Edge of the World Parent Guide

Truth, as the saying goes, is stranger than fiction. Especially when it comes to the history of Sarawak, now part of the Asian country of Malaysia. This northern region of the island of Borneo was once ruled by an Englishman known as the White Rajah, whose dynasty governed until the Second World War.

Edge of the World opens in 1839 at the beginning of the Victorian era. Having used his inheritance to buy a ship with defensive cannons, explorer and naturalist James Brooke (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has just arrived in Borneo, where he plans to study the local flora and fauna. But Brooke’s attempts to ensure the cooperation of the local rulers, Prince Makhota (Bront Palarae) and Prince Bedruddin (Samo Rafael), draw him - and his cannons - into local conflicts with rebels and pirates. Soon, Brooke is indispensable to the safety of the islanders, and he reaps the rewards that come with his success.

Brooke is no fool, and he does not rejoice when the Sultan of Brunei crowns him Rajah. He knows that Sarawak is a dangerous place, with pirates and angry rivals poised to attack. But he cares deeply for the people (and the natural world) and dedicates himself to providing stability, administering justice, and eradicating headhunting.

Not surprisingly, a movie set in this time and place comes with a boatload of negative content. The chief issue is regular doses of extreme, bloody violence that push it well into Restricted territory. Severed heads show up frequently, people are stabbed and decapitated and their butchered corpses are left in plain sight. People are also mutilated out of revenge or as a warning to enemies. This is a movie that will not let viewers forget that war is brutal and that the thirst for power and vengeance often exacts a terrible price.

Gore aside, Edge of the World is an intriguing look at a little known historical period. The film is well produced and Jonathan Rhys Meyers delivers a believable portrayal of James Brooke. The production’s first half, as Brooke establishes himself in Sarawak is more compelling than the second, particularly when he becomes delirious with fever and struggles to cope with the perils around him.

This is a fascinating film to watch from the vantage point of 2021. As the legacy of colonialism is examined more closely and critically, Brooke stands out as a distinctive figure. Born in India under English rule, he is deeply skeptical of Britain’s imperial goals. Although he is appalled by routine decapitations, he is overall respectful of local culture and unwilling to turn Sarawak into a British colony. As he says, “If I rule as the British do, I become the man I’ve spent my life trying to escape.”

Brooke’s determination to protect his people does turn him into a White Savior figure, but given the era in which he lives, it’s certainly better than the alternative. History is full of white colonizers; it’s good to see a European who isn’t motivated by a desire for conquest. At the same time, it offers a glimpse at a how history could have unfolded had more men of Brooke’s time chosen to reject imperial dogma and respect the cultures and autonomy of the people they encountered.