Aug 292013
 
A Walk in the Sun

Rating: ★★★½☆
During the Allied invasion of Italy in WWII, an American platoon is ordered to land on the coast of Italy and march six miles inland to capture a farmhouse and destroy a nearby bridge. Most of the movie consists of the men complaining and arguing among themselves, punctuated by brief moments of terror that produce more casualties, but it soon becomes clear that the soldiers adjust to the pressure by griping, otherwise they would all crack.
Made near the end of the war, and based on a novel written in 1943, A Walk in the Sun is a dramatic shift away from the whitewashed propaganda films that were churned out by the dozens during the war. The film did not strain the limits set by the Production Code, there is no swearing or gory wounds, just a clear-eyed depiction of life on the front for a platoon. An excellent movie, there is no fake heroism, no personality conflicts, just tired men trying to do a dangerous job they don’t want to do. Read More…

Jul 042006
 
Lewis Milestone

Best known for the anti-war classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Lewis Milestone (September 30, 1895-September 25, 1980) directed several patriotic war movies during WWII. However, he was labeled a Communist sympathizer during the witch hunt after the war, which limited his career. Other notable films include Of Mice and Men (1940), A Walk in the Sun (1945), Ocean’s Eleven (1960) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). Read More…