The Bridges at Toko-Ri

Only so much pro-navy, anti-red speechifying and sentimentality I can take

What would be an otherwise dull, sexist, racist, and straight-laced anti-Communist screed is made lively by superb cinematography, a nihilistic tone, and frankly jaw-dropping documentary footage and special effects for the time (they hold up better than most movies to this day.) Top Gun before Top Gun.

To its credit, the film doesn't shy from the truth, and questions the morality of war while demonstrating the courage of the ordinary men who willingly face possible (even likely) death. However, it seems that director Mark Robson was more fascinated by the chance to show actual footage of real planes taking off and landing on aircraft carrier, and other such mechanics. The domestic side of the story with Holden and Kelly is banal and flat.

Much too slow to give you any plot, and the eye candy consists of LOTS of ships and planes, which would be a good thing if the action didn't only occur in the last 20 minutes. It had a decent ending until the admiral gives a stupid closing monologue oozing with cliches.

Not bad, some good flight scenes and shots of "vintage" aircraft.

Ano de centenário de William Holden filme #10. Propaganda anti-comunista entendiante do inferno. Box Grace Kelly Collection

An OK war drama with a few setbacks. The plot and climax felt rushed with little exploration of underlying emotion from the home front or the pilots. On the bright side - this is one of the better Korean War dramas out there. Hollywood didn't cover this war all that much.

Not a personal favorite of mine, but well done.