Powerful and absorbing

I could have sworn this was in colour the first time I saw it forty years ago! Terrific ensemble playing from a team of Britain's finest plus George Segal. The first time I saw it I was blown away by James Fox as King's upper-class officer chum. This time the honours seem more evenly spread between the three leads. Well observed and developed secondary characters like the medical chief and his side kick are a delightful bonus. King Rat is a complex exploration of corruption and natural leadership under extreme conditions: perhaps a little longer and not quite as focused as it might have been, but powerful and absorbing for all that. Highly recommended.