Summarizing this is going to be tricky, as there really is a lot going on here...  The story follows student Oh Jung Boem, as he's thrown into a violent firefight and basically pulls a Corporal Oppham as he fumbles for a bullet watching another soldier get bayoneted.  From there he winds up in a hospital, and taken under the wing of Capt. Kang (I think that was right), and then left to protect a school on the front lines with 70 other students as Kang joins the main battle not far away.

Among these students are 3 misfit deliquents dropped off at the last minute, including the stereotypically cavalier Kap-Jo.  The contrast between Oh and Kap is deliberate and ultimately resolved, and serves if nothing else to bring some drama and tension to the "hurry up and wait" portions of the film.

Then there is the "villain" of the picture, North Korean commander Park Mu-Rang.  His character is done in a suitably "Vader"-ish fashion, if you will.  That's about the best parallel I can make.

The students are quickly overcome by their inexperience as they encounter a North recon patrol, and their numbers are quickly halved.  Park gives them the opportunity to surrender, but of course they don't take it.  They use the tools and equipment available to them to put up a decent "last stand" until Kang returns with some Allied backup....

The battle scenes in this film are intense and brutal, that's an understatement.  Stylistically it borrows a lot from "Ryan" and Eastwood's recent efforts.  The washed out palette, the gritty fast moving camera shots and "high speed film" look, the at times gruesomeness... and a bit of slow-mo bullet time thrown in to make things really interesting.

But.  Here's the rub.  First off, let me say that I don't want to diminish in any way the "status" or story of these students.  From what I understand this is a quite well known moment in the Korean war, and these kids are held up as heroes (as this picture would indicate) and this film does that justice.

However, there's a point in the final battle where things start to get, well, a little over the top.  The rooftop scenes in particular, where the final two students (Oh and Kap of course) lay down an endless rain of bullets and literally pile up the bodies several thick.  At some line, reality meets legend, and then it gets crossed, which I think happened here.  Does it make for a more spectacular ending? Absolutely!  Is it what really happened? Probably not, at least not like this, I have my doubts.

71-Into the Fire is definitely worth the viewing, though.  I'm giving it an 8/10.  It lost the 9 because of the ending, and a few other parts which seemed to detract overall.

Here's the first 13 minutes or so.  I leave it as an exercise to find the rest if you're so inclined.

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71-Into the Fire [Blu-ray] List Price: $56.98 Sale Price: $12.29 You save: $44.69 (78%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Description

United Kingdom released, Blu-Ray/Region A/B/C : it WILL NOT play on regular DVD player. You need Blu-Ray DVD player to view this Blu-Ray DVD: LANGUAGES: Korean ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), Korean ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), Korean ( Dolby DTS-HD Master Audio ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Behind the scenes, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Documentary, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Posters, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Experience a masterpiece of World Cinema with incredible hyper-realistic full-scale battle sequences to rival 'The Pacific' and 'Saving Private Ryan'. On August 11th, 1950, 71 boy soldiers of the South Korean army singlehandedly held back the elite North Korean 766 Commando Brigade for a full 11 hours. Most were still in their school uniforms and had only fired a single bullet in training! Their astonishing bravery under fire enabled allied forces to hold a strategic bridgehead at the Nakdong River and gain a tactical advantage that would help turn the tide of the entire war. Nothing less than the freedom of their nation was at stake. Their ingenuity, tenacity and brotherhood helped them to achieve the impossible. This is their remarkable true story... Now, discover one of the greatest events in modern military history and re-live the day when courage came of age. ...71: Into the Fire ( Pohwasogeuro ) ( Seventy One: Into the Fire )

DVD Information

Binding: Blu-ray
Aspect Ratio:
Audience Rating: Unrated
Brand:
Manufacturer: Ais
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Seung-won Cha
• Sang-woo Kwone
• Seung-woo Kim
• Christina Cha
• Seung Hyun Choi

Features

• UK Import
• Region-Free
• Blu-ray

Reviews

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Quick plot summary:  At a rear-ward fighter base in Japan during the Korean War, Col. Gil Manton (Robert Stack) and Gen. Bob Hale (Richard Arlen) lead a squadron of F-86 Sabre Jets and F-80 Shooting Stars (the two are shown almost interchangeably, and somewhat confusingly actually.)  Manton's wife, Jane (Coleen Gray) who is a war correspondent, shows up to do a story, much to Manton's dismay.  What follows is a snapshot of what life might have been like on one of these bases, as we follow a couple of days in the lives of the pilots, and their wives.

Now, normally I don't particularly care for these kinds of movies, that focus more on the social lives of the pilots and wives than the actual action.  Here, though, I was intrigued that this movie explored the different aspects of being a military wife in such a frank and progressive manner, especially for 1953.

Yes, there is plenty of the almost condescending attitude of the day.  That the wives should be there to support their husbands no matter what, making sure that their every need and want is met out of the cockpit and not to ask too many questions....  That part is unavoidable.  But, there is a certain element of independence, strength, and courage, for lack of better words that is portrayed here.  They never really come right out and say it, but especially where Jane and the General's wife Marge (Julie Bishop) are concerned, in their conversations and actions....  It's pretty evident.  There's a scene in the base commissary that is a perfect example of the balance this picture holds between the typical 50's attitude and the new "strength..."  Jane's character in itself is quite representative of this independent attitude....

Of course there is the other element, the air combat.  And here it's done in a believable and respectable manner.  The aircraft hold their own as co-stars here, to be sure.  Although some of the scenes look like they were "put on" for the films production, namely some of the landing flybys in formation...  but hey.  A final dogfight scene between the Sabre's and the Mig's makes the entire effort worthwhile....  A no-nonsense attitude prevails here, as they head off into the skies, superstitions and fear and all....  And not all of them return.

There's also a very tangible "anti-war" feeling that crops up now and again.  One scene in particular with Hale's children playing "Commies and Goodguys" in a cowboys-and-indians vein really stands out.  I wonder how much of this didn't make it through various script edits and such.  Surprisingly, even the Japanese butler is portrayed somewhat respectably, with a fair accent and grammar depiction.  It's somewhat cringe-inducing, but for a film of its time, its definitely not as bad as some I've seen.

In the end, predictably, one doesn't return, and the other one does...  I won't tell you which.  But suffice it to say the drama is there and it is interesting.  Missing is the usual "shucks everything's fine here" attitude that pervades a lot of earlier WWII films.  Whether or not that is a product of the era, where pretty much everyone knew the score and was tired of that same old act, I really can't say.

I wish I could find some clips of this, (any clip) to show you.  And from what I can tell, it isn't even available on disc, or VHS for that matter!  I was able to see it via Netflix streaming.  Even curiouser was a blip in the credits (and on the poster!) about "Color by blah-labs", even though the copy I watched was in black-and-white.  What gives, studios?!  Where's the color version?!

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046262/

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OK, it starts out well enough, with a group of guys in a tank under fire in combat during the Korean war.  Mission accomplished, they head back to base after about five minutes of screen time.

And then they get stuck there shmoozing it up with the nurses and the hot Korean chick who works at the base club ("Egg Charlie's" eh, WTF?).  And they continue to do this for most of the movie.  Honestly, I was sitting there going "I thought this was a war movie that involved a tank!?"  (I guess my first clue should have been the poster... DO YOU SEE A TANK HERE?)

Then (FINALLY!!) they get to go back out on a mission again.  They get damaged by a grenade, and wind up stuck and pinned down by an enemy machine gun.  One of them manages to get out, find a replacement part, fix the tank, and then they triumphantly roll on out.

This last part could have been pretty good, if it hadn't been for the entire rest of the movie.  By that point, however, I was laughing pretty hard.  I kept checking the corner of the screen to see if Joel, Crow, and Servo had shown up yet.

And don't get me started about the inside of their tank.  Looked like they had room to stretch out and sleep in there.  Come on, guys.  Give us the benefit of the doubt here that we DON'T know its cramped and uncomfortable in there....

Would also have been nice if they could make up their mind what sort of tank they were driving as well.  I probably saw at least three different kinds rolling around that was supposed to be them....

It doesn't look like this is on DVD (whew) and I can't find any record of this on YouTube, so I guess you're spared that much.  I saw this via Netflix Streaming on my Roku, so the only thing I was out was the hour-and-a-half of my Saturday morning.  Blech.

Here's the IMDB page if you are so inclined....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051052/

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The film starts on board the aircraft carrier Savo Island in the middle of the Korean war. These carrier deck scenes are just truly incredible, as a near documentary of early navy jet aviation. The Navy provided extensive support and access for this film, and the Grumman F9F Panthers nearly steal the show. Nearly.

One pilot, Lt. Harry Brubaker (William Holden) has to ditch due to mechanical trouble, and is rescued from the cold and choppy waters of the North Pacific by Mike (Mickey Rooney) and Nestor (Earl Holliman). It's from here that his descent starts.

The ship heads back to Tokyo for a couple of days, luckily, Brubaker's wife (Grace Kelly) has also arrived with their two children, and the two are reunited, albeit for a short time. Harry has to run off and get the troublesome Mike out of jail, and futhermore, try and resolve Mike's woman-troubles. Immediately after Harry's leaving, the group Admiral Tarrant (Fredric March) and Nancy have a rather lengthy, heavy, philosophical conversation. At this point we start to see what this film is about, and the tone of the picture changes dramatically.

Well, he finally drags himself back to the hotel in the wee hours of the morning, and the conversation once again gets heavy, to the point of depressing, but we understand why. Nancy has to come to terms with the possibility that this may be the last time she'll see her husband, and exactly why.

A tearful goodbye and another brawl on the part of Mike-and-Nestor later, the carrier group is back underway and back in action. Harry's been tapped to cover the CAG on a recon mission to the Bridges of Toko-Ri, a key strategic target that the Admiral spoke of earlier. It's a heavily defended location which can only be destroyed by flying a dangerous route down a canyon under fire. The descent on Brubaker's part continues, as the dread of this mission continues to overtake him.

Maybe I'd better stop here, before I spoil the whole damn picture for you. Let's just say that the final outcome is a picture which completely and totally illustrates the sacrifice that is involved in war, both on and off the front. The courage (which as you know is defined as acting in the face of fear, not without it) and pull to duty of our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen....

...as the Admiral says in the final scene, "Where do we get such men?" *That* is the legacy of The Bridges at Toko-Ri.

I'd almost go as far as saying that this is a slap-in-the-face wake up call to everybody who had gotten used to the typical cigar-chewing John-Wayne-type heroes and triumphant World War II victory films of the previous decade. That this is *really* what its all about.

Holden is really the star of this film, though. His portrayal of a man tasked with his duty, torn between his family and his job, slowly going mad with the realization that his number will be up soon.... It's just a top-notch performance. I imagine its a role that a lot of people could identify with at that time.

There are a couple of typically 50s-campy (and borderline culturally, well, difficult) moments, such as the scene in the Japanese onsen with the other family. (But hey, its Grace Kelly, how can you not like that!? Come on!) Throw in Mickey Rooney's character for a bit of comic relief (but not much) and it takes the edge off a little. You've also got to give some props to the effects team. Those scenes of the fighters making the raid down the canyon were really well executed for the day. I had to stop and think about it, in one of those "You know, that's an effects shot! Not bad!" moments.

But the overall feeling you should get (I know I did) is one of both respect and introspect, that feeling of "damn, that was a really good movie." I know that's what I got out of The Bridges at Toko-Ri.

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However, the execution leaves quite a bit to be desired. I did enjoy the film, but a lot of aspects of it just left me going, "Oh, brother!"

The opening scene is probably the finest bit of film in the whole thing. It starts with our "hero", one Sgt. Zack (Gene Evans) being the sole survivor of a band of POW's massacred by the North Koreans. In this amazing shot, we see his bullet-punctured helmet, and then the grisled face of Zack, followed by an incredible tracking shot which takes him out of his hiding place and shows us the aftermath of this massacre. Then a young boy with a gun approaches. Is he good or evil? We don't know!! Neither does Zack, as he braces for the worst. Then the boy (William Chun) frees him from his bonds and the real story begins. Zack gives him the name "Short Round" (which you can't help but wonder if this was an inspiration for Indy's sidekick in The Temple of Doom!) and allows him to tag along.

From there he has to shoot a pair of North Korean soldiers, masquerading as a man and woman praying at a shrine. At this point, early on, you realize that The Steel Helmet is going to be different from your average 50's war film, as Evans has to beat the 'woman' to death, before he (and us) realize its actually the enemy.

He meets up, rather randomly, with another escaped POW, an African American medic, Thompson (James Edwards) who seems equally jaded and hardened. His band increases in size when he's discovered by a wayward US patrol, made up of mostly greenhorns, and a couple of faces familiar to Zack from his time in WWII.

This motley band of characters sets out to set up an observation post in a Buddhist temple, and then things really start to get, well, strange. The movie starts to take on a rather philosophical tone, as they get to know each other a little better.

The catch is that this temple is occupied by a North Korean Major (Harold Fong) who is then captured. He proceeds to play mind games with some of the men, bringing up racial issues with Thompson and Sgt. Tanaka (Richard Loo), something I definitely didn't expect.

The remainder of the film involves them defending their position against a North Korean incursion, leaving only a shell-shocked Zack, Thompson, and Tanaka to tell the tale.

In a lot of ways, you can see that Sgt. Zack is an early prototype of the character he'd later bring to life with Lee Marvin in The Big Red One. The same jaded, but still sort of sensitive persona, chewing on the butt of a worn-out cigar. The similarities are just too many to ignore.

He also goes way out there to illustrate the 'evilness' of the enemy, such as when one of the squad newbies is blown up by a booby-trapped body. The rest of the squad is totally taken aback by this terrible event, but Zack shrugs it off as incompetence, grabs his cigars and carries on. I don't think this kind of "frankness" existed very often in war movies of this era. Hell, I even thought I heard an F-bomb edited out at one point.

The problems with the film do take a lot away from it. The dialog can get rather stilted and phony at times, especially from Zack, Short Round, and the captured "Red." "Forced" might be a better word for it.

I also see a rather obvious non-understanding of Buddhism here, as Short Round tends to pray to Buddha like we Christians would pray to our God, and quite frankly that was one of the -worst- Buddha statues I've ever seen!!

Unfortunately, Fuller's roots as a Western-genre director come through in the final battle. The whole thing plays out like a 'Cavalry defending the fort from the Indians' episode, right down to the hoots and hollers of the encroaching Communists as they blindly charge over the hill.....

On one hand, The Steel Helmet is a great look at the early work of Samuel Fuller, there's no doubt. He pulled few punches here, and I'm surprised he got this made at all, with a lot of scenes that are really quite brutal and "to the point." On the other hand, there's just a lot not to like, I'm afraid. What could have been a true classic loses a lot of points with me for the above reasons.

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Eclipse Series 5: The First Films of Samuel Fuller (The Baron of Arizona / I Shot Jesse James / The Steel Helmet) (The Criterion Collection) List Price: $44.95 Sale Price: $25.70 You save: $19.25 (43%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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His films have been called raw, outrageous, sensational, and daring. In four decades of directing, Samuel Fuller created a legendarily idiosyncratic oeuvre, examining U.S. history and mythmaking in westerns, film noirs, and war epics. And characteristically, it all began with a bang: after printing the legend with the elegant B-pictures I Shot Jesse James and The Baron of Arizona, he got himself into hot water with the FBI on The Steel Helmet, the first American movie to portray the Korean War. These three independent films showed off Fuller’s genre diversity, gutter wit, and subversive force, and pointed the way to a controversial career in studio moviemaking. I Shot Jesse James Fuller's directorial debut is a psychological western, excavating, with pathos and humor, the tale of Robert Ford, the member of Jesse James's gang who shot the famed outlaw in the back. The Baron of Arizona A devilishly witty Vincent Price plays a nineteenth-century con man who sets out to commit the most epic swindle in U.S. history: to claim himself as the rightful inheritor of Arizona. The Steel Helmet With its low budget and high ambitions, Fuller's snarling Korean War film, an examination of race relations as well as a visceral plunge into battle, remains one of the director's most discussed and admired works.

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Brand: Image Entertainment
Manufacturer: Eclipse
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Preston Foster
• John Ireland
• Reed Hadley
• Tom Tyler
• Tommy Noonan

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Then you'd get 1961's Marines, Let's Go.  Gads.  As awful as the "war story" parts of this movie are, the entire "shore leave in Tokyo" bit is actually quite funny, if a bit juvenile.  Thankfully that takes up most of the film, because the beginning and ending sections where they're actually attempting to do some fighting are simply terrible.

And who wrote the dialog for Chatfield's Korean squeeze and her father, anyway? My God, that was actually painful to listen to.  It sounded like bad high school love poetry on acid or something.

Yes, there are plenty of Japanese stereotypes to satisfy all the PC-ers out there.  More than enough.  Actually they seem to extend this towards the Koreans, as I swore the Korean prisoner they capture at the end of the film was speaking Japanese.  Unforgivable from a continuity standpoint if true.   Pair this up with the condescending attitudes of the Marines towards the "natives" and you'll fully understand what I mean by "juvenile."

"Let's Go!" indeed.  Really I can't find fault with the performance of the Marines.  They pulled off what they were written as.  Most of the supporting cast though should go back to school, I think.  I was getting flashbacks to the beginning of "Strange Brew" where you hear Doug McKenzie behind the camera going, "Psst. Act! ACT!"

Technorati Tags: war movie reviews, marines let's go, 1961, korea, usmc, japan

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It follows the doctors of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH!) in Korea during the war.  Some of which were drafted and wind up there by fate, others are "regular army clowns" who seem to live for this stuff.

Now, if you've never seen the movie, but only seen the TV series, you need to take everything you think you know, and just throw it out the window.  About the only common traits the two have is the name, the location, and the characters' names.  And Radar.  He'd be the only actor that stuck around for the series.

There are lots of things which make MASH an incredible movie.  Not the least of which are the performances from a stellar ensemble cast.  Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Robert Duvall, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, and yes even the infamous Gary Burghoff.

MASH jumps between hilarious episodes, filmed with brilliant vision by Altman (my favorite is the "Last Supper" table) and the dead seriousness of their situation.

While watching this, you also realize how much of this you probably couldn't get away with in a movie today without having the riot act read to you. It's damn funny, but given the climate of today you don't really want to laugh in case someone sees you.

One of the problems though, is a lot of the humor is so subtle and "dry" that its lost on a lot of folks.  There's a lot of things that if you're not paying close attention, you'll miss the point.  The style is a bit disjointed and irregular, and could also put a few people off.  Once you get used to the strange cuts and angles, and realize what's going on, you'll get the hang of it.

It's been called an "anti-war" movie, and I suspect that's for a few reasons, probably more to do with the period it was made (at the height of Vietnam) and the way it belittles Army life as a series of mishaps connected by madness.

Of course, in a way, all good war movies *are* "anti-war" to some degree.

That is all.

Technorati Tags: korean war, war movies, m*a*s*h, mash, 4077th, review

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M*A*S*H (Widescreen Edition) List Price: $14.98 Sale Price: $7.23 You save: $7.75 (52%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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The staff of a korean war field hospital use humor and hijinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 05/23/2006 Starring: Donald Sutherland Sally Kellerman Run time: 112 minutes

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: Twentieth Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Donald Sutherland
• Elliott Gould
• Tom Skerritt
• Sally Kellerman
• Robert Duvall

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