Seldom has a movie so convincingly portrayed the physical discomfort that soldiers experienced during war. We see them as they gripe and complain, as they endure boredom and hunger. Wellman's camera remains with the soldiers, effectively limiting our perspective to what the ground soldiers experienced. When soldiers enter combat, Wellman doesn't provide clear objectives. The battle scenes are noteworthy for their chaos.
Shots suddenly ring out and soldiers dive behind rubble.
As bullets whiz past their heads, soldiers size up the situations and sergeants silently signal commands. Wellman's camera doesn't hype these scenes for their heroic values. No one dies a hero. The camera allows scenes to unroll in medium and long shots. Wellman's respect for the soldiers comes through in this unwillingness to imbue the scenes with false emotions.