"Hell is For Heroes" is one terrific movie. Steve McQueen at his loner, rebellious best, as Reese, a broken back from sergeant to private, who is a fine soldier in the battlefield, but who can't stay out of trouble on leave. Harry Guardino is exceptional as Sgt Larkin, squad leader who receives Reese as a replacement. Larkin seems to know that Reese is a better soldier than he is, and alternates between consulting Reese and arguing with him.The late, multi-talented Bobby Darin is also top notch as the scrounging J J Corby, James Coburn is fantastic as Cpl Henshaw, a very good mechanic who laments that as a civilian he made things work, but as a soldier he has to destroy things and people. Mike Kellin turns in a fine performance as Pvt Kolinsky, a soft hearted guy who looks out for Nick Adams's Homer, who is a displaced Polish refugee who hooks up with the squad. Bill Mullikin is fine as Pvt Cumberly, the first squad member killed. Bob Newhart launched his film career as PFC Driscoll, who bumbles into the war while searching for lost typewriters, he's funny as expected, but also shows some flair for action, too. The under-rated Fess Parker is on hand as the top sergeant who knew Reese before, and who shares a forbidden drink with him before the company moves up to the front. The legendary Don Siegel directs the film in a tight, tough, action packed style that gets every ounce of suspense, action and comedy from the script as possible. The plot involves a squad of GI's in the later phase of the war as the Allies began invading Germany along the Siegfried Line. They had hoped to be rotated home, but wound up defending a large stretch of territory facing a prominent pillbox the Germans use to control the sector. In typical army fashion one squad of six men covers a section that should be defended by at least thirty or forty. They deceive the Germans into thinking there are far more men in the line than just six, using ammo boxes filled with stones to simulate patrols and feeding false information into a planted microphone the Germans left in a pillbox in their position. Henshaw also modifies Driscoll's jeep to sound like a tank. A German patrol is intercepted and killed or captured to keep the secret.When Larkin leaves the position, Reese leads Henshaw and Kolinsky on an ill-fated attack across a minefield to try to blow up the pillbox. Reese makes it back, but Henshaw triggers a mine, and Kolinsky is killed running back to the American lines. By the way, the deaths are very graphic, especially for 1962, no clean fall down quietly, these guys scream and beg when they're hit. Larkin returns after the aborted raid and confronts Reese, promising to settle with him later. Just as Larkin leaves the pillbox a random shell kills him. Corby teaches Driscoll how to shoot an M1, Homer appears, the company returns and Sgt Pike tells the gang to prepare for a daylight attack on the German lines. The Americans charge across the minefield towards the German lines and pillbox. Reese gets a satchel charge to blast the pillbox, but is shot. He knows his number's up and advances on the pillbox, finally rolling into it with the charge< exploding the inside. Pike orders Corby to flame thrower the pillbox. Corby does, and gets sick. The Americans continue their attack asthe movie ends. This is Steve McQueen's movie, from his first scene to his death scene, surrounded as he is by a terrific cast, you still can't take your eyes off him. Of course later, he and Don Siegel would reunite for the groundbreaking detective flick, "Bullit", and you can see the beginning of a great action team in this fine movie. Just one of the greatest World War II pictures, done on a very modest scale, but far more successfully than many of the big budget features.
Review of Hell Is for Heroes
