell Crowe in his big screen debut. Having only appeared in a few tv series to this point in his career Crowe plays Lt. Corbett the "pencil sharpener" for Terry O'Quinn, the lawyer who is prosecuting the Japanese soldiers for war-crimes committed during WWII. Prisoners of the Sun is a rather dull movie that becomes only slightly interesting because of its historical importance. The ending is depressing and will leave you upset (although that may be the point the director was trying to make) at the injustice the upper ranking officials allow their subordinates to pay for their offenses. Crowe fans should enjoy it for his appearance but Prisoners of the Sun won't appeal to many others. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Decently told story. Some of the acting (Asian) I found a little less than great.... Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member A very precious story, simply because it is Australian, but unfortunately poorly told, and filmed on a shoestring budget. Russel Crowe, Brian Brown, Terry O'Quinn and Toshi Shioya (Lt Tanaka) do a good job with the acting, but the script was terribly written, and much of the dialogue was not really believable. None the less a powerful film, and a story that should not be forgotten, simply because it is ours. It's a pity to realize that, while it is not alluded to in the film, Aussie troops also did massacre many Japanese prisoners quickly after they were captured in PNG and elsewhere, often in retaliation for the stories they had heard of the treatment of their fellow countrymen in Japanese custody. But the Aussies were never brought to trial for their actions, no matter how much we sympathize with their justified indignation. Thank God the past is the past, and today we are praying for the beautiful people of Japan, hoping that they recover from the earthquake that has devastated their country in the last week. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting, incisive and a bit on the dry side. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Prisoners of the Sun

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis An Australian captain (Bryan Brown) tries to prosecute a Japanese baron (George Takei) for POW-camp crimes, despite a postwar U.S. major (Terry O'Quinn).
Director
Stephen Wallace
Producer
Charles Waterstreet, Denis Whitburn
Screenwriter
Denis Whitburn, Brian A. Williams
Rating
R
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.7K
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Surround