WWII melodrama benefits from solid cast, tight pace, several classic sequences...

Rating: 6/10 (7 August 2006)

Powerhouse cast in melodramatic adaptation of the more-risquÃ© James Jones novel chronicling lives on a Hawaiian Army Base before and during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in the early 1940s. Hot-headed characters, uneven performances, though the picture looks incredible and is tightly-edited for its length. Frank Sinatra made a personal comeback with role as goof-off Maggio, Donna Reed stretches a bit as a floozy who hopes to go straight (both won Supporting Oscars), but classy Deborah Kerr as an unhappy officer's wife and Montgomery Clift as a loner soldier are the acting standouts; Burt Lancaster does nothing new as a humorless sergeant, but Ernest Borgnine is solid in showy bully role, and Jack Warden and George Reeves are fine in lesser parts. Despite a tendency towards soap opera, this Best Picture winner is often enjoyable, but rarely is it a moving experience. Winner of eight Oscars total, including Fred Zinnemann for Best Director. Remade in 1979 as a television mini-series. **1/2 from ****