“[to Marlowe] As usual, I’m just presenting the grim facts. Colonel Secord doesn’t seem to understand that the coffee tastes better when the latrines are dug downstream instead of upstream. How do you like *your* coffee, Colonel?” – Major Kendall
Number of Times Seen – Twice (Cable in ’99 and 3 Sep 2018)
Brief Synopsis – Two Union Calvary officers clash on how to treat the enemy as they are sent on a mission deep into Rebel territory during the Civil War.
My Take on it – This is a film that I recall seeing about twenty years ago and still recall the great performances by the two lead actors largely due to the fact that they were able to squabble so well over just about every aspect of their mission.
Both John Wayne and William Holden are great as the leads here and they manage to let their own personal politics help them keep their character’s beliefs seem quite genuine the whole time.
The story itself is able to accomplish the feat of showing both sides of the argument of war without compromising either of them and allowing the viewer to choose which is better or which is more effective in the long run.
This film is still relevant even after nearly 60 years since it gives us the viewpoints of war of both the Hawks and the Doves.
They manage to keep the story interesting the entire time despite the fact that most of the characters are there are mere fillers and are there to just follow the orders of their commanders.
The action scenes are shot quite well.
Bottom Line – Holden and Wayne are actually great together because they manage to make their squabbling seem so real and genuine. The way that the story is able to present both sides of the argument works quite well and it’s easy to see how this film is still relevant in the way that it depicts Hawks and Doves when it comes to the way to wage war. The story stays interesting the entire time even if most of the characters are very generic and feel as if they are just there as fillers. Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The film marked the beginning of mega-deals for Hollywood stars. John Wayne and William Holden received $775,000 each, plus 20% of the overall profits, an unheard-of sum for that time. The final contract involved six companies and numbered twice the pages of the movie’s script. The film, however, was a financial failure, with no profits to be shared in the end. (From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)
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