The Red Badge of Courage
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Movie Reviews of The Red Badge of Courage
Movie Review: Did they get it?
Summary: 4 Stars
Is this a post-WWII patriotic vehicle or is it a true adaptation of Crane's powerful and ground-breaking story?The story is NOT about heroism. Frankly, I was surprised to see this film was made so soon after WWII and right at the beginning of the Korean War. Crane's novel is one of the great anti-war pieces ever written, ranking with "All Quiet on the Western Front." So is this film to be likened to "Apocalypse Now" or more like "The Green Berets"? Sadly, I fear the latter, if the spin on the trailer is accurate. Comparing it to "Birth of a Nation" would suggest that it is thought of as a patriotic vehicle rather than a message film. I thought maybe John Huston himself had the courage to film this story the way Crane intended it, but of course it is up to the viewer to "get it" or not.
Crane's work is a naturalistic rendering of the inhumanity of war. It is not about becoming a hero -- it is about a soldier who begins as an isolated and fear-filled boy but through the horrors of war becomes part of the "war machine." It is not about the glory of war; it is about the loss of humanity that war demands of its participants. In the end, even after acts of "bravery" the soldier wants to go home and flee warfare altogether.
It is ironic that Audie Murphy, one of the highest decorated soliders of WWII, is playing the young soldier. I wonder how many WWII veterans watching this film related to the fear and the sense of inhumanity presented at the core of the story.
But of course, the Civl War is held in a different context than WWII, perhaps rightly so. The enemy here is quite different than Nazi troops, or is it? Read or watch "All Quiet on the Western Front" if you want to explore that question further.
The film itself is well-made. Huston's direction is quite good, with some interesting camera angles and great cinematography. The censored language is quaint now, but the overall feel is still one of comeraderie and some realism. Newcomers Murphy and Mauldin both hold their own quite well. It is great to see Andy Devine and even William Schallert in supporting roles. As for the DVD, I would like to have seen more extras and more notes on the production itself -- were the actors just that or were they early re-enactors?
Overall it works as a war movie, I just wonder which side of war this movie really is supporting.
Movie Review: We's all from Tennessee....
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie is a real gem and John Huston does a remarkable job in creating a fairly realistic looking Civil War environment. You won't find any overweight re-enactors aiming their rifles at the sky and not showing any signs of fear. No this movie provides actors and men like Audie Murphy and Bill Mauldin, who knew well what real war was all about. The battle scenes are quite good for the period in which they were filmed and certainly have a more realistic feel than some of the battle scenes depicted in more recent Civil War "epics".
This movie doesn't focus its attention on who was right or wrong on either side. It simply tells the story of one Union private's struggle to master his fears and serve his regiment with courage and honor.
And as readers may guess from my review title, my favorite moment in this film is when Private Fleming and his comrades ask where their newly captured Confederate prisoners hail from. This meeting of boys from Ohio with boys from Tennessee is a very moving moment and speaks volumes about the American Civil War. Set aside the politics, the need to sanctify the cause of either side and you are left with the boys, North and South, hailing from states that were in those years every bit their country, for which they were more than willing to lay down their young lives.
Movie Review: Great movie that could have been even better
Summary: 4 Stars
John Houston's story of a young Union soldier who overcomes his fear of battle is wonderful. Audie Murphy's portrayal is stirring and quite lifelike, the movie doesn't portray any super human motives, but a simple soldier who is quite naturally scared going into battle and overcomes his fear. However, Houston doesn't allow Murphy's character to get into excessive machoism either, as he finds out that many of his comrades did the same thing he did, turn and run. Had the movie execs not chopped this movie up, it could have been even better. As it is, it's a bit too short and lacking in details such as the battles portrayed in the movie patterned after a real battle. The unit portrayed isn't even mentioned until the end of the movie. It would have been fun to follow Murphy's character's unit through the war.Movie Review: Not Huston's Fault; Hollywood's
Summary: 4 Stars
The true shame is that as great as this film is, it could've been an absolute masterpiece had not the studio moguls who only THOUGHT they knew about movies stuck their stupid, ugly hands in and absolutely mutilated this film from its original length. As it is, you only get to see flashes of brilliance and before you know it, it's over. (What's worse, the cut footage wasn't even saved; it's gone forever). I'll admit, the casting wasn't top-shelf; Audie Murphy was never the greatest actor, but far, far from the worst. The dialogue was a little strange-sounding, but, I think, appropriate for the time period. A definite must-see.Movie Review: Slight but watchable war film
Summary: 4 Stars
The Bottom Line:
John Huston's 68 minute adaptation of Stephen Crane's famous novel is neither comprehensive nor worthy of inclusion in any list of classic films, but its war scenes are well-staged and its treatment of characters is more nuanced than you would expect in such a brief film; all things considered, it has enough interesting material to warrant a recommendation, if not an especially enthusiastic one.
3/4