The hell of Korea
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The hell of Korea |
| Original title | The Steel Helmet |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1951 |
| length | 78 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Samuel Fuller |
| script | Samuel Fuller |
| production | Samuel Fuller |
| music | Paul Dunlap |
| camera | Ernest Miller |
| cut | Philip Cahn |
| occupation | |
| |
Hell of Korea is an American war film by Samuel Fuller from 1951. The film had its cinema premiere on March 13, 1953 in Germany.
action
Sergeant Zack is the only survivor of his regiment that was attacked and destroyed by North Koreans during the Korean War. A hole in his helmet shows the unconscious soldier how close he was to death. As Zack looks around, he sees a boy armed with an M1 who is inspecting the battlefield. The South Korean boy, called Short Round by Zack, offers himself as a guide to bring him back through enemy lines. Zack hesitates to go with the boy through enemy territory, but the prospect of getting him to safety makes him consent.
On their march they meet two communist guerrillas who have disguised themselves as missionaries. Zack kills the two. He and Short Round encounter the black medic Corporal Thompson, whose unit, like Zacks, was attacked and destroyed. Thompson is the only survivor. Thompson joins them on the way back to the American lines. Soon they encounter an American patrol. She is run by Lieutenant Driscoll, whom Zack doesn't like. Driscoll, who needs an experienced soldier for his observation team, wants Zack in his unit despite the differences between them. At first Zack refuses, but when an enemy sniper takes the unit under fire, he agrees. Zack regards Driscoll's men as amateurs, especially since Private Baldy took a radio with him. Zack is also suspicious of Private Bronte, who refused military service in World War II.
The unit moves into its scouting post at a Buddhist temple, but is soon attacked by the North Koreans. Driscoll is able to capture an enemy officer from Manchuria during the battle . Sergeant Tanaka, of Japanese descent, translates what the officer says. The officer tries to incite Tankaka as a former enemy of the USA, but he ignores the enemy. As the men prepare to return to the garrison, they are again fired at by snipers. Short Round is killed. Bitter and driven by thoughts of revenge, Zack kills the captured officer. The Americans notice that a large communist force is approaching the temple. But a troop of US infantrymen join the beleaguered observation force. In the ensuing skirmish, Driscoll is killed. The North Koreans are defeated. Thompson, the wounded Zack, and the rest of the squad are brought back to camp.
Reviews
“The film apparently uses documentary stylistic devices to directly illustrate the horrors of modern warfare with strong subliminal emotions. He skillfully builds up the tension of a threat that is never really comprehensible in order to reduce all "rules of war" to absurdity. "
Awards
In 1952, Samuel Fuller received the WGA Award from the Writers Guild of America for the best screenplay in a low-budget film .
background
The low-budget film, Samuel Fuller's third directorial work, had a budget of $ 103,000. The low budget was mainly expressed in the fact that the enemy tanks were plywood models. Fuller also had to make do with a total of 25 actors, with the enemy soldiers being portrayed by UCLA students . The film was shot within ten days and the fight scenes were staged in Griffith Park . The film, shot shortly after the outbreak of the war, is the first film to include the theme of the Korean War. Fuller's next directorial work, Fixed Bayonets! (German: The last attack ), also has this war on the subject. Gene Evans also stars in this film.
Samuel Fuller's film, shot in the McCarthy era , sparked controversy with two scenes. One scene shows an American soldier killing an unarmed prisoner. In the second scene, an American of Japanese origin tells how his parents were taken to various internment camps during World War II because they were Japanese. The film was therefore seen as "communist propaganda".
Web links
- The Steel Helmet in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Critique of Variety
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Hell of Korea. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044072/business