Dorrigo Evans, a young Australian doctor, from humble beginnings, finds his life defined by experiences in japanese POW camp constructing railway in Burma 
 The war interrupts his affair with Amy (view spoiler)[ they first encounter in mesmerising bookshop scene before he discovers she is married to his uncle (hide spoiler)] 
 It defines him as a public personality, his struggle to doctor to the prisoners and protect the sick as far as possible from the enormous, futile manual labour of clear the jungle for the railway. 
 These are some of the most harrowing scenes - the prisoners deterioration and deaths in forced labour, their humanity in small acts of defiance and spirit, the horrendous death of Darky Gardiner as case in point, and Dorrigo's struggle with camp commander Nakamura, as much a prisoner of the idealogy of Japanese empire, loyalty to emperor, need to complete impossible railway and meth addiction 
 Both men struggle internally after war 
 (view spoiler)[Dorrigo marries Ella, believing Amy to have died (poignant scene on bridge later in life where he sees her walking but they never interact), he is a celebrated surgeon and war hero - but never seems comfortable in himself with these 
 Nakamura later marries and struggles to rationalise the camp and his actions with his view of himself in comparison to his wife's kindness in caring for him through cancer (hide spoiler)]