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The Purple Plain

The Purple Plain

Drama · Adventure · War · 1954

An RAF airfield in Burma in 1945, during World War II. Canadian bomber pilot Bill Forrester is a bitter man who lives haunted by a tragic past. He has became a reckless warrior, and is feared by his comrades, who consider him a madman. Dr. Harris, the squadron physician, is determined to help him heal his tormented soul.

Movie details

The Purple Plain

“His peak of adventure!”

1954 Drama · Adventure · War 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

An RAF airfield in Burma in 1945, during World War II. Canadian bomber pilot Bill Forrester is a bitter man who lives haunted by a tragic past. He has became a reckless warrior, and is feared by his comrades, who consider him a madman. Dr. Harris, the squadron physician, is determined to help him heal his tormented soul.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Purple Plain?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Strategic Air Command

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The Blue Max

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Courage Under Fire

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Drama · 1996

A US Army officer, who made a "friendly fire" mistake that was covered up, has been reassigned to a desk job. He is tasked to investigate a female chopper commander's worthiness to be awarded the Medal of Honor. At first all seems in order. But then he begins to notice inconsistencies between the testimonies of the witnesses...

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Robert Parrish

Written by

Eric Ambler

Gregory Peck

Gregory Peck

Bill Forrester

Win Min Than

Win Min Than

Anna

Brenda De Banzie

Brenda De Banzie

Miss McNab

Bernard Lee

Bernard Lee

Dr. Harris

Maurice Denham

Maurice Denham

Blore

Lyndon Brook

Lyndon Brook

Carrington

Anthony Bushell

Anthony Bushell

Aldridge

Court is in session

Put The Purple Plain on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.