Ronald Reagan only made two films at MGM. The first one was a Wallace Beery vehicle in 1940, on loan from home studio Warner Brothers. The second one was this war film which he made in the mid-1950s as a freelancer. Reagan was often used in support of other big name stars at WB in a variety of genres. Later, during a multi-picture deal with Universal, he was primarily assigned feel-good westerns and domestic comedies.
To say this is a different type of undertaking for the future president is an understatement. He has the lead role here, playing an officer who becomes a POW. Mr. Reagan had served in WWII, not in Korea which is the focus of this tale. And as many know, he took a hardline conservative stance about Vietnam while he was governor of California in the 1960s, after leaving acting.
The story begins with a message about the strength of the human spirit, in spite of communist tortures. Reagan is an officer being sent off on a mission to investigate abuse in North Korea. He parachutes into a forest and soon joins a group of soldiers that have been taken captive by enemy forces.
On their way to a camp, Reagan learns from a soldier (Steve Forrest) that their captors would likely prefer them to be dead.
One thing that impresses me here is the stark black-and-white cinematography. Also, the use of wind and snow to convey the bitter cold, harsh environment. Frequently, there are cutaway shots of corpses along the roadside. Still the men carry on.
This is a gritty story, with grim vibes. Supposedly an army captain named Robert Wise (not the director) served as a technical advisor; he had been an actual POW. Some contemporary critics complained that the film over-exaggerated the extreme conditions faced by these men. Unless a critic had actually been in such a situation, how would he know?
In addition to the rugged physical terrain, the lack of nutrition and the homesickness experienced by the men, there are deep psychological wounds that are inflicted on them. These abuses are overseen by a cruel Russian colonel (Oskar Homolka).
Of course the mental anguish includes brainwashing, which we see with Forrest's character. He refuses to let his mind be controlled, so he is ultimately strung up and hanged like a warrior Jesus on a crucifix. These scenes are a lot more chilling than what we find later in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962).
One has to wonder how many men still living today served in the Korean war, and what they might still recall about what happened to them in a prisoner of war camp. Maybe a better question is whether their sons, grandsons and great-grandsons appreciate what it cost to maintain peace and the freedom we all enjoy today.
To say this is a different type of undertaking for the future president is an understatement. He has the lead role here, playing an officer who becomes a POW. Mr. Reagan had served in WWII, not in Korea which is the focus of this tale. And as many know, he took a hardline conservative stance about Vietnam while he was governor of California in the 1960s, after leaving acting.
The story begins with a message about the strength of the human spirit, in spite of communist tortures. Reagan is an officer being sent off on a mission to investigate abuse in North Korea. He parachutes into a forest and soon joins a group of soldiers that have been taken captive by enemy forces.
On their way to a camp, Reagan learns from a soldier (Steve Forrest) that their captors would likely prefer them to be dead.
One thing that impresses me here is the stark black-and-white cinematography. Also, the use of wind and snow to convey the bitter cold, harsh environment. Frequently, there are cutaway shots of corpses along the roadside. Still the men carry on.
This is a gritty story, with grim vibes. Supposedly an army captain named Robert Wise (not the director) served as a technical advisor; he had been an actual POW. Some contemporary critics complained that the film over-exaggerated the extreme conditions faced by these men. Unless a critic had actually been in such a situation, how would he know?
In addition to the rugged physical terrain, the lack of nutrition and the homesickness experienced by the men, there are deep psychological wounds that are inflicted on them. These abuses are overseen by a cruel Russian colonel (Oskar Homolka).
Of course the mental anguish includes brainwashing, which we see with Forrest's character. He refuses to let his mind be controlled, so he is ultimately strung up and hanged like a warrior Jesus on a crucifix. These scenes are a lot more chilling than what we find later in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962).
One has to wonder how many men still living today served in the Korean war, and what they might still recall about what happened to them in a prisoner of war camp. Maybe a better question is whether their sons, grandsons and great-grandsons appreciate what it cost to maintain peace and the freedom we all enjoy today.