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Let me say out front that this is my favorite war movie.Then why did I only give it 4 stars?? Well because made in 1960 at 115 minutes it was filmed in black and white.The movie was shot in such a way that any argument of shading or other artistic reasons for black and white fall on MY deaf ears.That said this movie was the first,I believe, to shoot Japanese scenes as well as american simultaneously.More importantly,there are no actual filmed battle scenes.Don't mis-understand,this is not a play,there are multiple sets and locals,but battle is implied or in the distance.That said,the film is a riveting portrait of Fleet Adm. William F. Halsey Jr.(James Cagney)taking command of Guadalcanal and turning it from near defeat to the first defeat for Japan of the war in about 5 weeks.
One of the things Halsey did was go to the troops on Guadalcanal and inspired them by his personnel interest in them and their situation.There are 4 or 5 really great interactive scenes with combat forces and Halsey.My favorite is when he is talking with a young Marine,who while manning a machine gun,killed 38 men in 15 minutes stopping a Banzai charge.Halsey asks the marine what if they had flanked your position rather than charge you straight on.The Marine replies,"we wouldn't be here Admiral ,know what I mean?"Halsey smiles and says I know what you mean,and as the Marine and his squad move out the narrator voice over states only 3 men from this squad will survive the battle for Guadalcanal,private first class Eric Louder will not be one of them.
There's another scene where Halsey is talking to Lt. Cmdr. Roy Webb ( Richard Jaeckel ) who wants to stay in combat but not command as he lost 9 planes that day.Halsey's reply as he states he lost those same 9 planes,2 subs with all hands and countless troops includes this famous quote of his about command,"There aren't any great men there are just great challenges that ordinary men like you and me are forced by circumstances to meet."It's a stirring account of desperate men in a desperate battle.
The film also show how luck plays a big part in war.As the film opens Halsey's and his staff are flying to Guadalcanal and a Japanese sub spots their plane.20 zeros are sent to intercept by Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto (James T. Goto)but Halsey diverts to Nouméa on a hunch when he hears of unusual radio traffic from Japanese headquarters on Truk.This later comes full service as Yamamoto learns Halsey had visited Guadalcanal and resistance stiffened after that.He plans to visit hoping for the same result.The Japanese code was broken and the message of his planned arrival by air is intercepted and Haley dispatches 14 Army Air Corp P38's to intercept and this time they do,killing Yamamoto and his entire staff.
This movie is war without the bang boom to distract from the horror,bravery and perseverance need to outlast just as determined a foe.If you liked Band of Brothers or the "Pacific"these interactions are just as compelling. A final note,as compelling as George C Scott was as Patton ( to be reviewed later) James Cagney is as Halsey.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UAW726/ref=atv_feed_catalog&tag=imdb-amazonvideo-20
One of the things Halsey did was go to the troops on Guadalcanal and inspired them by his personnel interest in them and their situation.There are 4 or 5 really great interactive scenes with combat forces and Halsey.My favorite is when he is talking with a young Marine,who while manning a machine gun,killed 38 men in 15 minutes stopping a Banzai charge.Halsey asks the marine what if they had flanked your position rather than charge you straight on.The Marine replies,"we wouldn't be here Admiral ,know what I mean?"Halsey smiles and says I know what you mean,and as the Marine and his squad move out the narrator voice over states only 3 men from this squad will survive the battle for Guadalcanal,private first class Eric Louder will not be one of them.
There's another scene where Halsey is talking to Lt. Cmdr. Roy Webb ( Richard Jaeckel ) who wants to stay in combat but not command as he lost 9 planes that day.Halsey's reply as he states he lost those same 9 planes,2 subs with all hands and countless troops includes this famous quote of his about command,"There aren't any great men there are just great challenges that ordinary men like you and me are forced by circumstances to meet."It's a stirring account of desperate men in a desperate battle.
The film also show how luck plays a big part in war.As the film opens Halsey's and his staff are flying to Guadalcanal and a Japanese sub spots their plane.20 zeros are sent to intercept by Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto (James T. Goto)but Halsey diverts to Nouméa on a hunch when he hears of unusual radio traffic from Japanese headquarters on Truk.This later comes full service as Yamamoto learns Halsey had visited Guadalcanal and resistance stiffened after that.He plans to visit hoping for the same result.The Japanese code was broken and the message of his planned arrival by air is intercepted and Haley dispatches 14 Army Air Corp P38's to intercept and this time they do,killing Yamamoto and his entire staff.
This movie is war without the bang boom to distract from the horror,bravery and perseverance need to outlast just as determined a foe.If you liked Band of Brothers or the "Pacific"these interactions are just as compelling. A final note,as compelling as George C Scott was as Patton ( to be reviewed later) James Cagney is as Halsey.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UAW726/ref=atv_feed_catalog&tag=imdb-amazonvideo-20
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