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The Steel Helmet -
I enjoyed this lean and mean Korean War movie by Samuel Fuller as The Breakfast Club on the battlefield. I say this because as soon as our hulking, grizzled, no-nonsense Sgt. Zack - a very good Gene Evans - wakes up from a firefight that took out the rest of his squad, he meets a young South Korean man (whom he dubs Short Round) followed by other survivors of disparate backgrounds. They include a black medic, a private whose scarlet fever deprived him of his hair to a Japanese American Zack served with in the past and whom he affectionately calls "Buddha Head." Several questions rise from their interactions from why minorities like Thompson and Buddha Head bother fighting for America in spite of their poor treatment at home to whether the mental health of military lifers like Zack is properly treated or even considered. The latter comes to light in the movie's depiction of the "fog of war," which is both literal and imagined in a memorable climactic moment when Zack stands up, sees nothing but gun smoke and forgets whether he's fighting the North Koreans or the Germans. Like that John Hughes movie, it does not have much of a plot, but that is not a drawback since its conversations, reveals, resolutions of prejudices, what have you are more than enough to carry it forward. This is a war movie first and foremost, however, and when that's apparent, it's relentless and terrifying, especially in the aforementioned climax that occurs while our ragtag bunch takes refuge in a Buddhist temple. The finale drags a bit more than I would have liked, though, and kudos goes to Fuller and company for delivering on a low budget, but there are times when the cost cuts take away from the movie's poignancy, especially in the overuse of stock footage and in an obviously fake tank. Still, for its strong performances, uncompromising battle scenes and fearlessness in discussing still-taboo topics - the latter of which led kickstarted an FBI investigation and calls for Fuller's arrest, which I consider a victory - it's a highlight of Fuller's filmography.
I enjoyed this lean and mean Korean War movie by Samuel Fuller as The Breakfast Club on the battlefield. I say this because as soon as our hulking, grizzled, no-nonsense Sgt. Zack - a very good Gene Evans - wakes up from a firefight that took out the rest of his squad, he meets a young South Korean man (whom he dubs Short Round) followed by other survivors of disparate backgrounds. They include a black medic, a private whose scarlet fever deprived him of his hair to a Japanese American Zack served with in the past and whom he affectionately calls "Buddha Head." Several questions rise from their interactions from why minorities like Thompson and Buddha Head bother fighting for America in spite of their poor treatment at home to whether the mental health of military lifers like Zack is properly treated or even considered. The latter comes to light in the movie's depiction of the "fog of war," which is both literal and imagined in a memorable climactic moment when Zack stands up, sees nothing but gun smoke and forgets whether he's fighting the North Koreans or the Germans. Like that John Hughes movie, it does not have much of a plot, but that is not a drawback since its conversations, reveals, resolutions of prejudices, what have you are more than enough to carry it forward. This is a war movie first and foremost, however, and when that's apparent, it's relentless and terrifying, especially in the aforementioned climax that occurs while our ragtag bunch takes refuge in a Buddhist temple. The finale drags a bit more than I would have liked, though, and kudos goes to Fuller and company for delivering on a low budget, but there are times when the cost cuts take away from the movie's poignancy, especially in the overuse of stock footage and in an obviously fake tank. Still, for its strong performances, uncompromising battle scenes and fearlessness in discussing still-taboo topics - the latter of which led kickstarted an FBI investigation and calls for Fuller's arrest, which I consider a victory - it's a highlight of Fuller's filmography.
