Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Richard Chatten The studio sets at Elstree don't convince for a moment, but this soon ceases to matter as you get drawn into the drama; it certainly made me very relieved indeed that I've never had to take part in jungle warfare. Few actors divide opinion more than Laurence Harvey, and the fact that he took over a part created on the West End stage by Peter O'Toole hasn't helped estimations of this film. But I personally have always found Harvey compulsive viewing, and the fact that he was apparently a pain to work with on the set simply heightens the tension.

Leofwine_draca What at first seems to be your typical British war film about a squad of soldiers behind enemy lines in Burma actually turns out to be something far, far different - and better. THE LONG AND THE SHORT AND THE TALL is actually a morality play about the importance of human life, the nature of warfare, and mankind's humanity towards his own kind. It was based on a play and occasionally feels very staged and studio-bound, but it overcomes these flaws to become something very compelling.What's especially good about this film is that it takes careful time to develop each of the main characters in turn. So we get Richard Todd as the tough, incredibly ruthless sergeant, and Richard Harris as his volatile corporal. Ronald Fraser does well as a man conflicted between kindness and brutality, and David McCallum is a delight as the coward of the group. Best of all is Laurence Harvey, who plays a racist on the outside but at the same time becomes the most humane one of the lot.THE LNG AND THE SHORT AND THE TALL doesn't pack a great deal of action into the running time, but when it does occur it's incredibly hard-hitting due to the aforementioned characterisation. Kenji Takaki also deserves kudos for playing the Japanese soldier; without a single word of English, he manages to create a thoroughly sympathetic character. Less is more, and this underrated war movie is a great example of that ethos.

aldebaran68 Where to begin? I'm not a war monger, just a realist. These guys are fighting in WW2, not Vietnam. Their generation was the generation of the Empire; I grew up with this generation (I'm 60). They are in the middle of the Burmese jungle (horrible) with Japanese soldiers probably in the vicinity. Its war so 'kill or be killed'. There was no Geneva Convention in the Japanese war. They the Japanese fought cruelly and brutally. Fact. They treated POWs appallingly. Fact. This was a perverse 'bushido' (similar to Islamic notions of jihad/Martyrdom/Suiciding) so nothing to do with the supposed 'evils of Western Imperialism'. The British Army knew this. So in that context, a story of a bunch of soldiers in the middle of the Japanese jungle, surrounded by this enemy, and acting like they're in a West End stage production makes no sense. Lawrence Harvey's character shows no awareness of being in a dirty war. Richard Todd's sergeant is barely in control. Richard Harris' corporal is not much better. In the middle of such a barbaric context so much 'moralising' is both unreal and ridiculous, and insulting to the British and Empoire troops who had to fight and die out there. They were 'the Forgotten Army'. It was many times worse than the West European or Med/ME theatres of conflict. Unfortunaely this was the first of the post-war generation 'morality and psychology' movies about the war. its pure nonsense. But its effect led to debacle of Vietnam in the 70s and finally to the most recent debacles in Iraq and Afghan. The West wallowing in its own moral ambiguity and assumed self-righteousness. While the East of Vienna countries from Turkey and Russia to China/Japan went their own way. This was the beginning of Western self-doubt and decline. Where has it got the West? Not very far... This is the first and last time I will watch this film. I gave it 2 for technical merit and because I like Richard Todd. Leslie Norman (father of Barry) has made much better films than this.

df48 An excellent character study of the effects of war on a small British patrol in the Burmese jungle during WWII. Things heat up when they capture a Japanese soldier and then find themselves pinned down by enemy troops. Sets are stagy but it's the acting and writing that carry this story. An all star British cast lead by Lawrence Harvey and Richard Todd are first rate.Todd is the no nonsense leader trying to get his men out of a potentially deadly situation. Harvey plays a hard case enlisted man whose fundamental decency gives the movie it's moral force. A young David McCallum (Man From UNCLE) plays a spineless radio operator in what must be his first role.And to top it off a theme song to rival the Bridge on the River Kwai. All in all a movie that should saved from obscurity because it's so good.