I seen this last nite on TCM about 4 in the morn-this is as much a charecter study about how war f**ks with peoples heads as it is an action film-almost like an episode of the Twilight Zone without any supernatural aspects-a great film-set in Korea-which is unusual in itself-not to many films set during the Korean War-my dad was in Korea.
http://youtu.be/Hcj0LnTlosI (http://youtu.be/Hcj0LnTlosI)
Its a great film-Its got Robert Ryan,Aldo Ray-and an early role for Vic Morrow!
It's outstanding, and the story and characters are worth it. Maybe that it's not a good looking movie is why it's not better known, more popular. Its director, Anthony Mann, was known for his striking images but Men In War isn't one of his more visually interesting films. For my money Aldo Ray owns this one. The other actors are good but Ray is riveting. Violent as his character is he's a strangely reassuring figure, the sort of guy you'd want in your combat platoon under conditions similar to those in the movie. He just has it.
I agree that Aldo Ray stole the show. It's a shame he ended up in junk like SWEET SAVAGE (!979). The guy's a classic.I gotta change my top 5 war films!
1.APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
2.SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1992)
3.FULL METAL JACKET (1987)
4.PATHS OF GLORY (1957)
5.MEN IN WAR (1957)
awww-here's 5 more!
6.the DIRTY DOZEN (1967)
7.the DEER HUNTER (1978)
8.the KILLING FIELDS (1987)
9.TORA!TORA!TORA! (1970)
10. ATTACK (1956)-Why this film ain't better known is beyond me! Of course I like black and white WWII movies-for some reason it seems more realistic to me.I dunno. :lookingup:
http://youtu.be/Gxs23JREqeY (http://youtu.be/Gxs23JREqeY)
Did you ever see The Hill? w/ Sean Connery
ATTACK! (1956) is a great film :thumbup:...definitely should be better known. All the others you named are great films too. There are a surprising good number of low budget war movies out there...
Quote from: lester1/2jr on February 28, 2017, 06:21:05 PM
Did you ever see The Hill? w/ Sean Connery
I have! It was excellent! :thumbup:
Re Aldo Ray :twirl:: he deserved better than he got. Unlike the actor he most resembled (as a type, I mean, roughly speaking), Ralph Meeker, Aldo had a strong screen presence and real charisma. Something to do with Columbia, its chief, Harry Cohn, hurt Ray's career when it still looked like he had a future. A lot of rugged players of roughly Ray's age/generation enjoyed great careers in the Sixities,--Lee Marvin, Rod Steiger, Walter Matthau, James Coburn--but Ray's career really began to slide after 1960. Damn shame.
No ownder the title sounded familiar... in my country it's bombastically titled "Hill of the steel devils" and it's also one of my favourite war movies of its time. The barren B/W locations add to the sense of isolation and paranoia as well as the almost invisible enemies, and the final assault on a hill is terrific.