L'enfer est pour les héros

This Don Siegel directed film is a very simple war film--similar to Sam Fuller's STEEL HELMET. Both films involve a very small group of American soldiers who are holding out against a larger enemy force and as a result, it's a very tense and claustrophobic film. Unlike STEEL HELMET, this is set in WWII and has a lot of stars and soon-to-be stars, such as Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Bobby Darin, Bob Newhart and Harry Guardino--though at the time, none of them were "big" stars.

A group of only six guys are given the task of filling in where a hundred soldiers had been the day before. The problem is that the Germans are just across the battlefield and the Americans have to try and convince the enemy that there are a lot more than just the six guys. So, they use a variety of ruses to try to keep the Germans at bay--ultimately culminating in an insane attack against a heavily defended pillbox. When this fails, the rather surly and antisocial McQueen decides to try it again....and practically alone.

Overall, it's an incredibly tense film and one with a lot of realism--perhaps too much for some (my wife got pretty upset during one of the bloodier scenes). The acting and direction are very good--in particular, Steve McQueen did an excellent job following the first abortive attack--showing a lot of the effects of exhaustion and fear. However, the whole "court martial" scene following this was a bit silly--it seemed excessive and hard to believe for the Commanding Officer to respond to this brave action this way--or at least it seemed this way to me. Also, the film, towards the end tended to use too much stock footage--a bit of a minus in an otherwise good film. But at least it did end on a very tough and tense note--a definite plus.

Very underrated film, excellent action, realistic, with frantic battles and lulls where we get to see the various personalities of the excellent cast. McQueen is a hard nosed bitter Sarge - tough, would kill you as soon as look at you. Great comic touches too, a fine Siegel film. War drama at its best.

Black and white film is most effective. Like the film Battleground only not in the winter. There is good dialogue with the GI's - Bob Newhart is real funny.

Very violent, with nice action sequences - almost too intense. Do not see an edited version. See the real thing.

This n The Blob were among the first few films of McQueen which i saw during school days n i became a fan of him.

I saw his The Magnificent Seven n others after these two movies.

Revisited it recently on a dvd which I own.

The future king of cool played an angry, morose, detached loner in this flick.

The movie has Bob Newhart in his very first movie role.

Its a very good World War film, not quite in the league of Platoon, Apocalypse Now or Thin Red Line.

But fans of the genre, the director and/or McQueen should definitely check this one out.

I am fascinated by World War II, but i think a lot of 1950s and 60s WWII movies are too cheesy to be believed except a few n Hell is for Heroes is a solid one.

A wounded Reese (McQueen) blowing up enemies' fortification n its occupants and himself is riveting.

This climactic scene is shamelessly copied by a Bollywood war movie Border 1998, during the climax the character of Akshay Khanna copies McQueen's way of blowing up himself n the enemies.

WWII drama film dealing with a frontline American infantry squad as they battled their way across Europe . This movie's opening prologue is represented by segments of a speech by President John F. Kennedy . A single maneuver by a squad of GIs in retaliation against the force of the German Siegfried line. While most of the men withdraw from their positions taking on a German pillbox at the far side of a mine-field, half a dozen men are left to protect a wide front. By various ruses, they manage to convince the Germans that a large force is still holding the position by pretending they are more powerful and larger that they really are . As the small squadron is forced to hold off a German attack suffering several dangers , risks and deaths . Reese joins a group of weary GIs unexpectedly ordered back into the line Siegfried and when the main platoon returns, he is threatened with court-martial .

World War II film where the drama centers around the diverse characters and on the attack about a well-defensed pillbox . With mud-splattered realism, the show offered character studies of men striving to maintain their own humanity , and heroism in the midst of a world torn by war . Impressive as well as surprising climax final , plenty of action and intensity . Very good acting by Steve McQueen as a degraded soldier who leads two of the men in an unauthorized and unsuccessful attack . Steve McQueen did not socialize with the rest of cast because his character was anti-social and alienated himself from the rest of the squad . In fact , a columnist visiting the set commented on Steve McQueen's irascible temperament by noting that McQueen seemed to be his own worst enemy. Furthermore , Steve McQueen and Bobby Darin did not get along during filming . Support cast is frankly excellent such as Fess Parker as Sgt. Pike , Harry Guardino as Sgt. Larkin , James Coburn as Cpl. Henshaw , Nick Adams as Homer Janeczek , Mike Kellin as Pvt. Kolinsky and a young Bob Newhart's feature-film debut as Pvt. Driscoll who even interpolates a variation on one of his phone monologues into the tale . Director Don Siegel did not want to shoot the scene where Bob Newhart's character has a fake telephone conversation with "headquarters" to fool the Germans listening through a microphone planted in the US bunker, believing that it had no place in the story , he was overruled by the studio, however .

Screenwriter Robert Pirosh was originally set to direct the film but after repeated clashes with star Steve McQueen he was replaced with Don Siegel ; Pirosh's script featured many blackly comedic scenes but most of them were not filmed, as Siegel wanted to make the film more dramatic. Robert Pirosh was a Master Sergeant during World War II, serving with the 320th Regiment, 35th Division. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, at Ardennes and in the Rhineland. He commanded a unit in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge was awarded a Bronze Star. Pirosh directed a classic war film titled ¨Go for broke¨and wrote ¨Battleground¨ , ¨A Gathering of Eagles¨ and ¨Combat¨TV series . The motion picture was well directed by Donald Siegel . His first feature as a director was 1946's The Verdict (1946). He made his reputation in the early and mid-'50s with a series of tightly made, expertly crafted, tough but intelligent "B" pictures , among them : The Lineup (1958), Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), Invasion of the body snatchers (1956)), then graduated to major "A" films in the 1960s and early 1970s. He made several "side trips" to television, mostly as a producer . Siegel directed what is generally considered to be Elvis Presley's best picture, Flamingo Star (1960). All of Eastwood's later Western and his ¨Dirty Harry¨ movies owe a considerable debt to Sergio Leone and Donald Siegel . As Donald directed Eastwood in various films , such as : Coogan's bluff , The beguiled , Dirty Harry , Escape from Alcatraz. He had a long professional relationship and personal friendship with Clint Eastwood . This Hard Hitting WWII Action Film has a high rating : Above average , well worth watching.

Steve McQueen's character of Reese is not the jock he played in the Great Escape nor is he Jake Thurlow a rule bender,but whose's found his home in the U.S.Navy of the 1920's. No Reese is a stone cold killer a front line ideal who gets in trouble because in the rear like probably in his civilian life there are too many rules issued by and for the protection of soft bellied fools. He has survived like Fess Parker's Sgt.Pike, a man who knows him and if not a friend in the service buddy/Beery/Gable manner of war movies,understands him. Pike knows that Reese though a leader is not a workaday type who will listen recommend and obey. Reese is a loner living on borrowed time. North Africa,Sicily,Italy maybe were where he campaigned with a dwindling amount of men he came in with still alive. A bullet or shell,or mine,or tank treads is waiting on the next wooded hill, or valley or village to end it for him. There is no Longest Day comrades in arms in a worthy cause emotion emanating from Reese and squad mates. There is no grander vision for them then earning a front line soldiers highest decoration - survival. The German bunker is the squatting beast of War waiting to feed and it does on the Mike Kellin character, the attacking company, Steve McQueen's now Ahab like Reese who must destroy the beast at the cost of his life, and the bunkers' anonymous defenders-inmates while the beast battered partially in flames still consumes GIs and Wehrmact landers indiscriminately. Rock solid war film.