Review of A Walk in the Sun (1945) by Kevin R — 10 Jun 2014

I don't want a purple heart in the head.

A group of American troops are sent into Italy on a mission to blow up a bridge. They often don't know their relevance, the goal of their mission, or why they are where they are in life; but as they march across the country, they discuss their ambitions and beliefs. The troops do catch themselves in vicious shootouts that try their inner strengths; but they work together, as brothers, to justify their existence and resilience.

"When a shell is looking for a guy, it doesn't whine, it snarls.".

Lewis Milestone, director of Pork Chop Hill, Mutiny on the Bounty, Ocean's Eleven (1960), Les Miserables (1952), Of Mice and Men, and All Quiet on the Western Front, delivers A Walk in the Sun. The storyline for this picture is amazingly well written and the characters are compelling with perfect dialogue and interactions. The cast delivers wonderful performances and includes Dana Andrews, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, Sterling Holloway, and Norman Lloyd.

"I don't know what this platoon would do without me.".

"Win the loving war.".

I grabbed this movie while flicking through the channels after seeing the cast and storyline. I enjoyed the interactions between characters and the dialogue. The character development and overall premise was perfect. I strongly recommend seeing this underrated gem.

"There's three ways to do it: the right way, the wrong way, and the army way.".

Grade: A.