Pork Chop Hill

Starring:Gregory Peck, Harry Guardino, Rip Torn, George Peppard, Carl Benton Reid, James Edwards, Bob Steele, Woody Strode, George Shibata, Norman Fell, Lew Gallo, Robert Blake, Cliff Ketchum, Biff Elliot, Charles Aidman, Barry Atwater, Viraj Amonsin, Michael Garth, Leonard Graves, Martin Landau
Director: Lewis Milestone
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This gritty, grim Korean war drama presents the grueling ordeal of a platoon charged with taking a hill of no military value during the final days of the war. While diplomats and generals argue over peace negotiations (in an appropriately wordless montage under the opening credits), tough but compassionate Lt. Joe Clemons (Gregory Peck) leads a unit of 135 men up a well-guarded hill while miscommunication--and at times no communication--cuts them off from reinforcements and regimental command. Shot against a bleak, battle-scarred mountain of white dust honeycombed with black trenches, director Lewis Milestone presents the devastating battle as a meaningless sacrifice of hundreds of lives spent in a political game of chicken. Peck leads a terrific cast of young talents and character actors, many of them just starting their respective careers: Rip Torn, Harry Guardino, Martin Landau, Norman Fell, George Peppard, Gavin MacLeod, Bert Remsen, Harry Dean Stanton, plus veteran stalwarts Woody Strode, James Edwards, Robert Blake, and Bob Steele. Milestone had previously directed the pacifist WWI classic All Quiet on the Western Front and the compassionate WWII platoon drama A Walk in the Sun. Pork Chop Hill adds one more antiwar classic to his résumé, the angry power of his drama overcoming the hollow patriotic voice-over (reportedly added by Peck) that concludes the drama. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Lt. Joe Clemons (Gregory Peck) has been given the order: take Pork Chop Hill. If it's taken by the Chinese, US negotiators at the Panmunjom peace conference would lose face with their communist adversariesan unthinkable outcome. And so, Clemons leads his troops into combat, to fight for an objective that they know to be strategically pointless. But they also know that an order is an order and they must take Pork Chop Hillor die tryingso that millions can live in freedom tomorrow for what Clemons and his men will sacrifice today. Based on a true story and featuring an all-star supporting cast, Pork Chop Hill is an exceptional film"grim, rugged, awesome and lastingly impressive" (The New York Times).

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best.......2007-05-09

If you are looking for a movie that demonstrates the mettle of American soldiers and leaders trapped in a desparate struggle against the odds, then this movie delivers.

While Saving Private Ryan has become something of a standard for reviewers of the war genre, Pork Chop Hill was one of its hard hitting predecessors. It did not need to show the blood and gore to get the point across... the brutality is apparent.

Gregory Peck also puts in what I think to be one of his best performances as the tough and dedicated lieutenant given a mission that wartime leaders hope they never get. "Fight what could be the last battle of a war", and all the while fighting your own chain of command to get the resources necessary to win. You get a taste of the politics behind the final days of the war... though for those who have served in Korea since the "Armistice", we all know the war never really ended.

To boot, you get numerous appearances by "soon to be" big names in hollywood. If you see someone that looks familiar despite the grime and grit on their faces, chances are, you are correct. Keep your eyes open.

Finally, the battle scenes are incredible and raise your blood pressure. You will experience "emotional" highs and lows as the battle for Pork Chop Hill wages on to the "end". Hills changes hands quite often during the final months of the Korean War, as our valient veterans could attest, but their courage was well preserved in this often overlooked movie.

Do not pass on this one.

Pork Chop Hill.......2006-11-12

great war picture and intense action scenes. Good role for Gregory Peck.

Grim reminder about the cost of war.......2006-06-12

Pork Chop Hill tells the inspiring, but grim tale of K company's battle to retake Pork Chop Hill during the closing days of the Korean War. A classic war film, it does an excellent job of displaying the bravery of US Army soldiers while also reminding us about the true cost of war.

The battle is fought really for no strategic reason, and the losses inflicted on the US company are immense. Gregory Peck serves as the officer leading the attack, and does a nice job pushing his troops while trying to determine the best method for keeping them out of harms way, as much as possible. A strong cast of others help show the grit and determination that has always characterized the US Army.

There are a lot of pacifist overtones throughout the film, which I was actually okay with. War is an awful thing that should be avoided when possible, and the themes are well done. The enemies psychological operations (talking to the US troops over speakers during the battle) are powerful when talking about the futility of the attack.

If you like military history films, then I highly recommend this one. It is very well done.

Spam wham bam--thanks Mr. Politician.......2006-05-01

When you need a war won, you go for Gregory Peck. It is always the b&w films where you get the most realism in the battle scenes and the political intrigue equally,in this Korean war true story. Ranks ahead of "Steel Helmet" and "Fixed Bayonets,"(Sam Fuller films) in its violent realism . The only unreal aspect to it: its use of such good-looking dog soldiers, practically emptying the studio lots in screen hunks.The rocky, barren hilltops of Korea are brought to scale effectively by Lewis Milestone. When things get stale around the house, watch this film. Better than 3 cups of Joe.

bottlewasher.......2006-03-16

Very good war movie - soldiers take the short end of political intervention of the military trying to get the job done; and stay alive doing it.

Average customer rating:

One of the Best
Pork Chop Hill
Grim reminder about the cost of war
Spam wham bam--thanks Mr. Politician
bottlewasher

Pork Chop Hill [Region 2]
Starring: Gregory Peck , Harry Guardino , Rip Torn , George Peppard , and Carl Benton Reid
Director: Lewis Milestone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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