During WWII numerous movies were made to support the troops fighting overseas. Looking back at them now you can see the depiction of war as brutal yet at the same time more inspiring than realistic. There was a motive for that. It was to keep the morale up of those going to war as well as those back home. A WALK IN THE SUN does that but at the same time shows more of the reality of what would take place, something missing from many movies made at the time.
The lead platoon of the Texas Division is about to be dropped on the beaches near Salerno, Italy. This platoon has been through battles before, hardened by what they’ve seen but still wary of what is to take place. The danger is there before they even hit the beach when their leader is hit by a shell fragment and taken out.
The men get to the beach and while waiting for instructions take cover in the nearby woods. Sgt. Tyne (Dana Andrews) is left to wait for word from their new leader only to find out he never made it back. He joins the rest of the men and they head out for their objective, to blow up a bridge next to a farmhouse designated on their map.
Where most movies take time to build up to the action that takes place this one jumps in from the start with the landing and set up establishing the goals of the platoon. It also takes no time at all to show the first casualties of their long trek. Instead of that usual pattern, this film moves the story telling of what is going on to the middle of the film as the men move forward and stop either to rest of take cover. And with each step we get to know the men, their dreams, their hopes and how they will stand when the time comes.
The two characters of Sgt. Tyne and PFC Windy Craven (John Ireland) seem to be the most war hardened of the bunch. They’ve been there and seen what can happen. They have no qualms about what they are doing and know that most of the men aren’t likely to make it through this day. Still, they take care of the troops they fight alongside and do their best to make the right calls.
The film also tackles something rarely seen in movies based on the war at the time, shell shock which was later renamed PTSD. Sgt. Porter (Herbert Rudley) is put in charge of the men as the line of those in command keep getting shot. As the movie progresses you can see him slowly crumbling under the weight of command until he eventually he completely falls apart.
All of the characters in the film are portrayed as everyday guys you would meet on the street, brought here with a common goal and doing their best to survive. They talk about home and what they want. A great example of this is Sgt. Ward (Lloyd Bridges) who was a farmer talking about apples in every way possible, taking their mind off the drudgery of walking to possible death as he does so.
The action at the beginning of the film is topped by what takes place at the end. The farmhouse has been taken by the Germans and the remnants of the platoon must still complete their mission, blowing up the bridge and taking the farmhouse back. As a movie made during this period there is little surprise if they succeed or not but just who will remain becomes the question.
This is not a war film like most. You don’t have the Marine Corp Hymn playing in the background. This is down in the dirt warfare, as much as it could be depicted in 1945 when the film was made. To use the word entertaining for this film feels wrong but it does hold your interest from start to finish. And it gives us a glimpse, a depiction of war that wasn’t seen so much this way at the time. The movie is a classic and deserves to be seen. If you’re a fan of war films then this will be a must for your collection.
This new version is being released by
Kit Parker Films on disc and they’ve done an amazing job. Included is a Blu-ray
edition of the film made from a 4K Master from the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s 35mm
photochemical restoration. This disc also includes a commentary track by Alan K. Rode. A second disc included is a DVD
that features a number of extras. Those include “Zanuck Goes to War: The WWII
Films of Fox”, “Living History: Norman Lloyd on Saboteur and A Walk in the Sun
(2014)”, “The Battle of San Pietro” an un-cut version from the Academy Film
Archive preservation negative, WWII Fox Movietone Newsreels and the theatrical
trailer.
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