Directed by Michael Haussman
Written by Rob Allyn
Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Dominic Monaghan, Ralph Ineson
Unrated
Runtime: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Available digital and on demand June 4

by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer

Sir James Brooke (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is the subject of the diverting historical adventure drama, Edge of the World, which chronicles his experiences in Sarawak, Borneo. 

Brooke, along with Arthur Crookshank (Dominic Monaghan) and Charley (Otto Farrant), arrive on “the other side of the world” in 1839. The British men walk through the jungle in awe, and soon are surrounded by the indigenous tribes. The area—which is full of gold, coal, and spices—is ruled by the Sultan of Brunei. There are Malay lords, Dayak tribes, as well as Lanun pirates fighting for power in the region. Brooke claims he is there for discovery, not conquest, and hope that his expedition in Sarawak provides “a credit to his name after his conduct in England did not.”

Edge of the World, directed by Michael Haussman, shows how Brooke adapts to this paradise that also becomes a kind of hell as power struggles ebb and flow. There are two Princes, Bedruddin (a scene-stealing Samo Rafael), and Makota (Bront Palarae), that vie for control. Makota wants Brooke to help him overtake a fort upriver. Bedruddin, who is in love with Brooke, helps him navigate things in part to defeat Makota. (After Brooke saves Prince Bedruddin from an attack while on the river, there is a cozy scene where the Prince explains why he was reluctant to jump into the water.) However, besotted the Prince is, Brooke is smitten with Fatima (Atiqah Hasiholan), who can only marry a king. This may be why Brooke requests becoming a Rajah to spare the lives of the prisoners captured on the mission upriver.

The film depicts the colonization of Sarawak by the British who, at the time, owned half the world. Yet Brooke, to his credit, wants to keep his kingdom independent. He is more interested in the wildlife than the riches. In one of the more amusing exchanges, Brooke brags about a plant being named after him because he discovered it, only to be asked, “Wasn’t it here before?”

The British may be using the natives, but the natives may also be using the British. Edge of the World features some mild erotic frisson between Brooke and Prince Bedruddin, and there is also a tasteful sex scene between Brooke and Fatima. But the tensions between races is more significant in the awful entitlement expressed by the British in the form of Sir Edward Beech (Ralph Ineson) and Arthur’s wife Elizabeth (Hannah New), who arrive in Sarawak and expect Brooke to designate the region a British colony—which he steadfastly refuses to do.

The first half of this film is the more interesting part because it sets up the characters, their alliances, and desires. There is a strong sense of time and place, and the compelling drama unfolds slowly. But around the film’s midpoint, Brooke starts to lose some control and his mind. He starts going mad, becoming feverish and disoriented. Prince Makota stages an attack in an attempt to seize power, and the action scenes are edited a bit quickly and clumsily. The political machinations, however, are mostly clear. 

Edge of the World may be too ambitious in its effort to present all this history, but to its credit, the personal moments are quite effective. The themes of “semangat,” which translates as “virility” or “lifeforce,” is represented by Brooke who wants to be a fair ruler and build a natural utopia. He has found a home in Sarawak, and someone he loves. He is respectful of the native people, and women, and wants to avoid savagery. (The film does include multiple beheadings.) However, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, while appropriately cast, gives an uneven performance. He tends to overdo the madness scenes, and is better in Brooke’s more reflective moments. 

But even with its drawbacks, End of the World is a decent film. It features some gorgeous cinematography (on what appears to be a modest budget) and presents an interesting history lesson.