Pork Chop Hill (1959)
Director: Lewis Milestone Writer: James R. Webb, S.L.A. Marshall Cast: Gregory Peck, Harry Guardino, Rip Torn, George Peppard, Carl Benton Reid Synopsis: Based on an ex-soldier's eyewitness essays, this gritty and grim Korean war drama realistically depicts one of the Korean conflict's most bloody and famous battles. With peace negotiations being conducted nearby, Lt. Joe Clemons (Gregory Peck) and his men are ordered to take Pork Chop Hill to illustrate America's resolve. So, the tough but compassionate Clemons leads his unit of 135 men up the well-guarded hill while miscommunication--and at times no communication--cuts them off from reinforcements and regimental command. They suffer through the ordeal bravely, fully aware that the war is coming to a close and that the hill holds no military value. Shot against a bleak, battle-scarred mountain of white dust honeycombed with black trenches, director Lewis Milestone presents the devastating battle as a meaningless sacrifice of hundreds of lives spent in a political game of chicken. Peck leads a terrific cast of young talents and character actors, many of them just starting their respective careers. |
