In 1839, James Brooke (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) arrived in Borneo aboard his schooner, the Royalist. His cousin, Arthur (Dominic Monaghan), his nephew, Charlie, and his interpreter, Subu, accompany him ashore. They are soon captured by headhunters who deliver them to Prince Badruddin and Pengiran Makhota. Brooke claims to be an explorer, but neither Badruddin nor Makhota believe that. Is he a spy for the British, scouting Borneo as a potential colony? In short order, Brooke has formed a close relationship with Badruddin and a contentious one with Makhota. The land is troubled by a rebellion and plagued with pirates. Makhota suggests that the guns on the Royalist would be useful in fighting them. Brooke agreed. In payment, the Sultan named Brooke as the Rajah of Sarawak. Makhota is furious and becomes Brooke's enemy.
The movie plays at a snail's pace. Narration of his inner thoughts are used to bridge scenes. He comes across as a man full of doubts, exactly the type of person who would never have dared to sail to the edge of the world. Where his thoughts betray doubts, his actions often indicate certainty. He demands an end to headhunting and slavery. He has open clashes with Makhota even when he is the weaker party. Meyers spends an alarming amount of the movie in bed, either entwined with his love interest, tangled in his sheets with a fever, or just sleeping. The battles are non-existent. The defeat of the rebels proved to be Kabuki theater. While his nephew suggested using the guns on the Royalist to blast the pirates, Brooke had a better idea; he painted himself black and approached the pirate camp with a machete. After the battle, he has yet another mental breakdown.
My first awareness of James Brooke was when I read the Flashman series. He was quite the man of action and impressed Flashman. In this version, the cowardly Flashman would find a kindred spirit.
Mediocre. Skip.
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