Helmer Robert Aldrich & thesp Lee Marvin were unlikely types to become mainstream cinematic forces. They made three pics together, ATTACK/’56, EMPEROR OF THE NORTH/’73 and this mega-hit. The foolproof plot (12 violent WWII U.S. army prisoners get a chance at redemption if they complete an impossible mission behind German lines) gets characterization & structure from vet scripter Nunnally Johnson, though you’ll look in vain for a surprise or a grace note in the entire thing. But it plays, man, it plays. Some of the dozen make little impression, and poor Robert Ryan has a miserable role to play, but Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, John Cassavetes & George Kennedy earn their stripes. There’s a lot more to Aldrich then noisy macho posturing (some of the savagery displayed on ‘our side’ were new at the time), but clean-limbed action sequences & brusk efficiency aren’t to be sneezed at.
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You can check on all our titles by typing the Title, Director, Actor or 'Keyword' you're looking for in the Search Engine of your choice (include the phrase MAKSQUIBS) or just use the BLOGSPOT.com Search Box at the top left corner of the page.
Feel free to place comments directly on any of the film posts and to test your film knowledge with the CONTESTS scattered here & there. (Hey! No Googling allowed. They're pretty easy.)
Send E-mails to MAKSQUIBS@yahoo.com . (Let us know if the TRANSLATE WIDGET works!) Or use the Profile Page or Comments link for contact.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
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