The psychological issues of racism are felt from both sides with this magnificent issue drama from the golden age of Hollywood when films such as "Gentlemen's Agreement", "Crossfire", "The Snake Pit", "The Lost Weekend" and "The Lady Gambles" went deep into the issues of the human soul to explain to their audiences why people encounter such problems as racism, addiction and mental illness while others do not. In the case of this World War II drama, the story surrounds the four soldiers (and young officer) sent to a Pacific island on a secret mission to navigate an island where the Japanese have set up a secret base. One of the soldiers (James Edwards) happens to be black, and this sets up racial tension as the remaining soldiers and officer are all white. Fortunately, one of the other soldiers (Lloyd Bridges) is an old friend of Edwards from high school, so he does have an instant ally. However, tensions mount as the mission comes to a close. Revelations about everybody's own individual racisms (including Edwards') is revealed, leading to Edwards' own mental breakdown and psychiatrist Jeff Corey's efforts to help him break through the sudden inability to walk and to determine what caused the breakdown in the first place.
Certainly, the issues of racism is a tale as old as the first civilizations, and this doesn't pretend to be an anecdote to the problem. But if the viewer can look within themselves to realize the issues behind their own feelings of racism, then the film has accomplished its mission. It is pretty obvious that the racial tensions are two sided, that some of the men (including Edwards) are torn between their long-instilled prejudices and what is right and wrong. Having been called a monkey as a kid when confronted on the school playground by white children, Edwards has internalized his hatred towards whites, even if he is outwardly polite and almost subservient. He also shows a longing for white acceptance as seen through the flashback of him and Bridges in school, and his sudden decision not to attend a party of white kids that Bridges had invited him to. But in the case of officer Douglas Dick and fellow soldiers Frank Lovejoy and Steve Brodie, he gets a mixed reaction, although a certain level of camaraderie between all four soldiers does exist.
The performance of James Edwards is the glue which holds this emotionally heart-wrenching drama together. He is in one moment calm and dignified, the next almost child-like, and after that, extremely angry, although unlike the white soldiers, he never becomes violent. When tragedy strikes, his child-like fear comes out, revealing all his insecurities and inner-most struggles and desires. While he never made it onto the front lines of movie stardom like Sidney Poitier, he still holds up in the handful of films I have seen him in, being likable, sincere, intense and intelligent. Bridges, too, gives a top-notch performance, so for all those who know him from the "Airplane" and "Hot Shots" comedies will be surprised to see him in such a dramatic role. But then again, he also had major dramatic parts in many films and T.V. shows including "High Noon" and "Roots", and was also touchingly sincere as Harry Helmsley opposite Suzanne Pleshette as Leona in "The Queen of Mean".
Of the five remaining men, Douglas Dick's captain is perhaps the least well defined. Frank Lovejoy is the older and wiser top sergeant who is perhaps the most open to changing his tune, while Steve Brodie is a man filled with such inner hatreds that you can't help but realize his hatred towards blacks is more representational of his own insecurities than his feelings towards other races, colors and creeds. Neither man is outwardly cruel to Edwards, although references to negative black stereotypes does show its face in a passive/aggressive light-hearted manner that can be just as hateful as a slap in the face. You realize that the racism they feel is more from conditioning and that as individuals, both Lovejoy and Brodie will learn something about humanity (and thus themselves) even if at least in Brodie's case, he won't totally change his tune.
The screenplay doesn't strive to sweeten the tension, even going so far as to use the "n" word under several circumstances, one accidentally coming from Bridges himself who in the midst of saying it suddenly changes the word to "nitwit". Other derogatory terms describing both blacks and whites (and the nearby Japanese) are also used, giving the film a very brave medal of honor for tackling one of the past centuries "hot topics". Playwright Arthur Laurents would tackle similar issues in other plays (even his musical book of "West Side Story" has like themes), and Carl Foreman adapts the play into a 90 minute running time which never defuses the issues. As produced by Stanley Kramer and directed by Mark Robson (two of the most influential filmmakers of the 1940's and 50's), this is truly intense social drama. Society has demanded that the races come together to talk about ways of improving racial tensions, and if this can help open up people's hearts to seeing this issue from a different angle, then it does indeed remain a very important play and movie some 60+ years later.
Certainly, the issues of racism is a tale as old as the first civilizations, and this doesn't pretend to be an anecdote to the problem. But if the viewer can look within themselves to realize the issues behind their own feelings of racism, then the film has accomplished its mission. It is pretty obvious that the racial tensions are two sided, that some of the men (including Edwards) are torn between their long-instilled prejudices and what is right and wrong. Having been called a monkey as a kid when confronted on the school playground by white children, Edwards has internalized his hatred towards whites, even if he is outwardly polite and almost subservient. He also shows a longing for white acceptance as seen through the flashback of him and Bridges in school, and his sudden decision not to attend a party of white kids that Bridges had invited him to. But in the case of officer Douglas Dick and fellow soldiers Frank Lovejoy and Steve Brodie, he gets a mixed reaction, although a certain level of camaraderie between all four soldiers does exist.
The performance of James Edwards is the glue which holds this emotionally heart-wrenching drama together. He is in one moment calm and dignified, the next almost child-like, and after that, extremely angry, although unlike the white soldiers, he never becomes violent. When tragedy strikes, his child-like fear comes out, revealing all his insecurities and inner-most struggles and desires. While he never made it onto the front lines of movie stardom like Sidney Poitier, he still holds up in the handful of films I have seen him in, being likable, sincere, intense and intelligent. Bridges, too, gives a top-notch performance, so for all those who know him from the "Airplane" and "Hot Shots" comedies will be surprised to see him in such a dramatic role. But then again, he also had major dramatic parts in many films and T.V. shows including "High Noon" and "Roots", and was also touchingly sincere as Harry Helmsley opposite Suzanne Pleshette as Leona in "The Queen of Mean".
Of the five remaining men, Douglas Dick's captain is perhaps the least well defined. Frank Lovejoy is the older and wiser top sergeant who is perhaps the most open to changing his tune, while Steve Brodie is a man filled with such inner hatreds that you can't help but realize his hatred towards blacks is more representational of his own insecurities than his feelings towards other races, colors and creeds. Neither man is outwardly cruel to Edwards, although references to negative black stereotypes does show its face in a passive/aggressive light-hearted manner that can be just as hateful as a slap in the face. You realize that the racism they feel is more from conditioning and that as individuals, both Lovejoy and Brodie will learn something about humanity (and thus themselves) even if at least in Brodie's case, he won't totally change his tune.
The screenplay doesn't strive to sweeten the tension, even going so far as to use the "n" word under several circumstances, one accidentally coming from Bridges himself who in the midst of saying it suddenly changes the word to "nitwit". Other derogatory terms describing both blacks and whites (and the nearby Japanese) are also used, giving the film a very brave medal of honor for tackling one of the past centuries "hot topics". Playwright Arthur Laurents would tackle similar issues in other plays (even his musical book of "West Side Story" has like themes), and Carl Foreman adapts the play into a 90 minute running time which never defuses the issues. As produced by Stanley Kramer and directed by Mark Robson (two of the most influential filmmakers of the 1940's and 50's), this is truly intense social drama. Society has demanded that the races come together to talk about ways of improving racial tensions, and if this can help open up people's hearts to seeing this issue from a different angle, then it does indeed remain a very important play and movie some 60+ years later.