Men in War (1957) is a Korean war film. It stars Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray as the leaders of a small detachment of American soldiers cut off and desperately trying to rejoin their division. The events of the film take place on one day; 6 September 1950. It was based on a 1949 World War II novel of the Normandy campaign [1]Day Without End by Van Van Praag that was retitled Combat in 1951.
Some sources claim that credited screenwriter Philip Yordan was actually fronting for the blacklisted Ben Maddow. The Pentagon refused any cooperation with the producer and condemned the film for its depicition of a US Army unit without discipline.[2]
Most of the same cast and crew made God's Little Acre the following year.
Plot
6 September 1950: An exhausted platoon of the 24th Infantry Division is cut off from their command. In addition to having lost radio contact the platoon is harassed by unseen North Korean infiltrators who silently kill the Americans and take their weapons. Platoon commander Lt. Benson (Ryan) only has vague instructions to reach a certain hill where he will link up with American forces. The weary Lieutenant carries the full burden of command on his shoulders as none of his sergeants demonstrate any leadership whatsoever.
The patrol stops a fast moving jeep driven by a Sergeant calling himself "Montana" (Ray) with his shell shocked Colonel (Robert Keith) who are both from the 1st Cavalry Division. The Colonel is unable to speak and is tied to his seat in the jeep. After the Battle of the Nakdong River, where "our men fell like rain", the tough experienced Montana has decided he and his Colonel, whom he treats like his father, have had enough of the war. Lt. Benson commandeers their jeep for his platoon's equipment and the battle fatigued Cpl. Zwickley. Montana's refusal is ended by his Colonel becoming excited and only calming down when Montana agrees to follow the Lieutenant's orders.
In a funereal procession through the Korean landscape, the platoon makes its way towards the hill. After the sensitive Sgt Killian is silently killed by the North Koreans after absentmindedly filling his helmet net with flowers, Montana takes his place as a one man rear guard. He shows his worth as a soldier by feigning fatigue that lures the infiltrators in the open where he kills them.
The cynical Montana's expertise transforms the platoon back into a military formation with Montana curing Zwickley's neurosis by slapping him silly. The platoon successfully carries on through sniper attack, land mines and a harassment and interdiction artillery barrage. Montana shocks the battle weary Lt. Benson by instinctively shooting a surrendering North Korean who has a concealed weapon. Later he shoots three men at the hill in American uniform who are disguised North Koreans. However, Benson states that they were too far away to be recognised. Montana asks "What's the difference? I was right wasn't I?"
The destination is reached with the hill being held by the North Koreans. Lt. Benson prepares his platoon to take the hill whilst Montana and his Colonel sit the attack out in the jeep. The Colonel recovers his military instincts to release himself, light a cigarette and grab an M3A1 submachine gun to join the platoon in their assault. The shamed Montana joins the attack, using a flamethrower to make a Korean barbecue.
Only Benson, Montana and Sgt Riordan survive the successful attack. When the unseen counterattacking American forces arrive at the hill, Montana produces a container of medals that the Colonel meant to decorate his men. Benson calls the roll whilst Montana throws the medals to the dead on the slope of the hill as Elmer Bernstein's title song plays in the background.
Production
Unable to get tanks and military extras from the Pentagon, both Mann and composer Bernstein[3] concentrate on the landscape, in this case filmed at Bronson Canyon. Enemy soldiers are rarely seen, and the isolation of the platoon is strongly conveyed.
Cast
- Robert Ryan as Lieutenant Benson
- Aldo Ray as Sergeant Joseph R. "Montana" Willomet
- Robert Keith as The Colonel
- Phillip Pine as Sergeant Riordan (as Philip Pine)
- Nehemiah Persoff as Sergeant First Class Nate Lewis
- Vic Morrow as Corporal James Zwickley
- James Edwards as Sergeant Killian
- L. Q. Jones as Sergeant Davis
- Scott Marlowe as Private Meredith
- Adam Kennedy as Private Maslow
- Race Gentry as Private Haines
- Walter Kelley as Private Ackerman
- Anthony Ray as Private Penelli
- Robert Normand as Private Christensen
- Michael Miller as Private Lynch
Quotes
- "Tell me the story of the foot soldier and I will tell you the story of all wars"
- "God help us if it takes your kind to win this war"
- "I'm not in your army and you're not in mine"
Notes
External links
