Fixed Bayonets! (1951)

“Some men are afraid of high places. Some are afraid of water. And some are afraid of being responsible for the death of a lot of other guys.” – Cpl. Denno

Number of Times Seen – 1 (2 Oct 2018)

Brief Synopsis – A platoon of American soldiers are sent to guard an area that will be used for a retreat

My Take on it – This is a film that I came across completely by accident and was surprised at how enjoyable it was.

This story tries to analyze the idea of commanding troops and the ability to take those orders and carry them out.

They d a great job focusing on the various levels of command and we get to see the distinct differences between how each level of command deals with those both above and below them in rank.

Each level sees things from a different command perspective which in turn affects the way they make their own decisions on how things should be carried out.

This film came out in the midst of the Korean War and for its time, the story is quite graphically told and we can see how Hellish this war was for the men who fought in it.

War is chaos and each man is affected differently in the way that they deal with everything going on around them.

This film is able to tell a tale that is filled with bravery, cowardice, disappointment and valor as men who just want to fulfill their service are thrust into situations which could make them heroes depending on what they choose to do along the way.

Bottom Line – Very interesting take on the idea of commanding and taking orders. The film is able to focus on the various levels of command in a unit and show how each member in the chain of command could possible see things a bit differently than those both above and below them. For its time, this was a very brutal war film, but it manages to show the chaos of war which effects each and every soldier in very different ways.  They manage to tell a tale of both bravery and cowardice with men who want to fulfill their service without a need to become heroes along the way. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The production had difficulties in casting extras for the opening retreat sequence. A production assistant located some dancers in a musical and they were able to be fitted out in costumes for the opener. Director Samuel Fuller had them feign battle weariness by stacking their military packs and uniforms with weights. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)

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