What is interesting about this movie is that it was made while the Korean War was still going on. In late 1950 the U.S. military suffered one of the worst retreats in its history when the Chinese Army chased it halfway down the peninsula. In this film one gets a good sense of the bitter winter conditions that were just over. (The war froze into a stalemate for the next two years.) The final confrontation is staged as a minimalist, stark drama, but the conflicts between (and within) the men are just as important for their survival. So it is not a heroic World War II-type depiction, but a grim psychological drama of an on-going situation that works on several levels. It really was ahead of its time. The Korean War Monument in Washington almost looks like it was modeled after the closing scene.
Review of Fixed Bayonets!
