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Released by: Olive Films
Released on: January 27th, 2015.
Director: Lewis Milestone
Cast: Gregory Peck, Rip Torn, George Peppard, Woody Strode
Year: 1959
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The Movie:
The Korean War never really got its due on the cinematic front. While WWII has too many great films to count and WWI has a few stone cold classics like ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and PATHS OF GLORY, most people's filmic associations with that muddied mess of a conflict revolve around TV's M*A*S*H. Ironically, Robert Altman's film version has faded from current memory. The power of syndication it would seem..
PORK CHOP HILL, released in 1959, doesn't exactly have aspirations towards high art but as far as what were quaintly termed "programmers" back in the day, it holds its own. The cast certainly helps - top lined by star Gregory Peck, the rest of this one's dance card is filled with a who's who of character actor stardom. Harry Guardino (DIRTY HARRY), Rip Torn, Woody Strode, Robert Blake, George Peppard - they're all in here. And quite convincing as infantry grunts. The film has very little plot - it is ostensibly about a major battle in the war that occurred as peace talks were ongoing between the United States and China. The crux of this situation was that the hill was of little value to either side militarily, but the Chinese used it as a test of wills against their opponents. Everyone on the battlefield knows the war is almost over, but high command insists that Peck's Lt. Joe Clemons and his battalion retake the position. With poor backup and an increasingly exhausted battle group, the whole thing quickly begins to look like a suicide mission.
Movies like this work - or don't work - based on the characters and how well they are drawn. You know some men will die. Cowards will find courage, and sacrifices will be made. There'll be some humor, and the viewer will be advised that both war is hell and God and country must be stood up for. These things are guaranteed in a 50's war film. What makes PORK CHOP HILL so involving however, starts with Peck. This is the dirtiest, and grimiest he's ever looked on film. Usually patrician and elegant with that marvelous voice, Peck plays against type here and does a great job. He oozes decency and bleeds regular Joe. He's got a world weary quality but is never short tempered with his men. Even when he's outgunned and screwed over on reinforcements and losing men he cares deeply about, he keeps it together. Guardino functions mostly as comic relief bitching about his botched paperwork that's keeping him from ending his tour of duty, but he manages a vivid characterization. Blake excels as a mentally feeble but fiercely loyal private, and Strode does terrific work with what is essentially a racist stereotype.
The film itself is more historically accurate than most, and it looks authentic. The battle scenes (pretty much the entire film) are immersive and believable. Much like the brutal island fighting against the Japanese in WWII, the main battle tactic was often climbing upward against entrenched machine gun and grenade nests. Smoke, constant explosions and all kinds of random terror were the order of the day. Kudos to the film's sound design. You really do feel like you are there. Another great touch is the movie's cutaways to the Chinese radio operator propagandist. During the course of the battle, loudspeakers exhort the Americans to surrender using a wide variety of arguments. There is a grim humor at play with men dying while hearing the "pleasant" suggestions of this stooge. It's a nice way to highlight the absurdity of war.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Olive's 1.66:1. 1080p AVC encoded black and white presentation on this disc is quite good. Black levels are deep and overall definition excellent. Faces show fine detail nicely and the many scenes involving smoke and explosions are handled well. No DNR or intrusive digital manipulation is present. Everything looks organic and film like. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track isn't anything to write home about but it sounds fine. There are no dropouts or audible anomalies that I heard. It's a flat but well balanced track with clear dialog and sound fx. As far as extras go - there aren't any. Just the film.
The Final Word:
PORK CHOP HILL is pretty meat snd potatoes but it's tasty meat and potatoes. Peck shines in a role a bit out of his comfort zone, and he's ably supported by a first rate cast. The movie isn't a bad history lesson either. With its inclusion of scenes dealing with the peace negotiations, PORK CHOP HILL goes a little further than the typical period war film. And laced with some cutting black humor, the film avoids falling into the unabashed rah rah USA sinkhole that so many of its brethren did. The overall quality of the film and Olive's strong technical presentation make this one an easy recommendation for fans of period war films.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
