The Edge of the World, a 2021 adventure film about the story of Captain James Brook, was supposed to be a brilliant film, but unfortunately, it was mediocre on too many levels. There is much to like about the film, however, and it can’t escape the white savior subtext because they are so much a part of history.
“Edge of the World” tells the story of the first White Rajah, James Brooke, who is attacked by pirates while fleeing Victorian England. He falls in love and ultimately must decide whether to accept the jungle’s way to save his people.
While the film is not great overall, there are some positive things about “Edge of the World.” The sets are absolutely gorgeous and create a lot of beautiful scenes. The soundtrack is also great, adding the necessary emotion to the story.
There are some good action scenes, full of blood sex, so if it’s something you like, you’ll be happy to see how it ends. The best part of this Hollywood adventure is Jonathan Rhys-Meyers’ excellent performance. He works wonders with his words and characters, and whenever he appears on the screen, he radiates.
In this movie, the pace is really bad and it drags on for so long that it feels like three times the real time. Even Meyers couldn’t save the script with his virtuoso performance, though he threw all his energy into it. As mentioned above, while there are some great action scenes, they don’t hold the audience for long because the narrative itself is a problem. There are some corny moments where it’s never taken as a whole.
The biggest problem with “Edge of the World” is that James Brook is very much a white messiah, and that doesn’t go far enough, which makes the whole thing a damp squib.
Conclusion of the movie Edge of the World
This movie about pirates and war, “Edge of the World,” has some great moments, a great score, and incredible lead performances, but the pacing issues, banality or dialogue, and the white savior complex really take the Edge off. Although there is a good history lesson here, it’s just not worth watching.
About the adventure movie “Edge of the World”
In 1839, Brooke fled Victorian England to explore Borneo. After a pirate attack, Brooke allied himself with rival princes and captured the rebel stronghold. To avoid being beheaded, Brooke agreed to be crowned a white maharajah. James asked the Royal Navy for a steamship to fight the pirates, but the English wanted his kingdom as a colony. The pirates of Makota slaughtered the capital of Brooke, leaving James half alive. To save his people, he must abandon his Englishness and accept the jungle as all it is, beautiful and savage.
