army life

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2005)

As the Japanese prepare to launch their fateful attack on Pearl Harbor and awaken the slumbering giant, dangerous romances and arbitrary military pettiness occupy the soldiers manning their base in Hawaii. James Jones' multi-character novel gets brought to the screen in a great film that manages to capture something of the essence of the novel, showing army life not as some campfire circle but as a big cynical game of fitting in, going with the flow, and not getting caught. The one purist, a truly fine soldier, fearless and loyal, played by Montgomery Clift, is the polar opposite of all the BS that is around him. He loves the army as if it were his family, but the feeling isn't mutual. The scene where he plays Taps epitomizes his depth and elegance. It's a truly beautiful performance, though not too far behind is Burt Lancaster the master sergeant who's secretly having an affair with the CO's deeply unhappy wife played by Deborah Kerr, a target of rumors that she'll sleep with anyone. We find out why in one of the film's plots, just another lurid episode depicting all the hypocrisy that the story delves into. Their famous roll in the surf is a passionate moment in an exciting and dangerous affair, that this very complex film somehow managed not to short change.