Review of They Were Expendable (1945) by Jack W — 11 Dec 2010
Fantastic. Easily one of my favorite Ford films. Takes the heroic actions of a small and forgotten group of PT sailors and puts them in the context of the withdrawal of the Philippines. The resulting melancholy throughout the film, combined with Ford's patience and willingness to let the pictures do the talking, makes this a great film.
To suggest that this film is hackneyed or rose-colored propaganda is to misunderstand the film entirely. This isn't the typical 'rah-rah' war film. Ford films a retreat! He shows as the Americans seem continually outmatched.
Sure, our little squadron has some victories, but they are constantly returning to bombed out quarters or orders to redeploy to another island. Eventually, even the PT boat squad, despite the valiant efforts of its brave men, ends up dismantled.
Don't let the Battle Hymn at the end fool you--yes, the film is patriotic--Ford's sensibilities are always with the men on the ground. But the Battle Hymn serves as a kind of veil over a film questioning the reasons behind a retreating army.
This review of They Were Expendable (1945) was written by Jack W on 11 Dec 2010.
They Were Expendable has generally received positive reviews.
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