War Movie Reviews and News

Play Dirty (1968)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:39:44 -0500

Play Dirty (1968)

]]> I'm really a fan of Michael Caine, I just think he's one of those actors that really is a true professional. Throw any role at him and he'll turn it into something unique. However I was a little disappointed with 1968's Play Dirty.

Continuing in the vein of "getting the criminals to do the dirty work" movies like The Dirty Dozen and the recently reviewed The Secret Invasion, Play Dirty takes a bit of a unique twist on it. This time, a British Colonel sends this band of misfits off to blow up a German fuel depot far behind enemy lines in North Africa, in an attempt to validate his techniques of employing the local talent. However the higher-ups have other plans, instead using this group as a 'scout' to flush out the enemy resistance in front of the real expedition. But really, a fuel depot in North Africa? We could have been a little more original. (Dirty Dozen meets Tobruk? Yeah.)

Led by the cutthroat Capt. Leech (Nigel Davenport), they employ the talents of oil company man turned fuel depot expert Capt. Douglas (Michael Caine) as the expert. Of course, Leech is none too happy about having some clerk along for the ride, and the only way to get him to play along is to pay him extra to ensure that Douglas gets back intact. The rest of the motley crew? Really they are mostly inconsequential, just along for the ride. Don't even get me started on the two, um, affectionate arabs. Either they are really close brothers, or there's something else going on there. Know what I mean, say no more, etc.

Well, they set out on their mission. And what gets billed as a "tense action packed" movie turns out to be anything but. There's lots of shots of them driving through the desert, fighting the elements and their vehicles. They do manage to get past a band of local Nazi sympathizers, and the first real battle of the film takes place between a German contingent and the "real" British force which is following closely behind, as this band watches. "Survival" is the name of the game here, as Leech so bluntly puts it.

Then there's more desert driving, sandstorms, flat tires. Yeah I suppose that's all well and good. Man vs. the elements and all that, but it makes for some rather dull sequences. Then they arrive at the fuel depot. Or at least what's left of it. Its been abandoned, and Douglas and Leech convince their band to go after the real depot some distance away. You can probably guess the rest.

I will say this, Play Dirty is chock full of that 1960's nihilism, cynicism, and general attitude which seemed to be prevalent in a lot of pictures of the day. The final ending especially will remind you of films like Hell in the Pacific or Fail Safe.

Back to Caine. Really his portrayal of the company man didn't click with me. I found it to be rather wooden and drab. Stoic? Sure, I suppose to give some sort of contrast to the "anything goes" nature of the Leech character, as Douglas seems to want to do things "by the book" most of the time. He does eventually come around, but not really in a convincing way, at least for me.

On another note, I actually found the soundtrack for Play Dirty to be a pleasant change from a lot of its contemporaries. There is a lot of the usual snare drum pomp-and-circumstance bits, but the overall package really makes the film bearable to watch. Throw in several moments where the characters have the various local radio stations (German, Italian, American) tuned in as they're driving around in the sand, and it really helps. Play Dirty (1968) on Spout.com

No Better Place to Die, from Dale Dye!

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:05:09 -0500

No Better Place to Die, from Dale Dye!
]]> Long-time war movie consultant Dale Dye is taking a shot at the director's chair! If you don't know who Mr. Dye is, he's been a sort of staple of modern war movies, from Platoon to Saving Private Ryan to Band of Brothers and lots more. He's usually got at least a minor role in the films he works on.

Quoted from the official movie site, http://www.nobetterplacetodie.com/

It is known as the bloodiest small-arms battle in the history of U.S. warfare. Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division jumped in the night through a torrent of gunfire into the swamped Normandy countryside. Hundreds were killed before they landed. Many drowned. Those who survived faced a deadly and vital mission. They were outnumbered and outgunned.

To the brave men whose blood and guts made possible the D-Day assault of June 6, 1944, there was “No Better Place to Die.”

Based on the true story of a young private who defied death to deliver orders from the commanding officers to the front lines at the La Fiere Bridge Causeway, “No Better Place to Die” relives the horrific fight that opened a route to victory for troops storming Utah Beach on D-Day.

The American soldiers had two heavily defended bridges to overtake and capture. They had 800 yards of hell to cross. Their only passageway: a narrow, elevated road surrounded by floodwater. As the hours and days passed, the water turned to blood in a battle of no turning back. Victory would bore a hole into Nazi-occupied France. It all came down to the heart, courage and will of heroes like PFC Charles DeGlopper, Gen. James Gavin, 1st Lt. John "Red Dog" Dolan, Private Bob Murphy and Lt. John Marr who could be found everywhere on D-Day.

They've got a blog, but it seems to be empty!

Found via the Armchair General Forum

The Secret Invasion (1964)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:30:14 -0500

The Secret Invasion (1964)

IMDB

]]> You might well call The Secret Invasion, "The Filthy Four." Why? It's sort of a similar picture to The Dirty Dozen, except instead of twelve convicted criminals hand-picked for a suicide mission, this time its four.

The mission? To rescue an imprisoned Italian General from the Nazi prison in the Balkans, and return him to his followers who, its hoped, will turn against the Germans.

British Major Mace (Stewart Granger) picks the four miscreants, Rocca (Raf Vallone), Scanlon (Mickey Rooney), Fell (Edd Byrnes), and Durrell (Henry Silva) each for their "unique" talents. And much like the Dirty Dozen, they waffle back and forth between attempting escape, and following through loyally with their mission.

Along the way they join up with a band of Slav resistance fighters, led by Saval (William Campbell) and of course there is the wayward love interest, Mila (Spela Rozin.)

They're captured themselves as they try to execute their plan, and have to improvise an escape on top of the rescue mission. This one section of the film is in fact the only part where it really gets good. Despite the cheesy acting on all fronts, the mechanics of them pulling it off just clicks.

Then there is the twist ending, and the gotcha where its resolved. Actually a breath of fresh air given the more-or-less formula nature of everything else.

What might be a good picture, however, just isn't. The 60s-TV-ish soundtrack is just, well, too 60s TV for its own good. There are a few moments where it actually diverges into some interesting themes, but the typical 'hits' are all there, in spades.

Then you've got the rest of the picture. I'm not sure where the fault really lies here, in the direction, the writing, or the ho-hum-ness of everyone's performances. Even Mickey Rooney takes on a clown-like persona with his stereotypical drunk Irishman. I don't know, I just didn't get involved. I just couldn't bring myself to it. Don't even get me started on the female interest, Mila. That whole role should have just been dropped, as it seemed to serve no purpose other than to provide a brief shocking moment where we all go "Gasp!" and move on again....

And how can we forget the also-typical 50s and 60s war movie mantra of "fire as many bullets into everything as possible" bit. After so many times of hearing the same bleeding rat-tat-tat sound effect it really starts to wear on a guy. Everybody takes half a clip it seems, from everybody, and nobody seems to feel the need to reload. I just hate that. Call me a nitpicker but eh. And why is it that the good guys don't seem to get shot at by the friendlies even though they're wearing the SS uniforms they escaped with!?

A mediocre formula effort, that's what I'll call The Secret Invasion. Its not even fun, rather just a way to blow away a couple hours in a semi-mindless machine-gun fest. I just didn't care for it. I know I'll catch hell for it, but hey.

It is somewhat interesting that the concept we'd remember more in "The Dirty Dozen" had already been done, just a mere three years earlier. Thank goodness Lee Marvin and company got it right! The Secret Invasion (1964) on Spout.com

Battle Cry (1955)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:48:44 -0500

Battle Cry (1955)

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]]> "The men who fought. The women who waited. And the stolen moments they shared." Ick.

For those of you wanting the short-and-sweet version of this review, here it is: 1955's Battle Cry is short on Battle, and long on Cry. In it, we follow a squad of Marines from enlistment in 1942 all the way through Saipan in 1944. Or do we? I gotta say, I feel gipped!!

Instead of following the Marines in action, we mostly are treated to a few shorter stories involving the mens' involvement with various persons of the female persuasion. It looked like it could be an interesting picture, but the whole "soap opera" nature of the film left me throwing up my hands and going "WTF?! Where's the war, man!"

From the Private who gets involved with the USO director, who just happens to be married, but winds up going back and marrying his high school sweetheart, to the Corporal who falls for the girl he runs into on the ferry night after night, only to find out that she's actually kinda-sorta-seeing one of the other guys in the squad....

...and then they get shipped off to someplace like, I dunno, Guadalcanal, only to be a part of the mop-up efforts, for about five minutes of screen time, and then its back to the romantic melodrama. Rinse and repeat.

Had I known what to expect going in, I probably wouldn't be as let down as I was. I mean, after two and a half hours of the same, "I love you! boohoohoo" stuff it starts to get, well, a little comical. Throw in a good heaping-helping of mid-fifties cheesiness and you've really got the makings of a cinematical enigma.

The squad's only real action comes at Saipan, where the commander whines to his CO to get his men a slot on the beachhead, instead of (yet again) in the reserve forces. How very gung ho.

I'm not going to run it all down for you, if you're interested in romantic dramas, this might suit you more than anything. Yeah, alright, I'll concede that we do get a good look into the oft-forgotten relationships that are a part of any war. But I just couldn't take it.

Curiously, Battle Cry, at least to me, seemed to be very racy and risque for its time. A couple of scenes inparticular should strike you as out-of-place for the mainstream cinema of the day. I will also concede that none of the romantic interests were in any way difficult to watch, if you get my drift, which surely made the 2.5 hours a little more bearable.

The death knell for my opinion of the picture was when Pvt. Danny gets hit on Saipan, and we witness his wifey back home shooting up out of bed screaming in some sort of psychic moment. Eyes were a-rolling, let me tell you.

Cut the film down a bit, put in a little more Battle and a lot less Cry, and you've got a good picture. Battle Cry just wasn't my cup-a-joe. Battle Cry (1955) on Spout.com

The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:20:00 -0500

The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969)

IMDB

]]> What a strange movie The Secret of Santa Vittoria is. Just, well, strange. That's the only word I can think to describe it.

When Mussolini is gone, the citizens of the small Italian wine-making village place the inept drunken coward, Italo Bombolini (Anthony Quinn) into the office of Mayor. When they discover that the German army is occupying villages, soon to be including theirs, they devise a scheme to protect their 1.3 million bottles of vino from the pillaging Nazis. Yes, that many!

They manage to pull it off, and when the Germans arrive, they find only about a fifth of that, and are at a loss to provide the rest. The German officer-in-charge, Captain von Prum (Hardy Kruger), continues to the end to get Bombolini to reveal the cache of drink, but to no avail.

What's strange about the film is just how strange it is. The villagers, and in fact the entire village seems to be a parody of sorts. Of what I'm not exactly sure, maybe some invented Italian stereotype or something. If the intent was to be "cute" about it, they could have found a better looking bunch of folks, as the whole lot of them is quite ugly! Including the well-to-do Contessa Matatesta (Virna Lisi), sorry, I just had to go there. The whole time I felt like I was in a Weird Al version of West Side Story, only without the singing and dancing.

Throw into the mix the myriad of subplots, like the Contessa's romance with the deserting Italian soldier, the fascist prisoners, Bombolini's wife.... and it just gets, well, stranger by the minute.

Quinn is the only real shining star here, trying to make the best of a comedic role that I'm not sure really fits him. At times you can almost feel his pain as he tries his best. Kruger is equally fulfilling as the German Captain, but he's got a "good nature" about him that also doesn't seem to befit his character. Have to mention the brief appearance of Nazi-typecast Karl Otto-Alberty as well!

The intent I think was to deliver a cute comedy set in wartime Italy, with a bit of romance thrown in, on top of the overarching theme of the village not caving into the Nazis, and maintaining the identity in the face of crisis. Yeah, I guess you could say that "Bumble-ini" redeems himself in the end as well, but the final scene of him dancing and acting like the fool he starts off as sort of negates it all.

The Secret of Santa Vittoria just didn't do it for me. I did laugh a few times, scratched my head a few more times, and rolled my eyes a few more than that. If you happen to catch it on the tube, then sure, if there's nothing else to see, why not? The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969) on Spout.com

In The Valley of Elah (2007)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:02:42 -0500

In The Valley of Elah (2007)

IMDB

]]> As we learn in the film, in the Biblical parlance, the Valley of Elah is where the infamous battle between David and Goliath took place. I'm not exactly sure what the relevance of that to the movie, In The Valley of Elah is, except maybe in reference to the main character, Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones)

But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here. Elah follows Deerfield as he searches for his son, Mike Deerfield, who has gone AWOL after returning from a tour in Iraq. The search turns into a murder mystery, as we discover his horribly mutilated remains in a field. Helping with the investigation is the mediocre rural detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron.)

War Movie? No. Classify this under murder/detective mystery more than anything. However, I think that the folks who made the movie intended for this to be some kind of statement. That little effort, in my not so humble opinion, falls flat on its face. Seen purely in that light, it goes from one extreme to the other and then back again. From 'honor our troops!' to 'the US is wrong' to 'war is hell' to 'our soldiers are animals' and then falls somewhere in the "unfavorable" light as we end the film with Deerfield hanging the flag his son sent him upside down as a signal of distress. Whether that's supposed to be Deerfield's or all of us collectively I'm not sure.

It's also unclear to me how the now deceased Deerfield's unfortunate events ultimately play into his death, and the plot in general. Not to spoil it, but he accidentally does something that he can't live with, and it just doesn't line up with the manner or circumstances of his death. Is the moral of the story "shit happens?" I really don't know.

Anyway. If you take all of that aside, go ahead, toss it out the window... You really end up with a good movie. A good detective story anyway. And as far as detective stories go it is pretty predictable.

The final thing which makes Elah what it is is Tommy Lee Jones' performance, and how we witness his character go from straight-laced, (and still "living the life" so-to-speak) into a dark world of chaos. He starts off parking his polished shoes by his neatly tucked-and-folded bed, to a sloppy, sleeping til noon mess as he unravels the mystery of what happened to his son. Really, that's whats at the core of the story. I'll throw in a big nod to Susan Sarandon playing the would-be-stoic army wife and mother. Her brief yet powerful performance is equally moving as Jones'. But, if Theron's goal was to play a not-so-bright but dedicated cop with no personality, then I think she nailed it dead on.

So, take all the proposed rhetoric about Iraq out of In The Valley of Elah, and its a really solid piece. But to put it all in there is just confusing and at best a plot device that we just didn't need. The entire stream of 'decoded' cell phone videos just serve to muddle the picture, providing few clues really except to finally show that Mike's buddies were a bunch of sadistic animals. I just don't get the motive there. In The Valley of Elah (2007) on Spout.com

Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:01:34 -0500

Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna
]]> Man, I am so far behind the curve when it comes to new stuff coming out... I just found out about this and it looks like it could be quite the picture.

From the official site, miraclemovie.com

MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA chronicles the story of four black American soldiers who are members of the US Army as part of the all-black 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II.

They experience the tragedy and triumph of the war as they find themselves trapped behind enemy lines and separated from their unit after one of them risks his life to save an Italian boy.

Directed by Spike Lee from a screenplay written by James McBride, the author of the acclaimed novel of the same name, the film explores a deeply inspiring, powerful story drawn from true history, that transcends national boundaries, race, and class to touch the goodness within us all.

And, here's the trailer

Can't wait! 2008 is shaping up to be a good year on the war movie front!

Link: Miracle at St. Anna (official site)
Link: Miracle at St. Anna (2008) (IMDB)
Link: Miracle at St. Anna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:44:00 -0500

Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973)

IMDB

]]> Hitler: The Last Ten Days takes us into the depths of der Furher's Berlin bunker during his final days. Based on the book by Gerhard Boldt, it provides a bleak look at the goings-on within, and without.

The style of the film is a little interesting. You'll quickly notice that "above ground" things are all in black-and-white, while "below" everything is in color. This makes perfect sense, as we start the film in B/W with a horrific and brief look at Hitler's rise to power.

Inside the bunker, there are moments where we're suddenly cast "above", to the horrors and generally atrocious conditions that exist there. Usually these moments come in stark contrast to some outlandishly false or otherwise arrogant statement by Adolf, or some instance where the relative luxury and comfort of the bunker has been shown to us. I have to say, it really works quite well. Just as we start to "accept" said luxury, we're thrown back to reality.

Playing Hitler is the venerable Alec Guinness. His portrayal is absolutely amazing, bringing out the man's arrogance and steadfast insanity in sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious ways.

It is interesting, though, to contrast this portrayal of Hitler to that of the later film Downfall. In that movie we're shown a slightly different picture of a frail and failing old man, who switches back and forth between a pathetic paranoid confusion to utter insane rage. In "Last Ten" Hitler is shown as just constantly paranoid, in a "steady" sort of way. Both versions are equally effective, though, and you have to give Guinness credit for his masterful job here.

The rest of the cast is just as good, really, although unlike Downfall, they take a back seat to Guinness.

Of course we all know the ending, and as is the case the last final moments have to be inferred, but seem to work here. Although the ending seems a little too triumphant and, well, written for the screen as the entire remaining staff lights up their cigarettes in defiance of the now deceased Furher....

No matter. The Last Ten Days is still a fine bit of film, even if it is ultimately depressing and predictable. (hey, what were you expecting?)

Curiously, Hitler: The Last Ten Days is rated PG. In the first few moments alone, I think it's clear that this is a bit more than that, as we're shown some of the awful bits of stock film from events during the war, from the horrors of the camps, and later reels such as the citizens carving up horses for food as they're served up steak and wine in the bunker....

It is interesting to contrast the two viewpoints of Boldt in this film, versus the viewpoint of the secretary Traudi Junge in Downfall. A lot of the same events are covered, but the perspective and ultimate telling of the story really is quite different. Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973) on Spout.com

Some Kind of Hero (1982)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:16:45 -0500

Some Kind of Hero (1982)

IMDB

]]> On his first day out on patrol in Vietnam, Corporal Eddie Keller (Richard Pryor) is taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. From that point on, his luck only seems to get worse in 1982's Some Kind of Hero.

After a mind-numbing six years in prison, he's finally released once the war is over. But as his story, and that of so many others goes, he returns to find his world in shambles. His wife has moved on, his money is gone. Even the army seems poised to abandon him yet again as they learn of the "confession" he signed to save the life of his cell-mate back in 'Nam.

The only good thing that does happen is he runs into a Toni (Margot Kidder), a hooker with a soft-spot for hard-luck cases. Unfortunately, he seems hell-bent on getting himself into more and more trouble, as he turns to crime and eventually the mob....

Keller's story really is a common one among veterans. Not only has going to war, and especially living as a POW for so long changed him irreversibly, the world back home has changed as well. A different person returns to a much-different world, and things just don't work out. At all.

What else is unfortunate is that this film just can't seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be a comedy or a tragedy. Pryor is as always, pure genius, switching back and forth between his usual coarse comedic core and a man on the edge of total desperation. If it weren't for his performance I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. For some reason he's able to blend the comedy with the tragedy in a nearly seamless way.

But there are other problems here. I kept expecting at some point his former cell-mate Vinny (Ray Sharkey) to turn up and somehow save the day as payback for Keller saving his life. But as reality goes I guess it makes sense. The only reference we have to him is as Keller's imaginary accomplice in his bumbling crime career.

Some Kind of Hero turns out to be a thoughtful look at the trials that our guys coming back from Vietnam faced, and I'm sure it strikes a familiar chord with a lot of them. The end result isn't all bad, but really could have been a lot better. It just turns from thoughtful, to funny, from war movie to crime comedy at the drop of a hat and back again one too many times. Some Kind of Hero (1982) on Spout.com

Delta Farce (2007)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:50:04 -0500

Delta Farce (2007)

IMDB

]]> Um. Why did I even bother? Seriously.

Delta Farce is a supposed comedy from the "masterminds" behind the Blue Collar Comedy(cough) tour folks. Namely Larry "The Cable Guy", Bill Engvall, and that skinny annoying guy whose name I can't remember (DJ Qualls, had to look it up.)

In it these three idiot hillbillies somehow are part of the Army reserves. Explain that one to me, especially how their "reserve center" is more like a clubhouse.... Anyway, they actually get called up and wind up airdropped on accident into Mexico (how they ended up in Mexico on the way to Iraq is another mystery!)

And the hilarity ensues. Or at least its supposed to, I think.

Basically they fight off the local banditos from an overly-stereotypical Mexican village, Larry gets the girl and all is well. But, man, what a nightmare.

It's just not funny. The few-and-far between jokes aren't funny. Engvald's same 15-year old Redneck act just keeps getting tired, and what slapstick there should have been just falls apart as neither slappy or shtick.

The only bright side to the movie is that it stars Marisol Nichols (24, Blind Justice) as Maria, the "love interest" if you want to call it that, and she provides a much needed visual distraction from the rest of the chaos on screen. Thanks!

I had to pause the movie half-way through for a brief real-life interruption, and actually contemplated not finishing it. Yeah, its that bad.

Even the role of Sgt Kilgore (Keith David), the supposed-to-be deadpan-arsehole-type was flubbed, seriously. Again, just unfunny in any way thinkable. Unless you enjoy painful stereotypes and haunting visions of early-90's standup acts. (The talking pepper, man I thought I'd never see him again!!!)

And then at the end during the credits they've got the gall to dedicate this POS to our troops. Gee, thanks. All those fat, lazy, beer-drinking, no good troops who wouldn't know a foxhole from their you-know-what hole, right? Whatever, guys.

Just don't bother, I can't believe I did!!! I'd rather do a 24-hour marathon of Pauly Shore's moderately funny "In the Army Now" than view this thing again! Even the DVD is lacking the parody-of-a-parody "Full Metal Jacket" style artwork of the original movie poster. Lacking. Delta Farce (2007) on Spout.com

None But The Brave (1965)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Thu, 29 May 2008 06:08:00 -0500

None But The Brave (1965)

IMDB

]]> 1965's None But The Brave is just a strange movie to me. It's really hard to explain why, but that won't stop me from trying! I mean, to start, the whole thing is produced, *directed*, and stars, in a somewhat secondary role, old blue-eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. Not exactly what you'd expect, right? Well it just gets better.

We find a band of Japanese soldiers, stranded on a remote island (like there's any other kind?) in the South Pacific. Early on, we get a glimpse into the mindset of their commander, Lt. Kuroki (Tatsuya Mihashi), in a somewhat sympathetic light, as he deals with his men and the gung-ho style of his second, Sgt. Tamura (Takeshi Katoo).

(Quick Aside: DVD producers!! If you're going to take films like this onto disc, that have a lot of Japanese in them, PLEASE don't remove the subtitles that would have been on the original film and add them to the English subtitles!!! PLEASE!!! It took me a minute to figure out that we really should be understanding the dialog in Japanese. A quick eye-roll, heavy sigh, and remote-button-press later we were good to go, but come on!!!)

Things change for the Japanese when a Marine Corps. transport and its escort are shot down by a Zero just off the island, and the transport crashes with most of the men surviving. Out comes our beloved Frankie as an alcoholic Corpsman, the bulky and authoritative pilot, Capt. Bourke (Clint Walker) and the cariacature Gung-Ho Marine, Lt. Blair (Tommy Sands.) Blair has got to be one of the most over-the-top portrayals of your stereotypical jarhead ever, with his accent and constant drill-sargeant style.... He's funny... to the point of being down-right annoying. At least we've got the level-headed Bourke and the understated Corpsman.....

Anyway! After the Marines get encamped, and several battles ensue, a deal is reached where sinatra's Corpsman helps out (!) an injured Japanese soldier by removing his gangrenous leg. With that a certain amount of trust is established between the two camps, and the two commanders realize that they're both in a similar and dire circumstance. The only way for them to survive is to work together.

Of course its never quite that simple, as the Americans work behind the Japanese' back to establish radio contact with their forces. They do, and its agreed that once it looks like the war is back on for these two camps, the fighting resumes, and the entire Japanese contigent is wiped out.

Its painfully clear what the overall message of the film is, that the wars we are sent to fight really are constructs thrown on us by our leaders. As the two camps work together, and build trust, they all become quite good friends. The parallels between the two camps are equally obvious, with both having their level-headed, yet troubled commanders, and their simple-minded warmongering second-in-commands. Unfortunately the war rears its ugly head at the end, and it leaves all but a tiny handful dead. A noble sentiment, to be sure. But the events and people we come across to get there just make None But The Brave somewhat of an enigma to me, especially considering the unexpected source! I really did enjoy it! Really! It just had so many oddities to me to leave me scratching my head. And the mess with the subtitles on the DVD didn't help any!

I'd recommend None But The Brave, just make sure you're aware that yes you should be using the subtitles! Or you will really be confused!

I almost forgot another bit of odd trivia, the somewhat unremarkable soundtrack was penned by future master "Johnny Williams!" Just another thing to throw into the mix! None But The Brave (1965) on Spout.com

The Steel Helmet (1951)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Tue, 27 May 2008 08:39:13 -0500

The Steel Helmet (1951)

IMDB

]]> Before the epic The Big Red One, director Samuel Fuller created another war picture, The Steel Helmet. "Helmet" was a film about the Korean War, made right smack in the middle of the war, and in it, he pulls no punches on a lot of subjects.

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. The Steel Helmet (1951) on Spout.com

The One That Got Away (1957)

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Sat, 24 May 2008 06:57:00 -0500

The One That Got Away (1957)

IMDB

]]> Continuing in the vein of "films that have some relevance in real life..." we've got 1957's The One That Got Away. It's the "true" story of one Franz Von Werra (Hardy Kruger), a German pilot shot down over England, taken prisoner, and who finally escapes and makes it back to Germany to continue the war, the only man to pull off that feat.

The picture opens with Werra being shot down, and taken prisoner by the local civilian defense patrols. From there he's sent off to an interim location for interrogation. It's clear to the British (and to us) that he's not your ordinary average pilot. It seems he's quite the celebrity back home, and somewhat of an "ace" to boot.

From there he's sent off to his first POW camp, and of course, attempts to escape. But, of course, he's captured again, and sent off to yet another camp.

His real break comes, though, as he's sent overseas, to a POW camp in Canada. In the harsh winter, he manages to bail out of the transport train, and makes his way to the St. Lawrence. After a great struggle to cross the river, he finally ends up on the other side, in the still neutral (this is before the US got involved) US of A. And its here that our story ends.

The final crawl tells us the rest of the story, how Werra manages to get back to Germany, only to be killed in action later.

I'll be honest, its hard to get behind Werra in his efforts, knowing that he's "the bad guy" here, but you do eventually. You will actually find yourself rooting for him. But it takes a little while. It wouldn't be possible without the excellent performance by Kruger as Werra. His swagger and attitude throughout the film actually makes you believe that he can pull this off. It also goes a long way towards defining the arrogant "celebrity" nature of the character. In that respect its really a great performance. He also manages to portray a great desparation in the final scenes, as it's clear he's not sure if he'll make it across the river or not.

Kruger is the real star here, I can say that none of the other characters were particularly memorable. Except maybe for the British officer who receives his postcard from Werra, claiming his victory in his wager that he would escape eventually.

There's also a very, very slight undertone to the picture, when the whole "neutral country" issue is raised, and in respect to the US. Being a British-produced film, I can't help but wonder if that was meant as a slight poke at pre-war US policy or not. Just something to consider.

The One That Got Away is pretty predictable, as we know in advance the final outcome. But as they say, getting there is where the fun is. So I have to give an overall thumbs up, if nothing else as an excellent popcorn-muncher for a lazy weekend. The One That Got Away (1957) on Spout.com

1968 Tunnel Rats

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:34:00 -0500

1968 Tunnel Rats
]]> Holy short guys with guns, Batman!! How did I miss this news!! Caramba! Check out the trailer, BEFORE you read the lamenting article below... Then read the review over at IMDB. Mixed reactions? Sure, but it looks like it could be good.

Link: Cannes Market Flash: Uwe Boll’s Vietnam Epic | SpoutBlog
Link: (IMDB) Tunnel Rats (2008)

Memorial Day Weekend 2008 War Movie Schedule

chris@warmovieblog.com (Chris) — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:41:59 -0500

Memorial Day Weekend 2008 War Movie Schedule
]]> As is usually the case for a Memorial Day Weekend, several cable/satellite networks will be chock full of classic war movies this coming weekend. Namely Turner Classic Movies, Fox Movie Channel, and AMC. I'm sure there are many more but these are "The Big Three."

Here's what I've found out (all times US/Eastern). I've included links to reviews here at War Movie Blog for the movies I've seen.... Looks like a full weekend. Unfortunately it looks like (yet again) TNT will not be doing their 'Saving Private Ryan' showing.... Tsk. Click Through for the full list.

Turner Classic Movies

Saturday

6am - Resisting Enemy Interrogation (1944) - Academy Award nominated training film which instructs soldiers how to handle the interrogation techniques practiced by the Nazis.
BW-66 mins, TV-PG
7:15am - 36 Hours (1965) - Nazis kidnap a key American intelligence officer and try to convince him that World War II is over. Cast: James Garner, Rod Taylor, Eva Marie Saint. Dir: George Seaton. BW-115 mins, TV-PG
9:15am - Dirty Dozen, The (1967) - A renegade officer trains a group of misfits for a crucial mission behind enemy lines. Cast: Lee Marvin, John Cassavetes, Charles Bronson. Dir: Robert Aldrich. C-150 mins, TV-PG
11:46am - Short Film: From The Vaults: Operation Dirty Dozen (1967) C-9 mins
12:00pm - Kelly's Heroes (1970) - An American platoon tries to recover buried treasure behind enemy lines. Cast: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland. Dir: Brian G. Hutton. C-144 mins, TV-14
2:30pm - Where Eagles Dare (1969) - An Allied team sets out to free an American officer held by the Nazis in a mountaintop castle. Cast: Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure. Dir: Brian G. Hutton. C-155 mins, TV-14
5:09pm - Short Film: From The Vaults: Where Eagles Dare (1969) C-13 mins
5:30pm - Too Late The Hero (1970) - During World War II, a British platoon goes behind enemy lines in the Pacific. Cast: Michael Caine, Cliff Robertson, Henry Fonda. Dir: Robert Aldrich. C-134 mins, TV-14
8:00pm - Paths Of Glory (1957) - A military lawyer comes to question the status quo when he defends three men accused of cowardice. Cast: Kirk Douglas, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready. Dir: Stanley Kubrick. BW-88 mins, TV-PG
9:37pm - Short Film: One Reel Wonders: Safety Second (1950) C-7 mins
9:45pm - Red Badge Of Courage, The (1951) - A young Union soldier fights to atone for a moment of cowardice during the Civil War. Cast: Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin, Royal Dano. Dir: John Huston. BW-69 mins, TV-PG
11:00pm - Breaker Morant (1980) - When his commanding officers make a mistake, an Australian soldier faces court martial. Cast: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown. Dir: Bruce Beresford. C-107 mins, TV-M
1:00am - Apocalypse Now (1979) - An Army captain travels to Cambodia during the Vietnam War to terminate a renegade officer. Cast: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. C-153 mins, TV-MA
4:00am - Beach Red (1967) - American soldiers fight to take a Japanese-occupied island during World War II. Cast: Cornel Wilde, Rip Torn, Burr DeBenning. Dir: Cornel Wilde. C-104 mins, TV-MA

Sunday

5:45am - Short Film: One Reel Wonders: Beach Of Nazare (1957) BW-8 mins
6:00am - First Motion Picture Unit (1943) - The short documentary profiles the Army Air Corps' film production unit, which was put together to produce training films during WWII. BW-21 mins, TV-PG [Ed: This is a great little piece!]
6:25am - Winning Your Wings (1942) - James Stewart hosts this classic Air Force recruiting film. BW-18 mins, TV-G
6:45am - Guy Named Joe, A (1943) - A downed World War II pilot becomes the guardian angel for his successor in love and war. Cast: Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, Van Johnson. Dir: Victor Fleming. BW-120 mins, TV-G
9:00am - Flight Command (1940) - A cocky cadet tries to prove himself during flight training. Cast: Robert Taylor, Ruth Hussey, Walter Pidgeon. Dir: Frank Borzage. BW-116 mins, TV-PG
11:00am - Action In The North Atlantic (1943) - A Merchant Marine crew fights off enemy attacks at the start of World War II. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Raymond Massey, Alan Hale. Dir: Lloyd Bacon. BW-127 mins, TV-G
1:15pm - Objective, Burma! (1945) - An American platoon parachutes into Burma to take out a strategic Japanese outpost. Cast: Errol Flynn, George Tobias, Henry Hull. Dir: Raoul Walsh. BW-142 mins, TV-PG
3:45pm - Stalag 17 (1953) - A cynical serviceman in a World War II POW camp has to prove he's not an informer. Cast: William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger. Dir: Billy Wilder. BW-120 mins, TV-PG
6:00pm - Pork Chop Hill (1959) - Americans take a vital hill in Korea but have trouble holding it. Cast: Gregory Peck, Harry Guardino, Woody Strode. Dir: Lewis Milestone. BW-98 mins, TV-PG

Monday

6:00am - Wings (1927) - In this silent film, romantic rivals fly against the enemy in World War I. Cast: Richard Arlen, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Clara Bow. Dir: William A. Wellman. BW-139 mins, TV-PG
8:30am - Lost Patrol, The (1934) - A British army troop fights off Arab snipers while holed up in an oasis. Cast: Victor McLaglen, Boris Karloff, Wallace Ford. Dir: John Ford. BW-66 mins, TV-PG
9:45am - They Were Expendable (1945) - A Navy commander fights to prove the battle-worthiness of the PT boat at the start of World War II. Cast: Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed. Dir: John Ford. BW-135 mins, TV-PG
12:15pm - Tomorrow Is Forever (1946) - A scarred veteran presumed dead returns home to find his wife remarried. Cast: Orson Welles, Claudette Colbert, George Brent. Dir: Irving Pichel. BW-104 mins, TV-PG
2:00pm - Since You Went Away (1944) - A mother and wife struggle to cope while her husband is off serving in World War II. Cast: Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten. Dir: John Cromwell. BW-177 mins, TV-G
5:00pm - Best Years Of Our Lives, The (1946) - Three returning servicemen fight to adjust to life after World War II. Cast: Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy. Dir: William Wyler. BW-170 mins, TV-PG
8:00pm - Bridges At Toko-Ri, The (1954) - Two jet pilots forge a lasting friendship while fighting the Korean War. Cast: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Mickey Rooney. Dir: Mark Robson. C-103 mins, TV-PG
10:00pm - Eagle Has Landed, The (1976) - German paratroopers land covertly in England during World War II. Cast: Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall. Dir: John Sturges. C-136 mins, TV-PG
12:15am - Glory (1989) - A green officer is assigned to lead an all-black unit in the Civil War. Cast: Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington. Dir: Edward Zwick. C-122 mins, TV-MA
2:30am - Men Of The Fighting Lady (1954) - Men on a U.S. aircraft carrier fight to survive the Korean War. Cast: Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, Louis Calhern Dir: Andrew Marton. C-80 mins, TV-PG
4:00am - Stand By for Action (1942) - A Harvard graduate serving on a battleship is faced with the realities of war. Cast: Robert Taylor, Charles Laughton, Brian Donlevy. Dir: Robert Z. Leonard. BW-109 mins, TV-G

Fox Movie Channel

Monday

6:00am - The Purple Heart (1944)
8:00am - Halls of Montezuma (1951)
10:00am - The Enemy Below (1957)
12:00pm - Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
2:30pm - Something For The Boys (1944)
4:00pm - Three Came Home (1950)
6:00pm - Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)
8:00pm - With a Song in My Heart (1952)
10:00pm - For The Boys (1991)
12:45am - Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

American Movie Classics

Sunday

7:30 AM - The Guns of Navarone (1961) Starring: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn.
11:00 AM - Force 10 From Navarone (1978) Starring: Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach.
1:30 PM - Missing in Action (1984) Starring: Chuck Norris, M. Emmet Walsh, Lenore Kasdorf.
3:45 PM - Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985)Starring: Chuck Norris, Soon-Teck Oh, Professor Tanaka.
5:45 PM - Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) Starring: Chuck Norris, Aki Aleong, Roland Harrah III
8:00 PM - M*A*S*H (1970) Starring: Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman.
10:30 PM - The Great Escape (1963) Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough.

Monday

2:15 AM - Von Ryan's Express (1965) Starring: Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, Brad Dexter.
4:45 AM - Paratroop Command (1958) Starring: Richard Bakalyan, Ken Lynch, Jack Hogan
6:15 AM - Tank Commandos (1959) Starring: Robert Barron, Maggie Lawrence, Wally Campo.
8:00 AM - Guadalcanal Diary (1943) Starring: Preston Foster, Lloyd Nolan, William Bendix.
10:00 AM - Bataan (1943) Starring: Robert Taylor, George Murphy, Thomas Mitchell.
12:30 PM - Fixed Bayonets (1951) Starring: Richard Basehart, Gene Evans, Michael O'Shea.
2:30 PM - Hamburger Hill (1987) Starring: Anthony Barrile, Michael Patrick Boatman, Don Cheadle.
5:00 PM - The Great Raid (2005) Starring: Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Connie Nielsen.
8:00 PM - The Longest Day (1962) Starring: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda