THE NARROW ROAD TO THE DEEP NORTH

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a profound exploration of memory, trauma and love against the backdrop of the Second World War and the horrors inflicted on prisoners of war, anchored by a powerful performance from Jacob Elordi that results in a challenging and meaningful miniseries.

Without question, one of the most prominent Australian directors on the world stage is Justin Kurzel. Having directed the masterful Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard starring adaptation of Macbeth, last year’s phenomenal crime thriller The Order starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, and even the blockbuster misfire Assassin's Creed, he is no stranger to complex stories and evoking great performances from his cast. His films all have had an inherent darkness to their stories, but The Narrow Road to the Deep North may just be his most violent project yet. Adapting Richard Flanagan’s best selling novel for the small screen, which is inspired by Flanagan’s own father’s experience as a Japanese prisoner of war during and partially based on Australian war hero Edward “Weary Dunlop”, the series tells the story of Dorrigo Evans, a young military doctor during the Second World War who becomes a Japanese prisoner of war. Exploring his time as a Japanese prisoner of war, his affair with his uncle’s new wife Amy, and the effect both of these events had on his entire life, what unfolds over the course of this five episode miniseries is a meaningful exploration of the traumas of the past and how they shaped one man, carefully guided by the direction of Kurzel and two great performances from Jacob Elordi and Ciarán Hinds in the lead role.

The thematic material of The Narrow Road to the Deep North is without a doubt challenging, tackling the horrors experienced by prisoners of war during the Second World War, making it a tough watch at times. Kurzel never shies away from these experiences, as they are critical to the characterization of Dorrigo and understanding the older version of the character, showcasing brutal sequences of torture of the prisoners of war by the Japanese. It’s an unflinching vision that while is sickening to watch at times, Kurzel directs it with a confidence that shapes the viewing experience of the miniseries. From the darkened lighting for the scenes where Dorrigo was a prisoner of war or being investigated years later as a surgeon to the warm colours for the moments where he is with Amy, contrasting the hatred and invasiveness from moments of true love and joy, Kurzel creates a truly cinematic image for the miniseries that informs the atmosphere of the story at every turn. It showcases the powerful director that Kurzel has shown himself to be in past projects, such as Macbeth and The Order, but with his most harrowing and insightful character study to date.

Where the miniseries struggles is connecting the three storylines together. While there is no question that Dorrigo is haunted by the traumas he experience as a prisoner of war building the Burma Death Railway and the guilt of his fellows prisoners of war who lost their life after he was bestowed a leadership and tried effortlessly to keep them alive, or the effect that his affair with his uncle’s young wife had on his own relationship with his wife, there is something lost transitioning between page and screen. The profound effect of these events on Dorrigo is visually muddled, especially the importance of his relationship with Amy, as the ideas are never fully clear in the visual presentation. It never comes close to clearly depicting Flanagan’s description of the memory of Amy as Dorrigo’s armour during his time as a prisoner of war, delaying the emotional impact of this storyline will have on the audience as it does not become clear till the series’ final two episodes the true significance and effect Amy had on Dorrigo.

Though, with the lead performance of Elordi, the elements of the story that the screenplay struggles to capture are very quickly overcome thanks to his incredibly vulnerable and soulful performance. From the second you meet Elordi’s Dorrigo, you instantly sense the hurt and impact the time as a prisoner of war has had on him, only amplified by seeing the situation that Hinds’ older version of Dorrigo finds himself in. Whether it be his fight to protect his fellow prisoners of war from the wrath of the Japanese military, his medical attempts to heal their wounds, or the complete intoxication he has with Amy, Elordi proves himself one fascinating leading man as he delivers a moving performance where he finds a quiet, unspoken rawness that showcases his range as an actor. Hinds is equally as impressive as the older version of Dorrigo. Capturing the hardened version of Dorrigo shaped by his past, Hinds subtly shows the effects of the war and Amy on his character, slowly letting them become more apparent as the story progresses. It builds to two powerful scenes in the miniseries’ finale where Hinds’s work  heavily tugs on the viewers’ heart strings.

The character of Dorrigo has lots of internal conflict that requires quietness and rawness from Elordi and Hinds, leaving the dynamic performances to their female co-stars. Odessa Young is mesmerizing as Amy, matching Elordi’s romantic chemistry at every turn to bring to life the forbidden romance between their characters. Her screen presence is truly haunting, helping to convey to the audience how important her character is to Dorrigo and ensures that you don’t forget about her, even when she is not on screen. Olivia DeJonge is good as Ella, the younger version of Dorrigo’s wife, making the most of her small amount of screentime. But, it is Heather Mitchell who steals the series as the older version of Ella, grappling with all the choices her and Dorrigo have made that shaped their entire lives. Balancing the devotion to her husband and making him and their family incredibly successful despite his extra-marital activities and knowing that he was not ever fully present in their marriage due to the traumas of the war and his loss of Amy, Mitchell is heartbreaking and powerful every second she is on screen, becoming a towering presence over the post war storyline.

Narratively rich and challenging storytelling often leads to rewarding miniseries, especially when bolstered by a strong cast, and that is exactly what Justin Kurzel achieves with The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Embracing the horrifying treatment of prisoners of war by the Japanese military in the Second World War, the trauma it left on these men and the guilt felt by those trying to protect them from harm, Richard Flanagan’s acclaimed novel becomes a powerful miniseries experience, even if its more subtle and profound nuances are lost in the transition from book to screen. Led by the unwavering and impactful performance from Jacob Elordi that marks his most profound work to date, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a thematically rich, visually arresting and powerful miniseries experience that creates a meaningful and soulful exploration for viewers to get lost in.