Hell Is for Heroes
Hell Is for Heroes
Directed by:
Don SiegelCinematography:
Harold LipsteinComposer:
Leonard RosenmanCast:
Steve McQueen, Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, Harry Guardino, James Coburn, Bob Newhart, Mike Kellin, L.Q. Jones, Michele Montau, Nick Adams, Robert Phillips (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
HELL IS FOR HEROES stars Steve McQueen as the rebellious G.I. John Reese. In the fall of 1944, he's busted from staff sergeant back to private for drunkenness and is sent back to his former outfit, currently stationed near the Siegfried Line in Montigny. Reese's bitterness about his demotion isolates him from the rest of the squad, although they've observed his courage under fire in previous combat missions. When the unit is assigned to defend an area facing a German pillbox, Reese's skills become evident. He advises squad leader Sgt. Larkin (Harry Guardino) on a ruse that creates the illusion that their unit is much larger than it is, temporarily deflecting an attack. The squad has been ordered to simply hold their ground, but believing it's only a matter of time before the Germans discover that they've been deceived, Reese leads an attack on the pillbox. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
I really liked how the Americans behaved so light-heartedly in this movie. The 1960s are definitely a time when many war veterans still vividly remembered WWII. Hell Is for Heroes is a rough film, but it’s not afraid to throw in a whole host of pretty absurd situations. The best part was how a guy suddenly appeared at the enemy line, even though he was supposed to be about thirty kilometers away with a jeep. He crashed the jeep into a tree, the soldiers took the jeep from him and then scared the Germans on the other side of the line with it, because after the collision the engine rattled in it so loud the Germans thought there was a tank, which saved the whole situation, which would have otherwise been a total mess. I must say that I was quite satisfied during these 90 minutes. The movie was rough and absurd, and at some moments it brought a smile to my face. The war here is not portrayed exactly in the way I imagined, but as a movie it wasn’t bad.
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