Côte 465

Another movie long considered 'lost', and now mercifully restored, Anthony Mann's "Men in War" is a war film worthy to take its place beside Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line", (you can see its influence on Malick's masterpiece); in other words, this is a near-masterpiece and certainly one of Mann's greatest films. The war in question is the Korean and another American patrol find themselves caught out in the open, like so many before them in so many other war films, as they try to survive and like Robert Aldrich's brilliant "Attack" is as much about the conflict between an officer and a sergeant as it is about the external conflict with the enemy. The principle protagonists are Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray whose contempt for each other is only matched by their contempt for the enemy. Both actors are outstanding and others in the exceptional cast include Robert Keith, Vic Morrow, Nehemiah Persoff, James Edwards and L Q Jones. You might call it an anti-war film since few films about men in conflict have painted such a dark picture of the costs of war and what it can do to men in the field. Indeed, this has even been called an 'art-house' war film which is probably just another way of saying that it's different and very intelligent. It's also stunningly well photographed in black and white by Ernest Haller and boasts another very good score by Elmer Bernstein. How it ever came to be 'lost' in the first place is something of a mystery, (did audiences simply find it too bleak?). Let's just be thankful, then, that it's been 'found' again.

No director I know made the scenery as much a dramatic player as Mann did. Whether it was the West in the great Westerns he directed or the imaginary Korea of this movie, it seemed as though you were in the scene yourself watching from a tree. The movie is calm, almost contemplative, and even though you could argue the soldiers were stereotypes, they were so believable and so well acted, they seemed part of the scenery as well. The danger in the movie is everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and the men die as most men do in war, carelessly, and almost wastefully. The actors are superb, totally believable, and in the case of Robert Keith heart-breaking. I recommend this film to anyone, it's simply the best largely unknown war film ever.

A squad of G.I.'s, separated from their division, begin a trek of many miles trying to re-group with their comrades on a distant hill. They are harassed by snipers, sappers, and artillery barrages, but manage to reach their objective. After reaching the hill, a vicious firefight breaks out with the enemy. Excellent portrayal of the fear and horror of war.

Through a combination of bad diplomacy and an understandable war weariness from World War II, the USA was caught completely off guard when the Communist North Korean government attacked the Southern forces that we were training. We had few enough forces and they were driven to what became known as the Pusan perimeter in 1950 when General MacArthur pulled off the two pronged counterattack out of the perimeter and from the landings at Inchon.

Robert Ryan is a lieutenant leading a small group of survivors who are caught behind enemy lines to safety. These GIs are not battling for any glory, but simply for survival. Also retreating are Sergeant Aldo Ray in a jeep with a shell-shocked Colonel Robert Keith. Ryan commandeers both Ray and the jeep for his needs.

Ryan is a good officer, but by the book. Ray is a good fighting man, but very insolent. The remainder of the film is how these two guys who grate on each other's nerves, but manage to work together.

The film is directed by Anthony Mann, best known for his westerns in the Fifties that mostly starred James Stewart. Men in War is probably best compared to Bend in the River. Jimmy Stewart is taking supplies to settlers for their survival and his own and Ryan is essentially doing the same thing in this film.

Ryan was a multi-faceted actor who sometimes played leads, but mostly did good character parts as bad guys. He had worked with Mann and Stewart previously in The Naked Spur where he was as bad as they come. He's just as convincing as the gritty, but decent lieutenant here. Mann and Ryan would team again the following year in God's Little Acre, a subject far removed from the Korean War.

Men in War is a good film, photographed very realistically in the outdoors and has the look and feel of a newsreel with depth.

The only problem I have of this film is that the prints I've seen are of very low quality, or perhaps the original cinematography was poor. Otherwise it is a very interesting action piece about the first days of the Korean War.

They got lucky with the cast. Who can beat Robert Ryan in a war flick role? No matter what movie he was appearing in, he always looked like he'd spent the night sleeping in a foxhole. LQ Jones is in this too, I love his face. Even Vic Morrow, he of the outstanding acting ability, makes an appearance, years before he was cast in that television masterpiece, 'Combat!' The trek of the squad through North Korean held territory plays like a thriller. The sound editing is excellent, you can make out the little noises that would play havoc with your imagination on a battlefield, where you're sweating and half crazed with nervous tension.

This was supposed to be based on a novel called "Day Without End" but I found it in a bookstore, and the screenplay has absolutely nothing to do with the original story. I always wonder why it gets a screen credit. The novel was a conventional dull novel of world war two combat, and the film is a striking and unusual,an almost psychological thriller set on the battlefield. You can do well to check this one out.