By Lee Pfeiffer
Universally praised as one of the best films made about WWII during the era in which the War was ongoing, director Lewis Milestone's A Walk in the Sun was based on a popular novel by Harry Brown. Released a few months after the War had officially ended, Milestone's film has not fared well over the years. Originally an independent production, the budget ran dry several times before the movie was salvaged by an investor with deep pockets. Samuel Bronston, the future producer of epic movies, was integral to bringing the novel to the screen, though he never received a formal credit in the movie. Fox ultimately picked up the movie for distribution, though studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck almost changed the title to Salerno Beachead out of fear that A Walk in the Sun sounded too much like a love story. In the ensuing decades, the movie fell out of copyright and it was routinely found on bargain basement DVDs sold in "dollar stores". Now, VCI Entertainment, which specializes in restoring public domain films, has issued an impressive, first-class DVD edition.
The story was praised for deviating from the usual "gung ho" heroics found in most Hollywood war movies. The plot centers on a platoon of U.S. infantrymen who are part of the Allied landings in Italy. They are assigned to investigate and take over a seemingly inconsequential farmhouse several miles away that is rumored to be occupied by German troops. The script pushes the action into the background as it develops the characters. We get to know many of the platoon members, thus when some die tragically in battle, it resonates with the viewer. The movie demonstrates that wars are generally fought by small pockets of scared men who have to make life-and-death decisions on their own and often on the spur-of-the-moment. The movie may well have been one of the first to depict a platoon leader having a virtual nervous breakdown just prior to engaging in battle. Such scenes were generally frowned upon by the Department of Defense, which nonetheless cooperated with the filming.
The cast is headed by stalwart Dana Andrews and features some impressive "up-and-comers" such as Richard Conte, Lloyd Bridges, Norman Lloyd, John Ireland, Sterling Holloway and even Bowery Boy Huntz Hall. If there is a flaw, it isn't due to the filmmakers. Ball-busting humor is always an integral part of male bonding, specifically in the military. However, as the film was made during the era of the dreaded Production Code, the jibes between soldiers are ridiculously benign - a characteristic of most war movies made during this ear. Still, the performances are fine, as it Milestone's direction. He knew a thing or two about the horrors of war, having directed perhaps the best anti-war movie ever made, All Quiet on the Western Front. Milestone demonstrates those horrors by having key characters killed off suddenly and without warning- exactly as it happens in actual battles. The platoon members don't have time to spare on soliloquies and bodies of their comrades are just left to fate alongside the road. The mission itself seems to be an exercise in futility, ordered by commanders we never see. The farm house is indeed occupied by a small group of unseen enemy soldiers, but it becomes clear that the massive Allied invasion force could probably easily convince them to surrender. The house holds no strategic important whatsoever, yet this small group of men are forced into a virtual suicide mission just to storm the place.
VCI's restored print, created in conjunction with Kit Parker films, looks wonderful. Best of all are the bonus extras, including film historian Jeff Joseph's extended interview with the seemingly ageless Norman Lloyd, who remains one of the great raconteurs in Hollywood. Lloyd shares his memories of this film and talks extensively about others and his relationships with film industry legends. There are also interesting biographical facts given about key cast members by historian Joel Blumberg. An original trailer and a couple of other "B" war movie coming attractions are also included in this highly impressive release.
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