Review of Attack (1956) by Tommy H — 14 Apr 2015

When I see these old movies I think of the term "war machine." All black & white war movies have an oily texture and a non-romantic and genuine disgust for war. When the battle scenes play out; the characters, the scenery, and the battle itself all feel like parts of the same machine -- and the soldiers are the gears of war. There's also an added sense of grim realism because you associate it with actual black & white war footage which always seems more raw.

I really liked Attack. It was simple and exciting and my kind of story. Running around kicking ass is fun and all, but my favorite part of action films is when the actors are boxed into a corner and they need to use their brains to get out. Not a whole lot happens in the movie, but it keeps a well-timed and consistent pace, the characters are people you can root for, and Eddie Albert's mental break down adds an extra layer of complexity to the story. There's also a revenge element to the story that was pretty wild. The guy wants revenge so bad he endures getting run over by a tank.

Another neat thing about the movie is how it's like modern warfare. WWII movies are generally about soldiers fighting their way forward while avoiding enemy fire. Modern warfare is more about sneaking around and hiding. It's interesting to note that if you read up on the Benghazi scandal involving Hilary Clinton it's a lot like this movie. I wonder if Hilary has daddy issues, too.