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In Edge of the World, a British explorer discovers an island and decides to keep it

Loosely based on history, story of James Brooke is pretty but shallow

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Everything about British colonialism is neatly summed up in the first three lines of dialogue from Edge of the World. Three explorers wade ashore on the coast of Borneo, largest island in the South China Sea, and three times the size of Great Britain. It’s 1839.

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“There’s nothing here!” one of them complains.

“It’s unknown, Arthur,” his companion replies. “Everything’s here!”

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And then: “Shall we claim it for England?”

In Michael Haussman’s new film, written by Rob Allyn and loosely based on the historical record, James Brooke (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) doesn’t exactly claim Borneo for England. Better to say he claims it for himself.

After playing several rival factions against one another (and with the help of his ship’s six-pound cannons) he winds up as the Rajah of Sarawak, ruler of all he surveys. Not bad for a former Bengal Army ensign and failed trader who moons over his life’s disappointments in numerous voiceovers.

He even finds love with the strong-willed Fatima (Atiqah Hasiholan), despite his complaints that his semingat – a local term that can be roughly translated as mojo – is not up to scratch.

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The film is beautiful, with its lush tropical setting – it was shot in Malaysia – dappled lighting, and scenes of fires on riverbanks that will give flashbacks to any fans of Apocalypse Now. There are also similar levels of savagery and butchery as in that film, and although Brooke is keen to end piracy, slavery and head-hunting in the region, he is sometimes forced to look the other way.

It’s tricky to make a story that has us rooting for a British explorer during “a time of empires” as the film’s opening puts it, but Edge of the World tries hard, mostly by making Brooke the least racist guy in the room, especially when compared with his fellow explorer Crookshank (Dominic Monaghan), and even more so when the captain of a British warship, the aptly named Nemesis, pays a visit.

The screenplay occasionally winks at the present day, as when Brooke claims to have discovered a plant and one of the locals asks: “Was it not here before?” But for the most part Haussman seems content to celebrate Brooke’s “white man’s burden” without comment. That may be enough to turn away some viewers, but this one was more troubled by the lack of depth in some of the lesser (i.e., non-British) characters. Edge of the World skims over its history and winds up an empty shell, nice to look at but devoid of content.

Edge of the World is available June 4 on demand.

2 stars out of 5

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