Blutiger Befehl

The actors (both human and animal) were well cast. The direction of this TV film was excellent. The movie depicted a humane aspect of the military.

The soldiers started out with some conflict of personalities and became a "team". They had one goal: SAVE THE HORSES. The horses selected for these roles were well trained and were magnificent animals.

Before watching this film, I had a high regard for General Douglas MacArthur. The information given in the film shows another side of the war hero; one not so favorable.

The compassion shown by the Calvery soldier to his partner (the horse) was extremely emotional. He was ready to give his life for his "partner". The soldier looked upon the mount as an equal and treated the animal with dignity. I was unaware that when the soldiers and horses went into battle, they were a team; one depending on the other for their survival. The horse was trained to manoeuvre and respond to protect his rider. This is a part of history that remains a secret to most people.

What may be seen by some viewers as just another Western horse chase is really a profound comment on management, military leadership, and courage as well as a very interesting historical antic dote. It dramatically portrays how differently things can look from different points in the chain of command. Gen. MacArthur has seen the threats to the U.S. from Europe and Asia, and he aims to modernize the Army. With an engineering background and the perspective of high command, he simply orders the excess cavalry horses destroyed.

Down on the Mexican border, this order seems absurd by soldiers who have grown to love horses. A courageous bunch led by an honor focused lieutenant and combat wise sergeant seizes the momentary opportunity to save most of the animals. Their superior, who is purely obedience focused, takes after this mutiny, which then becomes an international incident. Retired colonel Hardesty, who is smart enough to have retired to Tucson, and his journalist daughter feed take up the cause with ultimate success.

The story is apparently real, portrayal of the conflict is believable, the characters show their doubts and resolve, and the story is fascinating.

The film opens onto a flashback of one of the darker moments of history -- the destruction of WWI veteran camps outside the White House during the Depression. This sets the stage for how a few veteran calvarymen have a stronger sense of personal morale than their fellow men.

Then the present, with an adept young man whose father left a longlasting impression to many men he comes into contact with in a southwestern military base. It's a calvary stronghold, with around 500 horses and a fraction of that in men.

But the seeming low-action utopia ends when a Colonel retires and is replaced by a more ruthless replacement who carries out orders of Gen. MacArthur -- to disband the calvary's traditions [discontinuing sabers] and destroy the spare mounts in a brutal method that reminded me of the WWII concentration camp scenes of horror where Nazis would shoot Jews and bury them in mass graves on top of one another.

The start of this movie is a fast set-up for the rest of the film and does not leave much room for intermission. It's a long journey they undergo, and isn't without the harsh reality of the peril that the renegades face in their decision to rescue the horses.

I was attracted initially because of its history-base, which I'm interested in, and I've learned while being entertained at the same time of what happened within our own borders that might not have attracted everyone's eye, but was brutally savage all the same.

In conclusion, this made-for-TV movie scored an 8 with me and if any of this movie's main elements fascinate you it should be on your agenda to see.

I first saw this film completely by chance as I was shoveling my Dad's driveway the winter of 1996. I had turned on the TV in between breaks and went to HBO and it had just started and it was so well done that I watched the whole movie before I went beck out to keep on shoveling the snow. If the film's portrayal of MacArthur was true, he was a real Turd! And the treatment of the World War I veterans by our government shows that nothing much has changed over the past 80 years! But the film itself is a gem! If you love a movie with a corny old good guys vs. bad guys plot that will leave you feeling great at the end, and if you love animals, especially horses, you'll love this film. I have the video and will get the DVD as soon as they nake that - it's that good!!!

You don't have to be a horse lover to enjoy this film, but it helps. Sensitive viewers may find some scenes hard to watch, particularly the killing of quite a few horses, but otherwise the action is generally mild. The overall feeling of this film is personal honor. It is about people standing up for what they believe is right and just, even at the cost of their own lives and reputations. This moral standpoint is conveyed, but not overdone. This is not a sweet or sappy film at all, but has restrained, masculine expression that I guess is appropriate for the cavalry. In my opinion it lacks any strong characterization, but this is the fault of the writers, not the actors. There is only one female character in the whole film, and I did not find her to be very believable, but the male leads are all appropriate and seem to fit this film. I enjoyed viewing "In Pursuit of Honor" and got wrapped up in it. It has a triumphant ending and leaves you feeling good, suggesting that even in the carnage and cruelty of war, there can be room for humanity.