CLASSIC (BEST OF '53)!

Rating: 10/10 (14 October 2004)

The book by James Jones is even better, but in 1953 they did what they could with the off-color material and made an excellent film, especially Montgomery Clift as Pru. He captures the intense lone-wolf who is tough and sensitive and Clift gives the best performance. Burt Lancaster is well-cast as the Sergeant who understands the Service all too well (unlike Pru). Donna Reed deserved her Oscar, but Sinatra is really the only one who is bad (won an Oscar, though). The character of Maggio is fascinating, but Frankie makes all the easy choices. Deborah Kerr (in a different role for her) is sexy and untrusting and superb.
A high point of the 50's and deserving of it's 8 Academy Awards. It's too bad Clift never won one. He should have won for this and A PLACE IN THE SUN two years earlier, and possibly for his first nom. in '48 for THE SEARCH. Fred Zinnemann was the right director for this pre-Pearl Harbor drama and anybody who doesn't like this film doesn't like films. Great stuff!