Guadalcanal Diary
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Movie Reviews of Guadalcanal Diary
Movie Review: The First Step in the Road to Tokyo.
Summary: 4 Stars
To review "Guadalcanal Diary" (1943) pose a difficult mission to anyone who attempts to do it.
First of all you must consider when it was filmed. WWII was at its peak and yet issue was in doubt.
This film is without doubt a propagandistic piece and good one IMHO. Some clichés are revealing: soldiers are always joking; they say they are afraid but they don't look very concerned amongst other.
Second: conventionalisms of what to show and what not were radically different from the present. We are now used to see very gory scenes as shown in "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) or "Band of Brothers" (2001). In this film every wound shown is absolutely bloodless.
Third: as any opus done while at war, the enemy is deprecated and stigmatized and that may irk some sensibilities.
Nevertheless "Guadalcanal Diary" is an interesting war movie. Troop's movements are well coordinate and filmed in impeccable black and white photography.
The voice in off contributes to give the movie an almost documentary character. The main character is unit not the individual. This is a point in common with the above mentioned "Band of Brothers".
Curiously, even if verbally abused, the Japanese forces are shown not as the usual caricature but as stern and resourceful enemy.
This film allows Anthony Quinn to show his remarkable abilities as Pvt. "Soose" Alvarez. For Richard Jaeckel as Pvt. "Chicken" Anderson was his first filmic incursion that will totalize near a hundred movies by the end of his career. William Bendix as Cpl. "Taxi" Potts delivers his trade mark impersonation of an ordinary American soldier doggedly doing his duty.
It is a commendable movie for all those interested in war films and who will take this work in perspective.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Movie Review: For its time, actually pretty accurate
Summary: 4 Stars
Like most war movies created in the early 40s, their one main purpose was to inspire Americans to buy more war bonds. Therefore, stories of valor, likable characters (many of whom get killed), fluff dialogue, and innaccurate retelling of battles were the mainstay of the films. "Guadalcanal Diary," however, was different than most. Rather than the glorification of battle and the 'good guys always winning with no problem,' there is a good deal of hardship here. Impressively, the movie portrays some of the angst and helplessness of the nighttime navel shelling that both sides participated in.
Also, there is a part early on that tells the true story of one detachment's fate on the far side of the island when they run into a Japanese force. Only one soldier survived to tell the tale. His account is very accurately portrayed. Of course, perhaps the US War Department was more interested in showing the grittier side of the war in order to promote those war bonds. Guadalcanal certainly provided enough true life grit for several movies.
It is definitely a condensed version of the events that took place on that island, but overall it is a well-acted and fascinating movie. For historical accuracy, it stands fairly well the test of time, although it is not as concerned with facts as with emotions. Still, there is great acting and good special effects (again, for the time) and fans of the era and of World War II history should enjoy this period piece regardless of the subtle marketing throughout.
Movie Review: I hate amphibious landings
Summary: 4 Stars
Guadalcanal Diary DVD
Guadalcanal Diary is a movie about the U. S.. Marine's invasion of the Japanese held Island of Guadalcanal in 1942 the movie was made in 1943. Before the war was over. It is based on Richard Tregarski's bestselling book. The incident with the pigs reminded me about something similar that happened to me in Viet Nam the day after a firefight. We fired about 200 rounds of 105mm artillery in the woods to discover some dead pigs, Bar-B-Que time.
Recommended for fans of the Pacific War if there are any.
Gunner April, 2008
Movie Review: Really authentic dramaziation of the pacific war
Summary: 4 Stars
The only thing that prevented me from giving this movie a 5 star
was the occasional schmalsty, goffy comments made in jest during
the film. But I beleive this was common in pictures made during
the war in the 40's.
Movie Review: Nice Try, but No Go
Summary: 3 Stars
Considering this movie was made in the early 40's, you have to remember this was a time where the war film genre largely made WW2 films that were made to be inspiring and helpful, triumphant and overtly flattering to the soldiers that were serving at the time. It's one of the better films of this genre, a largely forgettable and outdated genre that really hasn't held up well over time. Even so, this one is considered one of the better one of these films, but still very average and forgettable.
I'll give the film credit. Considering it's type, it comes off as more respectful to the Japanese soldiers (despite some racial slurs) that other war movies do (like Gung Ho!), and it's not as blatantly jaw dropping and insulting as something like Gung Ho! It has a nice documentary style to it, and the filmmaking is not that cheesy as older war movies tend to be. Despite all of this, the movie hasn't aged well, despite being somewhat average and not insulting to war.
Rest assured though, you wont' find anything to remember for this film. The battle scenes are sanitary and cheesy at best, the characters are flat, and everything is vanilla. That's pretty much why this movie is forgettable. It's all so ordinary and unremarkable you just don't care. Not for one minute did I care about what happened, and why should I? Personality and style in this movie are completely devoid. I could go on and on, but this movie, despite being somewhat respectable, has nothing to catch your interest, and certainly just isn't worth your time.
I know that The Thin Red Line and The Pacific are much different (and the former isn't even about Guadalcanal) and made 60-70 years apart, but the passage of time does count. Time hasn't been kind to most of these heroic war films, this one included. Do yourself a favor and watch one of those films instead. When it comes to 40's style war movies, try Sergeant York, which proves to be one of the few movies from that time and genre that still is very watchable today.