Fixed Bayonets (1951) DVDRip (SiRiUs sHaRe)

The story of a platoon during the Korean War. One by one Corporal Denno's superiors are killed until it comes to the point where he must try to take command responsibility.
Richard Basehart ... Cpl. Denno
Gene Evans ... Sgt. Rock
Michael O'Shea ... Sgt. Lonergan
Richard Hylton ... Medic John Wheeler
Craig Hill ... Lt. Gibbs
Skip Homeier ... Whitey
Director: Samuel Fuller
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043540/
Codecs: XVid / MP3
Another Sam Fuller nitty gritty, down-to-earth where the rubber meets the road movie. There is nothing extra in this movie. Every word every action is meaningful. I wish more directors today would study Sam Fuller. It seems that only Quentin Tarantino ever heard of Sam.
The premise of this film is a little unlikely- Korea early in the war and one infantry platoon is assigned to hold off three Chinese and North Korean Divisions while the rest of the U.S. Division regroups. While it is more likely that a larger US force would have had such an assignment the small number of men comprising a single platoon makes for some real character development. There are some great characters here. Fuller wrote some real life into them. I believe Fuller was a combat vet from WWII so he knows what he writes- the fear, the rage, the fear again. There are lots of nice little bits here- the frozen foot while holding up in a cave. No one is sure whose foot it is that is being revived as all their feet are frozen. I had to throw another log in the woodstove after that scene.
If you are interested in war movies without flag waving and corny dialog this movie is for you.
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Made while Korea was still an active conflict, this movie is interesting in its disregard for ideology. Most war movies made during a conflict (and especially those made during and about WWII, which had just ended six years before) make a point of talking about what they're fighting for.
This movie isn't interested in that. It's a soldier picture, conflict between enemies and between friends. It's easy to relate to the cross-section of guys; some are goof-offs, some are noble, some are incompetent. The enemy is cunning and relentless and the weather seems to be trying to kill you all on its own.
Good movie. Movies about the Korean War are interesting because they're so rarely about ideology. They're just about what war really is - ordinary people engaged in a killing contest.
* Feature film debut of James Dean.