You might as well ask as Edgar Lee Masters did; "Pro Patria, what the hell does it mean?" A jingoistic but human portrayal of the war (in this case Korean) shot through with a US navy recruiting film (and yes like Top Gun many decades later, endorsed and part realised by said navy).
William Holden, though, gives a magnificent portrayal of "the lawyer from Denver, Colorado" trapped in the "wrong war at the wrong time". Aided by some solid archetypes from Mickey Rooney and a true to form wooden Grace Kelly, Toko Ri still stands a war movie for those who hate war. In many ways it half articulates the sickened reaction against war that the Raging Bulls, Easy Riders generation would so eloquently give voice so many decades later.
Stop the movie at the Holden's last and lingering shot in camera and see it without the recruiting spiel tacked on at the end. Flawed but graceful.
William Holden, though, gives a magnificent portrayal of "the lawyer from Denver, Colorado" trapped in the "wrong war at the wrong time". Aided by some solid archetypes from Mickey Rooney and a true to form wooden Grace Kelly, Toko Ri still stands a war movie for those who hate war. In many ways it half articulates the sickened reaction against war that the Raging Bulls, Easy Riders generation would so eloquently give voice so many decades later.
Stop the movie at the Holden's last and lingering shot in camera and see it without the recruiting spiel tacked on at the end. Flawed but graceful.