They Were Expendable
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Movie Reviews of They Were Expendable
Movie Review: they were expendable
Summary: 4 Stars
The video came as stated, great quality and time frame of delivery. Nice price. A great addition to my collectionMovie Review: Ordinary Men in Time of War
Summary: 3 Stars
Shot during the closing weeks of WWII, They Were Expendable is the somewhat real life story of the American defeat in the Philippines as seen through the eyes of the men of a PT boat squadron commanded by Lt. John Bulkeley (called Brickley in the film and played by Robert Montgomery) and his second in command Lt. Robert Kelly (named Rusty Ryan played by John Wayne). The concept of PT boat warfare is a new idea to the navy and the men are given limited assignments. The movie was directed by Capt. John Ford USNR and based on a screenplay by Cmdr. Frank (Spig) Wead, USN who became the subject of another John Ford movie entitled The Wings of Eagles (1957).
There is no elaborate plot to the film, no Hollywood drama here, no special effects, no plot twisting events, just ordinary men doing an ordinary job under difficult times. It is simply the story of men trying to survive on a day to day basis in wartime. They are having to cope with the loss of their fellow crewmen and the defeat which they can sense is coming as the United States slowly retreats from the Philippine Islands. These men are meant to buy time, a delaying action, until the United States can gather its forces for all out war.
There is little or no real emphasis on combat scenes and the scenes are limited, almost as if they were unintended. The minor characters of the film (the men of the PT boat crews) are hard to follow in that their speaking parts are limited, making remembering them as individuals difficult. Donna Reed's character, Sandy an army nurse, really wasn't worth the extra scenes given to her but is more in tune with Ford's having to have a romantic character in the text of the film. The film is worth seeing, giving the viewer an incite into early days of WWII.
NOTE: This film is available as a double feature alone with "Flying Leathernecks." Recommend buying it this way instead of singularly.
Movie Review: Good, but not great..
Summary: 3 Stars
I'd have to say that I was a little disappointed in this movie.
While the performance of Robert Montgomery was quite good, I found John Wayne's role was less than expected. There were a number of scenes in which he was the central figure, but curiously he had very little to say,and when he made some remarks, they seemed awkward and stilted. The supposed "romance" between he and Donna Reed was largely ceremonial as well, and not convincing at all. One familiar face was present--Marshall Thompson, witha fairly substantial role for someone who was only about 18-19 at the time.
While this movie is decent enough, I'd much rather watch other WW2 movies, such as "Battleground" and "Run Silent, Run Deep".The characters were much better developed, and more interesting, than the ones presented here.
Movie Review: This movie is expendable
Summary: 2 Stars
I know I'm going to get "shot down" for criticizing this movie. It seems that anyone who dares to do so gets accused of not knowing history or not appreciating the sacrifice of those fighting the Japanese in those "bleak war years." Isn't it possible to judge this movie as a movie, without mixing it up with the actual war which it depicts? And by "judge," I mean - since this is my personal review - I want to express my honest opinion. Will anyone tell me that I should write dishonest reviews on Amazon?
I feel nothing but admiration and gratitude for all those who have sacrificed for the defense of our country and other countries. But that has nothing to do with my opinion about this movie. I didn't enjoy it. I found it mostly boring. Of the four people watching it, two fell asleep and I almost did. And the only reason my uncle did not fall asleep is because he had just had a two-hour nap before we started watching.
It was my uncle's idea to watch the film. He remembered it as "one of the best war movies ever made." But for some reason he couldn't find it at any of the libraries or movie rental places. I searched around and finally found it on VHS. I now know why it is so hard to find: too few people want to watch it!
I suspect any critical review is going to come down to the entertainment factor. This movie tells an important but neglected story about the war, about the PT boats and the hopelessly outnumbered troops in the Philippines in the wake of Pearl Harbor. But dang it all, it's just not that entertaining to watch! Watching this movie is like eating canned spinach, which is good for you, sort of. As one reviewer who gave it five stars said, it can be a bit romantic and sentimental, but I didn't mind that - though I did mind the constant patriotic music track. But then, what would you expect for a war movie made in 1945? I felt like I was watching a story about something I wanted to learn more about, but I wasn't getting enough information. If anyone ever questioned why they were being abandoned and neglected by the US Navy, the standard reply was, "That's what we've been trained to do." What does that mean? They've been trained to fight and die without any hope of support? How much did their sacrifice help the US regroup after Pearl?
There is some hokey stuff in this film. John Wayne, as Lt. "Rusty" Ryan, skipper of a PT boat, complains about being "bored to death" running messages, before war has been declared and before Pearl Harbor. Apparently he'd rather be doing something more exciting than running messages, like sinking ships and killing people. Lucky for him he gets his excitement before too long. Good times! Then there's the scene in which the PT crew manages to get some torpedoes from a visiting commander when they blackmail him about playing the leading lady role in a Naval Academy production of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Mind you, he wasn't going to give them any torpedoes at all except for that embarrassment. As an aside, I'd sure like to know why the Academy wanted to put on a production of Tess in the first place! Is it possible that even back then there were gay men in the armed forces? I won't ask, and please don't tell!
My uncle, who had such fond memories of this film, sadly decided that it wasn't nearly as good anymore. But there is one good result from watching this movie, as we've decided to watch more classic movies together. I'm sure that many of them will hold up.
Movie Review: "This film was made possible by . . .
Summary: 1 Stars
. . . the Office of Strategic Management." (acknowledged during the credits)
This gives you a clue about the reason for the making of this film at the (victorious) end of the war in 1945.
Americans (I'm one) have short memories. Very short. The OSM judged there was adverse public reaction to the abandonment of the Philippines in 1942. The film counters, or blunts, the question, "why did we pull out when we won the war anyway?"
Of course, the question is highly illogical but whoever said the general public is able to formulate logical questions?
What is being "strategically managed" is the manipulation of public opinion.
(I would have preferred giving a no-star review.)