|
 |
Pork Chop Hill
|
by MGM (Video & DVD)
Sales Rank: 10905
Price: $4.94
|
|
|
This gritty, grim Korean war drama presents the grueling ordeal of a platoon charged with taking a hill of no military value during the final days of the war. While diplomats and generals argue over peace negotiations (in an appropriately wordless montage under the opening credits), tough but compassionate Lt. Joe Clemons (Gregory Peck) leads a unit of 135 men up a well-guarded hill while miscommunication--and at times no communication--cuts them off from reinforcements and regimental command. Shot against a bleak, battle-scarred mountain of white dust honeycombed with black trenches, director Lewis Milestone presents the devastating battle as a meaningless sacrifice of hundreds of lives spent in a political game of chicken. Peck leads a terrific cast of young talents and character actors, many of them just starting their respective careers: Rip Torn, Harry Guardino, Martin Landau, Norman Fell, George Peppard, Gavin MacLeod, Bert Remsen, Harry Dean Stanton, plus veteran stalwarts Woody Strode, James Edwards, Robert Blake, and Bob Steele. Milestone had previously directed the pacifist WWI classic <I>All Quiet on the Western Front</I> and the compassionate WWII platoon drama <I>A Walk in the Sun</I>. <I>Pork Chop Hill</I> adds one more antiwar classic to his résumé, the angry power of his drama overcoming the hollow patriotic voice-over (reportedly added by Peck) that concludes the drama. <I>--Sean Axmaker</I>
Viewer Reviews
"Pork Chop Hill" is set late in the Korean War as the negotiations drone at the "Peace Talks". An infantry company is given the mission to recapture a "strategically meaningless" hill. It's not meaningless if the Army sends you there! PCH is based on a book by BG S.L.A. Marshall, a prominent military historian. Right from the outset, there is a brooding, moody element to the film, especially early on. The b&w photography is just right. Gregory Peck is front as center as company commander, aided by a strong supporting cast, many of whom later became prominent actors. These include Rip Torn, Woody Strode, Martin Landau and George Peppard. George Shibata is excellent as a Japanese-American looey. Peck exudes the same quiet strength he demonstrated in "The Gunfighter" and "Twelve O'Clock High". Does anyone remember the lesser known release, "The Night People"? Vets will quickly identify with a string of Army "snafus". It doesn't matter which war it is! Viewers may be disturbed at the randomness of who survives the meat grinder of combat. PCH is noteworthy for the complete respect it shows for the enlisted man and lack of same for "rear echelon types". (There is an acronym for those guys, but amazon would never permit its use in a review). Some may state that PCH is anti-military. This reviewer doesn't believe that but Mike Mayo's "War Movies" quotes Director Lewis Milestone as stating that studio interference altered the original concept of the story. The bottom-line is that PCH is a solid no nonsense story of men in combat with no sentimentality and fluff added. In fact, PCH has no scene that qualifies remotely as filler. Interesting points: No major character is over the rank of 1Lt, no medals or commendations are awarded and despite the close combat, no medics or doctors appear. This reviewer believes that PCH and the grim "Bridges at Toko-Ri" are the principal must-see Korean War movies.
Back To Top
|
Pork Chop Hill
Available from Amazon
|
|
NOTICE: All product prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
Copyright © 2009, Dominant Systems Corporation
info@HowlingVideo.com
Privacy Policy
Last Modified : 1-7-2009
|
