Okinawa (1951)

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Movie
German title Okinawa
Original title Halls of Montezuma
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1951
length 113 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Lewis Milestone
script Michael Blankfort
production Robert Bassler
music Sol Kaplan
camera Harry Jackson
Winton C. High
cut William H. Reynolds
occupation

Okinawa (Original title: Halls of Montezuma ) is an American war film , directed by Lewis Milestone in 1951. The first performance in Germany took place on June 19, 1952. The film was shown on German television under the title Die Hölle von Okinawa .

action

During the Second World War, a naval battalion prepares to land on the island of Okinawa , which is still held by the Japanese . Lieutenant Colonel Gilfillan warns his people. The mission is dangerous and they need prisoners to get information about the enemy defenses. On board the DropShip, Lieutenant Anderson, a teacher, speaks with his former student Corporal Conroy. Conroy feels sick and unable to fight. Anderson encourages him. In the landing craft, paramedic Jones worries about Anderson, who is suffering from a psychosomatic headache. Jones tries to persuade Anderson to seek treatment at home, but Anderson does not want to leave his men alone. Jones is supposed to give him pain medication.

The landing was successful despite initial resistance. But after a few days, the men of Anderson's group are tired from the constant attacks of Japanese snipers. The attack on a ridge is repulsed by the Japanese with rocket launchers. Coffman dies in the process, causing Anderson to demand more pain medication from Jones.

At headquarters, Gilfillan reports on his problems with taking prisoners for information gathering. Sergeant Johnson, an interrogator, speaks to a Japanese prisoner named Willie. Gilfillan is ordered to shut down the Japanese missile positions within nine hours of the next American attack. Willie informs Johnson that some Japanese holding a fortified cave are ready to surrender. Anderson sets off with Johnson and war correspondent Dickerman. The patrol is attacked, Sergeant Zelenko goes blind. The Americans can capture the Japanese, including Captain Makino and a civilian neurotic of war. Anderson finds a map and leads his troop across a river into the jungle. When a sniper shoots the soldier Riley, the latter kills him in close combat. The unstable Riley tries to shoot the prisoners. Riley is accidentally killed by Lane. Jones dies too, but can give Dickerman a message for Anderson beforehand.

Anderson and the rest of the force arrive at headquarters with their prisoners. Makino commits suicide by hara-kiri with a knife he stole from Johnson. Map expert Lieutenant Butterfield studies the captured map. Anderson and Johnson discover that the Japanese Nomura is really a high officer, Major Matsuoda. Johnson deduces from the interrogations and the map where the Japanese missile positions are. The Americans give barrages. Conroy is killed by a sniper. Anderson is close to giving up, but Dickerman reads Jones' message aloud. In it, Anderson is asked to be strong in order to give courage to the weak in the group. Anderson throws away his pain medication and leads his men into battle.

Reviews

“Reconstruction of the conquest of a Japanese island by US naval troops in World War II April / June 1945, striving for realism. From the crowd scenes, the film highlights a battered group of soldiers and their officer, tormented by fear. Lewis Milestone ( Nothing New in the West , 1930) tries to depict the enemy objectively, but does not consistently avoid any hint of the adventurous when he portrays courage and camaraderie. Despite the harrowing details, it is more of a spectacular war film than a committed anti-war film. "

- Lexicon of international film

"Hard and ruthless, the film shows a realistic picture of the merciless war in the Pacific."

- Worldview

background

  • The original English title Halls of Montezuma refers to the first line of the official anthem of the US Marine Corps .
  • The film marked Richard Boone's debut in a feature film.
  • Karl Malden, best known in Germany as Detective Stone in the television crime series The Streets of San Francisco , won an Oscar in 1952, while his colleague Jack Palance was awarded the Oscar and the Golden Globe in 1992.
  • The director Lewis Milestone (Oscar winner 1929 and 1930) was able to fall back on well-known staff on the staff: the cameraman Hoch won three Oscars (1949, 1950, 1953, plus a special Oscar in 1940), the film editor Reynolds won two Oscars (1966, 1974), the art director Lyle R. Wheeler 5 (1940, 1947, 1954, 1957, 1960), the set decorator Thomas Little even 6 (1942, twice 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947), the costume designer Charles Le Maire 3 (1951, 1954, 1956) and the musical director Lionel Newman one (1970).
  • The film's technical and military adviser was Major George A. Gilliland of the US Marine Corps .
  • Screenwriter Blankfort was President of the Writers Guild of America from 1967 to 1969 .
  • The composer Sol Kaplan is the father of the director Jonathan Kaplan .

Historical background

The Battle of Okinawa took place from April 1 to June 30, 1945. The battle was the last attempt by the Japanese to prevent the advance of US troops into Japan. Okinawa is about 250 nautical miles from Japan and was therefore an ideal base for American bombers to attack enemy cities. The fighting, in which the Americans deployed up to 600,000 soldiers, was marked by suicide attacks and kamikaze attacks. The losses were immense on both sides. The victorious Americans recorded over 12,000 dead and over 36,000 wounded. Of the approximately 130,000 Japanese soldiers, 66,000 were killed, 17,000 were wounded and 7,500 were taken prisoner by the Americans.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. Lexicon of International Films 2000/2001 (CD-ROM)
  2. ↑ http://www.weltbild.de/hoelle-von-okinawa-die/index.html?b=930898&wea=8002820