User reviews

When I heard there was to be an ABC [Australian Broadcasting Corporation] mini-series based on life in Changi [WWII POW] camp... with a focus on "elements of comedy", I was deeply sceptical and somewhat critical.

My father had served in the second world war. Such was the barbarity of the Japanese, he was able to talk about the horrors in and around Labuan (where he was stationed), until only quite recently. Along with my father, I had been awarded the fortune of knowing many great men (of stronger character and spirit than I shall ever have), who had witnessed acts of unspeakable barbarity at the hands of the Empire of Japan, and had never completely recovered. The name 'Changi' is destined to conjure horrific images for ages to come...

But upon viewing, I was highly impressed with the cast, the characters and the complex plot-lines of this wonderful series. I now regard 'Changi' as the highlight of my week, (bear in mind, I have viewed only three episodes so far... I hope the remaining episodes adhere to the standards set by the first three).

The black humour works uncannily well (however, the flatulence jokes are a little overdone), and while much of the horror has been suppressed, the series comes quite close in relaying the undaunted spirit of the survivors who were able to later continue with their lives in spite of the inhibiting memories.

The 'flashback' format of this series will be difficult for some to follow,

but I can not think of no better way to do adequate justice to the men who suffered deep emotional scarring proceeding internment... when painfully suppressed experiences are remembered, sometimes years after the horror.

One of the darkest chapters of the Second World War, the 20th century, and, (I would go so far as to say), in the history of mankind, is being relayed to a new generation through this series, and I hope it serves to relay the overwhelming adversity borne by the wartime generation.

Proceeding 'Changi', I don't think I shall ever be able to listen to the poignant tune 'on the road to Gundagai' in the same way again. Tune in...

Having had a great grandfather be captured and sent to Changi during World War two I was hesitant to watch this when it was first screened on TV. My great grandfather kept a diary whilst he was in captivity and when he died over there his mates bought it back and I have been lucky enough to read it and feel I have at least some idea of what Changi was really like, first hand.

This is a fantastic recount of what happened to those poor blokes who were sent to Changi Prison and shows what hardship and cruelty they witnessed in order to protect their country. It is a terrific story of mateship, commitment and Aussie Spirit, that never going to give up attitude. It is worth watching if you like Australian History or anything to do with World War Two.

I enjoyed this mini very much and give it 10 out of 10.

My family and I enjoy this show and find it a fair thumb nail sketch of what the people went through.

My own father spent some time in Changi before going onto the Thailand-Burma Railway in "F" Force. Much as been said about the treatment the POW's received, I will just say that my father was 6 foot 1 inch and 196 lbs when Singapore fell, at the end of the war he was 5 foot 11 inches tall and 91 lbs.

No show could truly convey what the POW's went through, but this comes closer than most.

As the Ex POW's say, "If you didn't have mates you didn't survive." This show succeeds in getting this message across.

I didnt watch this when it aired thinking it would be boring. I was studying for exams and put the dvd on for background and was shocked. It is a clever piece that inspires all viewers. The acting is first class and production is wonderful. This is one of the greatest aussie dramas ever.

A great example of sloppy writing and no research. As another reviewer has said " A cut and paste of 'Bridge on the River Kwai','Hogans Heroes' and the 'Singing Detective'. The writer, John Doyle has admitted he didn't ask for and never got any technical assistance. when the series went to air old Diggers who were ex POWs said "He made it look like we had three years at the Changi Hilton, with an excursion to a railway site". Most glaring errors were 1) The lads saluted a corporal.. Not even in the Italian Army does anyone salute a corp. 2) People saluted officers when the weren't wearing hats.. One of the great advantages of the Australian Army is and was if you haven't got your hat on you don't need to salute and officer. Doyle has seen too many American movies where you can salute an officer when you are not wearing a hat. 3)Notice how the slouch hats are always turned up?..Believe me, first opportunity the brim is turned down all around! Finally, not all Australians are half witted yobbos. Some of us have read a book and had some form of education. The series is flawed, but is almost close to the way the national spirit used to be. Sadly, Aussies aren't like this any more. We are a pack of wimps that take our cell phones to war with us so we can call our girl friends.

As soon as I saw the ad for "Changi" on the History Channel, I knew I'd love it. It captured the ANZAC spirit fantastically - you would die if you didn't have mates around you. The characters of "Changi" were strong and each brought something different into the story, and the Japanese soldiers weren't criticised, but were depicted as normal soldiers doing what they thought was right, just as the Australians were doing. Direction, screenplay, acting and setting were all done wonderfully, with a clear easy-to-follow plot. Humour was the soldiers' key to survival, and it was great to see a mini-series about war actually have some sort of humour in it, which is usually difficult to do without offending people. From what I've read about soldiers in Changi PoW camp, this story is a very realistic approach to the three and a half years those Australian, British, New Zealand, American and Dutch men spent there. I would recommend this series to anyone, whether you are interested in war or not. 10/10.

Here we have a miniseries, which revels in in its flaws, and doesn't make us cringe because of them...it is excellent story-telling, which fuses black comedy, mateship (in a positive way), the pathetic waste of war, without the sheer unadulterated manipulation of a con-job like Life is Beautiful...it is an entertainment, not the meaning of life...and showcases the talents of actors both young and old...give it a go and tell us what you think...

"Changi" is an Australian comedy/drama set in the World War 2 Japanese prisoner of war camp of that name. The story cuts between past events, and the present day, when the aged veterans plan a reunion. This is a much publicised and controversial miniseries, here in Australia. The budget ran over ($6.5 million Aust. dollars); historians and veterans criticised it's authenticity; and critics pilloried the uneasy mix of comedy and drama (shades of "Pearl Harbor"). Series writer John Doyle (half of the successful Roy & H.G. comedy team), has tried to defend himself with comments about "the characters are composites of actual people"; "the troops used comedy to cope with the situation"; "it's only based on actual events"; "one of our actors was actually there" etc. I don't have a problem with any of these points. Many superb fictional and factual dramas have come out of the Japanese P.O.W. camp experience: "King Rat", "Tenko", "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence", "Bridge on the River Kwai", "Paradise Road", "Empire of the Sun", "Blood Oath", and "A Town Like Alice". Black comedy has often been used successfully in P.O.W dramas: "Life is Beautiful", "The Great Escape", "Seven Beauties", "Stalag 17", "The Colditz Story", and even "Hogan's Heroes". So why is "Changi" a monumental failure? - the acting in "Changi" is uniformly excellent, the music and cinematography is good - it is the writing and direction that have let it down. Every scene seemed to give me waves of deja vu. When Anthony Hayes is made to stand in the blazing sun, I thought "Didn't I see Alec Guinness do this in "Bridge on the River Kwai"?". The sudden flashes into surreal song & dance brought back Dennis Potter's "Singing Detective", but without the finesse. This borrowing happened so often, it smacked of lazy writing by cut and paste, rather than homage. The constant intercutting between the past and present stories left me unable to concentrate on either. Flash forward and flash back can be a useful tool - here it left me distanced from characters, where intensity was called for. The "Ausiness" is overdone - every conversation seemed to include "stone the bloody crows" & such, that I was saying "I get the point, I know they're Aussies". Cultural stereotyping extended to the British and Japanese too -sadistic young Japanese officer; uptight British officer; wiser Japanese commandant; fun-loving, rascally Aussies etc. I thought I was watching "Hogan's Heroes on the River Kwai". After 3 episodes I'm tuning out.

I have an advantage in reading other's comments before making my own. I have heard this "accuracy" comment about other movies/mini-series before and I really don't understand people's statements. Visual stories about historical events are never accurate unless they are documentaries. Beautiful Mind, and Seabiscuit are both examples of movies about true events that were off the mark where telling the whole truth is concerned.

I liked Changi because it showed the effects of war on soldiers both at the time of the event, and on their future lives. I thought the flash backs, both forward and backward, were fine--after all I want to watch a story that makes me use my brain, not just be mindlessly entertained. I thought the humor at times was sophomoric, but weren't most the soldiers in WWII of the age to be sophomoric? I loved the music, and I thought the "Singing Detective" type transition into song was very believable here, as the human mind in times of stress, pain, and torture will use its own devices to preserve sanity--the song sequences could be the writer's depiction of one way the human soul protects itself. How many of you have experienced completely weird dreams while suffering from an illness accompanied by high fever?--this is my point. As to the Japanese captors and the way they were portrayed--the commander here was, in my opinion, a detached person that let his underlings assume all of the responsibility for the horrid treatment of the POWs while the commander fed his bird and listened to music--totally detached, and I think in the end out of touch with reality. As for Lt. Aso, it was plain to see that this character was both bitter and jealous and took this out on his charges. Lt. Aso was bitter that he was not in the thick of the war instead of being stuck at Changi in charge of insulting, spirited, enemy prisoners. He also could not figure out why these enemy soldiers made jokes to laugh at, and sang songs to buoy their spirits.

I also thought the story showed that in a normal situation these six blokes would not have been friends. Their personalities were to varied--from the supremely bright to the un-educated; incredibly brave to perpetually cowering; passively innovative to unbelievably creative. However, under the situation of a POW camp these diverse individuals came together and drew from each other's strengths in order to survive, and in that situation became mates. Rowdy was the father/headmaster figure that the six turned to in times of trouble that was above their expertise. Rowdy also was available to buck them up when their spirits were flagging, and gave them hope that they would survive.

I'm buying this DVD for my WWII collection.

Changi has a delightfully fresh script, acted superbly by both young and old actors alike. John Doyle has done an excellent job bringing humour to a tragic true story, keeping a sometimes sad story fun and engrossing, particularly to those of us not familiar with the events of South East Asia during WW2.

John Doyle's parallel story line successfully bridges the gap between past and present, allowing the audience insight into the long-term effect war had on the prisoners and their family's lives as well as providing the basis for an excellent narrative which nicely rounds out the tales, both individual and collective. Doyle deserves praise for this effort. We have in the past been delighted by his abundant and quick-witted humour as evidenced in his long running collaboration with Greg Pickhaver as `Roy & H.G.'

As the series is approaching half way, we are looking forward to how the story develops with anticipation.

This would have to be by far the greatest series I have ever seen. I vividly watched every sunday night and purchased the box set as soon as it was available. this is a timeless play written by a fantastic Australian that people of all ages could relate to, whether they are Australian or not, however for those of us that are Australian it truly brings across the typical Australian icon. A must see 10/10

I saw this drama by cable TV. Although I saw just two series, I love this drama. I'm waiting for more series will be aired by cable.

Even though it describes horrible, absurd situation in a prisoner's camp, this one shows us an indomitable spirit, warmth, friendship and humanity. They don't know whether they can survive or not, but kept their hope strongly without being discouraged by adversity.

I know this movie is not realistic like other war documentary, but I don't want to blame for it. It makes me believe the strong will of people in the most difficult situation.

'Private Bill' , especially, this episode touched deep in my heart.

I remember every scene. I always hate mathematics. But after seeing this drama, I can understand something about mathematics... Mathematics is his connection between past and present, also symbolizes eternity.

'Time, light and memory framed in a circle.'

Like other victims of war, he lost his lover by irresistible fate. I'm immersed in his time and memory as if I experienced same thing.

He experienced the great loss but he has pure passion of study.

He started his study in the camp, his joy of realize,

I believe his dedication of study sustained him.

I saw it several times, but the meaning of this film never faded. Every time I saw it, I feel same deep emotion.

* Their songs are beautiful, harmonious,

I'm sorry that I can't listen OST.

Never have i sat down for six hours straight to watch a miniseries, but Changi changed that. I'm not going to lie, I know some Aussie flicks can be pathetic and boring (actually, i quite like Aussie flicks myself but maybe I'm biased) but Changi is on a completely different lane. Although not historically accurate, as we are continually reminded, the show combines superb acting, an excellent script and the addition of humour to provide us with an entertaining and emotional perception of life in a POW camp in WWII.

Keep in mind, the show was not supposed to be a documentary so don't let any factual errors disappoint you.

This series exposes such creative writing by John Doyle (aka Roy Slaven)who is known more for his comedy than anything else, and an excellent director and actors move this creativity along perfectly. If you want to see how much hard work went into this series, visit the official website, it is really interesting and you'll learn a lot about true accounts of changi.

If you haven't seen Changi yet, make sure you are doing nothing for a whole day because you'll want to watch the series in its entirety.

This mini-series is iconic of the Australian spirit. While there may be what are perhaps considered glaring inconsistencies, the film portrays a spirit that is unique to Australia, and one that should be cherished. If anything, this mini-series demonstrates the Aussie sense of humour. The ability to laugh at the supremely ridiculous. Our willingness to have a laugh in even the most dire of situations. While a large part of this series focuses on mateship and how humour can be used as a means of survival, it also has elements of drama that are evoke real emotions. The main actors who appear are absolutely sensational and very convincing in their different roles. Capturing the essence of their characters perfectly. This mini-series should be mandatory viewing for all Australians.

I never saw this mini series when it first came out over 20 years but i'm glad i finally have. Great show that gives a little glimpse of what it would of been like being a prisoner of the Japanese. All the actors playing the young and old versions of themselves do a great job and it's good to see our soldiers not just playing unbeatable warriors but just young men sometimes scared but being mates to each other which got them through. Some liberties have been taken with the real history here but i think they still capture the essence of how bad it would of been. Good also to see how it wasn't just Aussies that were interned.

I was forced to watch 'Changi' last year in year 10 Australian History. Looking around the class room, both classes, all 40 students were nearly asleep, all 40 heads on the table whispering to the person next to them. I refuse to believe that because I am only 16, that my opinion doesn't count, having studied world war two, I not only felt embarrassed and ashamed watching this Australian piece of trash television. I was out of my mind at the appalling effort this mini series applied in the usage of film elements. The acting was poor, the screenplay was very inaccurate and the score was dreadful. Please, do not watch this film, it is bias and very racists (to the Japans).

A very good series, though it had great potential to be much better. John Doyle had a perfect opportunity to build six characters, make us love them, and then show the pointlessness of war and bring tears to our eyes by letting one or more of them be killed by the Japanese. Thousands of POWs died needlessly and that is the main thing that people think of when they think of Changi or any of the other camps. That fact seems to be all but forgotten about in this series. Instead of making us wonder if everyone will live through the war, he shows us right from the first second that all six of the lead characters not only survived the war, but live to the year 2000.

we are not film critics but the average person would love this mini series. we love the way it cuts from past to present, and they way it tells all the stories of each and we love trying to guess which one is next. we love the story line. and we are learning about how they coped during their imprisionment. anyway we love it and cant wait untill the next episode. And we dont see why critics keep putting it down. bye thanx simone and jade