Battle Cry
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Movie Reviews of Battle Cry
Movie Review: BATTLE CRY DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
WONDERFUL MOVIE - WAS MY FATHER'S FAVORITE - I LOVE IT TOO - GREAT PRODUCTMovie Review: Aldo Ray and Van Heflin are outstanding
Summary: 4 Stars
I can't help it but I love this movie. Yes - it is a film about the Marines fighting in the Pacific in WWII but - surprise- there are very few battle scenes. 95% of the film is about recruiting the marines and the training in California and in New Zealand. It's mostly about the marines and their women- the nice girls back home, the pickups near the camps and the ones who Dear John them.
What endears me to this film are 2 or 3 elements that are outstanding. The emotional core of the film is the touching story of Andy Hookins played by Aldo Ray. Hookins is an ex lumberjack who has only known women in the "halls" of the lumber towns. Until he meets and falls deeply in love with Mrs. Pat Rogers - a woman who has lost both her husband and brother to the war. It is Ray's greatest performance. He convinces us that this big lumberjack has been transformed from a crude womanizer to a loving husband and father.
Second, Van Heflin gives a masterful performance as the tough marine commander "Highpockets". Don't overlook his delicate soliloquy when he tells of the quiet days with his wife before he leaves for combat. A deeply loving relationship is exposed in just a few words. In his best scene he argues convincingly with his commanding general for a tougher assignment in the attack on Saipan. Van Heflin takes what could be a laughable cliche and makes it human and real.
Lastly there are some excellent character performances and comic elements that enrich the film. I loved the comic bit where a drunken L.Q. Jones is sitting drinking with equally drunk marine buddies. He wants them all to become "blood brothers". But L.Q. is to drunk to cut himself. Then Pvt. Lighttower, a huge Navaho Indian, stands at the table, throws a huge knife into it and declares "OK brother - give me some blood"
No doubt Battle Cry has some real flaws. There is definitely a misogynistic element. But overall this is an excellent film worth watching.
Movie Review: Not as good as the book...
Summary: 4 Stars
I read the book after entering the Corps, in what now seems like both yesterday and decades ago. It is timeless in its protrayal of enlisted Marines. There is a lot more to being a Marine than combat. Unfortunately, a big part of it is boredom and loneliness which this story nails right on the head.
I can add the face of someone I actually knew to every character in this story, including my own. While the situations in the current Corps are more like what is depicted in Full Metal Jacket (Boot Camp) and FoxNews, this is about the individual Marine.
And, since the Author WAS one of us, it is not surprising in its accuracy. It is both a valid representation of Marines in WWII and those presently serving.
But... the book is still much better than the movie.
Movie Review: A solid war film about the US Marines in the Pacific
Summary: 4 Stars
"Battle Cry" is an excellent film that follows a platoon of US Marines from basic training to the Tarawa landings. It features some somewhat stereotypical characters who are nevertheless pretty true-to-life. This film is based upon the Leon Uris novel of the same name, and is a pretty faithful reproduction of the novel. I actually liked the film better than the book, which is unusual for me.
There can never be enough films made about the heroism of the US Marines and this is one of the better ones. Recommended. RJB.
Movie Review: It's a war movie about people...
Summary: 4 Stars
War is not about bullets, it's about the people who catch them. Look, listen, learn and mature in your observations. This movie is a classic and a keeper. Can [and must] be watched many times to be fully digested. I am a Marine Corps veteran and a 100% disabled veteran. Now stuff that in your pipe and toke it.