Eric Lomax's Use Of Forgiveness In The Film The Railway Man
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The Railway Man is an amazing story of Eric Lomax and his journey from hatred to love and forgiveness. Lomax suffered brutal torture as a Japanese prisoner of war. The movie portrayed the emotional and physical scarring of this horrifying treatment. The power of Lomax’s mind to endure the torture and finally reach a point of understanding, forms the compelling basis of the film. Without the love and understanding Lomax’s wife Patricia who was played by Nicole Kidman, he would have still been at war with himself. She instigated the healing process by compelling him to face his inner turmoil and the effect it was having on their relationship. I think Lomax suffered between the choice of hatred and forgiveness. But Lomax was able to overcome it…show more content… But Lomax was baffled between the choice to stay with his wife or to revenge Nagasa. From the same scene we could see clear signs of post trauma stress disorder from the war, Finlay said they cannot love, they cannot sleep and that they are an army of ghosts. During the film one of the most important scene shown was the water boarding scene. Information from the director Johnathan Teplitzky was given that the water boarding scene played by Jeremy Irvine was all real, safety precaution was taken but it was still horrifying to witness.
“I struggle greatly with the idea that a justification for torture is that it will give us a safer world,” Teplitzky said.
In this particular flashback scene, young Lomax called out for his mother to help him during water boarding. In order to show cast young Lomax’s true feelings and emotions, Irvine was water boarded. The anger, hatred, pain and sorrow that young Lomax was going through could not be portrayed any more realistic. A high angle close up shot was used in this scene to show case the pain Lomax was experiencing. Presenting the older and more vengeful Lomax in comparision to the flashbacks of his younger self during the waterboading torture, we could see how his emotions changed gradualy from hatred and revenge, to understanding and starting to…show more content… I love him and I want him back."
Patti and Finlay talked about Lomax’s experience as a prisoner of war and how he was not coping. Patti wanted to see Eric heal but understands that it would not be easy. Patti swears to stand by Lomax whatever he does, she was the missing element In Lomax’s life, she was the reason Lomax was able to see Nagasa and the war from a different point of view.
Lomax was conversing with Nagasa and realised Nagasa was not the same person he remembered, Nagasa was deeply sorry and regretful of his actions as a Japanese solider. “I'm still at war." Lomax said.
That line was a clear indication to audiences that Lomax was not coping, he was still suffering from the war. It showed Nagasa the amount pain and similarities they were both going through. Despite being soldiers of each enemy’s country, both of them felt the same all those years in this scene. Lomax was fixed on the idea of revenge, but during his meeting with Nagasa he realised Nagasa was a changed man. Lomax has come to a realisation of hate and revenge, he stated he is still at war with himself. He realised that he has the choice as a human being to live in the past or to move on and be at peace with himself, Nagasa and