Surprisingly subversive and transgressive

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2018)

Using three different plot lines the film paints a panoramic view of military life in Hawaii about a year before Pearl Harbor. That attack hangs over the film the entire time and there are subtle hints that it is coming throughout the film. Mostly through the subtle use of dates and newspaper headlines you feel the slow burn of the fuse before the bomb of the attack goes off. It is surprisingly effective way of giving the proceedings dramatic weight even as the pace of the film is purposely slow to allow for the slow burn. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of the of the importance of Pearl Harbor and the human pettiness of the plot lines acts something like a implicit critique of the military failing to properly prepare for WWII. It is rather unusual to find that in the film from the 50's.
Each of the plot lines are sordid affairs that provide a refreshingly human take on the US military. Whether it is the infidelity and loveless marriage of the Walden-Karen story, the vindictive battle of wills between the company and Prewitt, or the ethnically charged conflict between Fatso and Angelo the picture painted of the military is a lot more human and morally complex than you usually get. That each story is compelling in its own right; This is really the first Best Picture winner with anti-heroes at its center.
A lot of this is due to the acting. It is all wonderful but I have to say that this is Clift's best role. Clift was a tortured soul, forced into the closet by the 1950's society and struggled with alcoholism and drugs as a result. That soulful pain is present in this film and Prewitt is a strong figure of stubborn masculinity yet laced with tender sensitivity that he stays with you even if the rest film didn't.
This is a really strong Best Picture winner.