Too Late the Hero
Starring:Michael Caine, Cliff Robertson, Ian Bannen, Harry Andrews, Ronald Fraser, Denholm Elliott, Lance Percival, Percy Herbert, Patrick Jordan, Sam Kydd, William Beckley, Martin Horsey, Harvey Jason, Don Knight, Roger Newman, Michael Parsons, Sean MacDuff, Frank Webb, Henry Fonda, Ken Takakura
Director: Robert Aldrich
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD
Average customer rating:
- Offbeat yet Brilliant WWII Drama
- Too Late the Hero
- Movie is a Mixed Bag and the DVD is Slightly Lacking
- Murky but entertaining Aldrich
- Exceptional British War film!
|
Too Late the Hero
Starring: Michael Caine , Cliff Robertson , Ian Bannen , Harry Andrews , and Ronald Fraser
Director: Robert Aldrich
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
 General
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Andrews, Harry
| ( A )
| Actors & Actresses
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Bannen, Ian
| ( B )
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Beckley, William
| ( B )
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Caine, Michael
| ( C )
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Elliott, Denholm
| ( E )
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Fonda, Henry
| ( F )
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Fraser, Ronald
| ( F )
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Herbert, Percy
| ( H )
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Jason, Harvey
| ( J )
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Robertson, Cliff
| ( R )
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Takakura, Ken
| ( T )
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Aldrich, Robert
| ( A )
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Similar Items:
- Hell in the Pacific
- Immortal Sergeant
- Guns at Batasi
- Men in War
- Between Heaven & Hell
ASIN: B0001GF2GU
Release Date: 2004-05-25 |
Description
OscarÂ(r) winners* Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson star in this "rousing" (Film & TV Daily) war drama about two reluctant heroes desperate to survive, even at the cost of their own allies. Thrilling, intense and harrowing, Too Late the Hero "will keep you on edge from start to finish" (Cue)! Lt. Lawson (Robertson) has only one interest in the wargetting out of it. Sent with British soldiers on a suicide mission to thwart the Japanese communications system, he finds a natural comrade in the cynical Tosh (Caine). But when the two soldiers make a discovery that could change the course of the war, they must decide whether to save themselves...or becomethe heroes they never wanted to be. *Caine: Supporting Actor, The Cider House Rules(1999); Hannah and Her Sisters (1986); Robertson: Actor, Charly (1968)
Customer Reviews:
Offbeat yet Brilliant WWII Drama.......2006-10-18
This is a little known War film from director Robert Aldrich. My dad said I should see it because it is different. I did see it and I did like it. Some of it seems to defy logic but that is what makes it so interesting. It is always good to see Henry Fonda in a film, even though his role was brief yet pivotal, in this film. The irony and ideology of the characters portrayed by Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson is at the heart of this drama and that is what makes this film succeed and very worthwhile. Gritty in nature (the jungle setting is unsettling and induces a certain degree anxiety of its own), it is one of the best WWII films to come out of the early 70s. The ending was a bit contrived but it certainly was suspenseful. Robert Aldrich remains a great unsung and unrecognized director to this day. His premature death, in my opinion, was a great loss to the cinema.
Too Late the Hero.......2006-07-01
Excellent movie. Not your typical WWII movie. Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson do a great job. One of the best war movies ever.
Movie is a Mixed Bag and the DVD is Slightly Lacking.......2006-02-21
ABOUT THE DISC...
The color transfer on this disc is great. Everything is vibrant and sharp Unfortunately, it was shot with the ratio of 2.00:1 and we see it in 1.77:1 (it was released in some theaters this way). The 2.0 Mono sound mix is in good shape, too. The only extras are subtitles, scene selections and a trailer. The movie was shot with 2 different endings and it would have been nice to see the 2nd ending included as a supplement.
ABOUT THE MOVIE... (FROM MY WEBSITE, www.angelfire.com/film/eurowar)
Veteran director Robert Aldrich tried to re-work the success of "The Dirty Dozen" with a blatantly anti-war remake, "Too Late the Hero". Unfortunately, an able cast is wasted in this very anti-war effort, which plays out more like an anti-Vietnam allegory than a tale of wartime heroics.
In the spring of 1942, American Lt. Lawson (Cliff Robertson, "Up from the Beach") sits lazily on a Pacific island, doing everything possible to avoid hazardous duties. Captain Nolan (Henry Fonda, in a one-scene cameo) disrupts his comfort with a hazardous assignment. Lawson is flown to the New Hebrides for a cooperative mission with the British. We find that the British hold one end of the island; the Japanese hold the other. Lawson and a patrol will penetrate enemy territory to destroy a vital radio station.
At first, the film seems utterly predictable. Lawson is a type we've seen before - an unlikely soldier who redeems himself heroically by the final act. But with the introduction of the English characters and their Japanese counterparts, all audience expectations are shattered. Captain Hornsby (Denholm Elliott), the unit commander, proves to be a bungling - and homosexual - idiot, and the men have no faith in him. Pvt. Hearne (Michael Caine, "Play Dirty") is obviously dis-satisfied with Hornsby's indecisive "leadership", and after his incompetence results in unnecessary deaths, Hearne breaks into an open rebellion. Before long, the mission goes downhill, and Lawson and Hearne find themselves united in a mutual struggle for survival behind enemy territory.
Aldrich all-too-clearly means to convey a heavy-handed message that war is bad - very bad. He's got several points to make: officers are corrupt, cold-blooded incompetents. In one scene, Hornsby is seen to shoot wounded prisoners without flinching. In the past, typical Japanese characters have been portrayed universally as evil, murderous dogs. Here, Aldrich tries far too hard to humanize them. First, he introduces a sympathetic Japanese character, Major Yamaguchi (Ken Takakura) in the second half of the film. Yamaguchi is tall, handsome and compassionate - even though he is taunting the fleeing Allied soldiers over loudspeakers spread throughout the jungle. He urges them to surrender, promising good treatment - and seems utterly sincere.
Secondly, Aldrich makes the English out as the villains. Pvt. Campbell (Ronald Fraser) is a coward who runs from battle, but also loots the bodies of dead soldiers - both English and Japanese. He stirs up dissension and even murders one of his own men who won't cooperate with an attempt to surrender to the Japanese. History has taught us just how badly the Japanese mistreated their prisoners and how cruel they were. Any movie that makes them out to be saints and paints the Allied forces as incompetent, murdering thieves needs to be scrutinized carefully. "The Dirty Dozen" made no attempts to glorify Nazism, and 11 of its 12 main characters, a band of criminals, found redemption through self-sacrifice.
The ensemble cast is what holds this piece together. The actors are all very capable and seem sincere, despite the lunacy of much of the script. Robertson seems a comfortable lead, although Lawson's character is never totally fleshed out. As the film begins, he's obviously a coward, but steps into the role of leader far too easily in the second half. He doesn't seem to struggle with his previous notions of warfare or leadership, his role has suddenly shifted without explanation. Robertson is so good, though, that this can be overlooked somewhat and is forgivable. As Hearne, Caine is the real star of the film. He's just as cynical as Lawson, but is open and blunt about it. He knows that Hornsby is incapable of leading and isn't afraid to point it out to him, even if it means a threat of court-martial. Throughout, his arguments seem legitimate, and Caine always come across as completely sincere. Finally, Denholm Elliott is exceptionally fine as Hornsby. He doesn't seem to know his role as a leader-of-men too well, and this often results in the deaths of his men and, ultimately, a botched mission.
The jungle locations are beautifully photographed by cinematographer Joseph Biroc, but never come across as particularly dark and foreboding. Here, gory death and destruction takes place among beautiful trees, ferns and flowers. Again, this is a film meant as an anti-Vietnam statement, and the jungle locations are a perfect setting.
Unfortunately, as I've repeated ceaselessly, "Too Late the Hero" can't seem to decide supposed to be a movie about a jungle patrol in the New Hebrides in 1942, not a movie about a patrol in Cambodia in 1968. The social commentary on the Vietnam War is delivered too heavily and blatantly distorted. The characters garnish little sympathy, and there is not enough action to keep the slow, talkative pace flowing. As a drama, it almost succeeds; as the action spectacular the trailer claims, it is barely serviceable.
Murky but entertaining Aldrich.......2006-02-09
Filmed not too long after The Dirty Dozen also directed by Robert Aldrich, this film moves away from the ambiguities of that film and presents an even darker vision of war with the usual surreal Aldrich touches. A small island in the Pacific is home to British troops at one end, Japanese at the other. A continous cat-and-mouse game goes on between the two forces. When a patrol accompanied by an American along to provide Japanese translation discovers a military secret, they must fight their way back to the British base battling not only the Japanese but members of the patrol who wish to surrender. The film is unmistakeably Aldrich. The dream-like situations coupled with the very realistic brutality and careful almost clinical depictions of the military are all there. So is the underlying cynism and distrust of authority. In other words, the film delivers the usual rough Aldrich goods. However the story can get a little too strange for its own good. There is a certain choppiness as if some things were cut from the film. The motivations of the Cliff Robertson character seem especially unclear. Additionally a bit of the anti-Vietnam War angst creeps in. While it is not a film for everyone, it is very well-handled with an excellent cast. The location photography is quite striking and evokes a real sense of navigating through an island jungle. Supposedly two endings were shot. Only one is included on the DVD. This is a fairly bare bones release though the trailer for the film is included. For people who enjoy darker edged war films, this will be a good choice.
Exceptional British War film! .......2005-08-22
I won't go into great detail about this film, as others have before me. But if you enjoy war films, and your tired of seeing the same story where the good guys win all the time. This one is for you. Too Late the Hero, has all the elements for a enjoyable war action film. This film shows, mistakes are made in war; not all go by the books, and it's not only the enemy that dies in battle. The film takes place in a jungle setting, where a simple patrol goes on a fateful mission, where things go wrong. You see some classic actors here; most British, and in my books the British made some of the best underrated war films out there, like Dunkirk, and Ice Cold In Alex. Definately worth owning the DVD on this one. Did you know when it went out of print on DVD by Anchor Bay Studios, it shot up to over 100.00 used? Good thing MGM re-released it here. But as with most MGM DVD's you won't get the inner sleeve, and you get one format here; widescreeen. If you find the Anchor Bay release you will get the wide and standard screen format, along with extras. Anchor Bay also released " Hell in the Pacific " in wide and standard format (also out of print, but re-released by MGM). Hopefully MGM will release " Play Dirty " another war film with Michael Caine. In the past it was only released in England. Now with DVD, we get to see some of the films never released to VHS in North America.
Average customer rating:
- Offbeat yet Brilliant WWII Drama
- Too Late the Hero
- Movie is a Mixed Bag and the DVD is Slightly Lacking
- Murky but entertaining Aldrich
- Exceptional British War film!
|
Too Late the Hero
Starring: Michael Caine , Cliff Robertson , Ian Bannen , Harry Andrews , and Ronald Fraser
Director: Robert Aldrich
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Action & Adventure
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
World War II
| Military & War
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Andrews, Harry
| ( A )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Bannen, Ian
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Beckley, William
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Caine, Michael
| ( C )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Elliott, Denholm
| ( E )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Fonda, Henry
| ( F )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Fraser, Ronald
| ( F )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Herbert, Percy
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Jason, Harvey
| ( J )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Robertson, Cliff
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Takakura, Ken
| ( T )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Aldrich, Robert
| ( A )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
( T )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Hell in the Pacific
- Immortal Sergeant
- Guns at Batasi
- Men in War
- Between Heaven & Hell
ASIN: B000059PPJ
Release Date: 2001-05-29 |
Customer Reviews:
Offbeat yet Brilliant WWII Drama.......2006-10-18
This is a little known War film from director Robert Aldrich. My dad said I should see it because it is different. I did see it and I did like it. Some of it seems to defy logic but that is what makes it so interesting. It is always good to see Henry Fonda in a film, even though his role was brief yet pivotal, in this film. The irony and ideology of the characters portrayed by Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson is at the heart of this drama and that is what makes this film succeed and very worthwhile. Gritty in nature (the jungle setting is unsettling and induces a certain degree anxiety of its own), it is one of the best WWII films to come out of the early 70s. The ending was a bit contrived but it certainly was suspenseful. Robert Aldrich remains a great unsung and unrecognized director to this day. His premature death, in my opinion, was a great loss to the cinema.
Too Late the Hero.......2006-07-01
Excellent movie. Not your typical WWII movie. Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson do a great job. One of the best war movies ever.
Movie is a Mixed Bag and the DVD is Slightly Lacking.......2006-02-21
ABOUT THE DISC...
The color transfer on this disc is great. Everything is vibrant and sharp Unfortunately, it was shot with the ratio of 2.00:1 and we see it in 1.77:1 (it was released in some theaters this way). The 2.0 Mono sound mix is in good shape, too. The only extras are subtitles, scene selections and a trailer. The movie was shot with 2 different endings and it would have been nice to see the 2nd ending included as a supplement.
ABOUT THE MOVIE... (FROM MY WEBSITE, www.angelfire.com/film/eurowar)
Veteran director Robert Aldrich tried to re-work the success of "The Dirty Dozen" with a blatantly anti-war remake, "Too Late the Hero". Unfortunately, an able cast is wasted in this very anti-war effort, which plays out more like an anti-Vietnam allegory than a tale of wartime heroics.
In the spring of 1942, American Lt. Lawson (Cliff Robertson, "Up from the Beach") sits lazily on a Pacific island, doing everything possible to avoid hazardous duties. Captain Nolan (Henry Fonda, in a one-scene cameo) disrupts his comfort with a hazardous assignment. Lawson is flown to the New Hebrides for a cooperative mission with the British. We find that the British hold one end of the island; the Japanese hold the other. Lawson and a patrol will penetrate enemy territory to destroy a vital radio station.
At first, the film seems utterly predictable. Lawson is a type we've seen before - an unlikely soldier who redeems himself heroically by the final act. But with the introduction of the English characters and their Japanese counterparts, all audience expectations are shattered. Captain Hornsby (Denholm Elliott), the unit commander, proves to be a bungling - and homosexual - idiot, and the men have no faith in him. Pvt. Hearne (Michael Caine, "Play Dirty") is obviously dis-satisfied with Hornsby's indecisive "leadership", and after his incompetence results in unnecessary deaths, Hearne breaks into an open rebellion. Before long, the mission goes downhill, and Lawson and Hearne find themselves united in a mutual struggle for survival behind enemy territory.
Aldrich all-too-clearly means to convey a heavy-handed message that war is bad - very bad. He's got several points to make: officers are corrupt, cold-blooded incompetents. In one scene, Hornsby is seen to shoot wounded prisoners without flinching. In the past, typical Japanese characters have been portrayed universally as evil, murderous dogs. Here, Aldrich tries far too hard to humanize them. First, he introduces a sympathetic Japanese character, Major Yamaguchi (Ken Takakura) in the second half of the film. Yamaguchi is tall, handsome and compassionate - even though he is taunting the fleeing Allied soldiers over loudspeakers spread throughout the jungle. He urges them to surrender, promising good treatment - and seems utterly sincere.
Secondly, Aldrich makes the English out as the villains. Pvt. Campbell (Ronald Fraser) is a coward who runs from battle, but also loots the bodies of dead soldiers - both English and Japanese. He stirs up dissension and even murders one of his own men who won't cooperate with an attempt to surrender to the Japanese. History has taught us just how badly the Japanese mistreated their prisoners and how cruel they were. Any movie that makes them out to be saints and paints the Allied forces as incompetent, murdering thieves needs to be scrutinized carefully. "The Dirty Dozen" made no attempts to glorify Nazism, and 11 of its 12 main characters, a band of criminals, found redemption through self-sacrifice.
The ensemble cast is what holds this piece together. The actors are all very capable and seem sincere, despite the lunacy of much of the script. Robertson seems a comfortable lead, although Lawson's character is never totally fleshed out. As the film begins, he's obviously a coward, but steps into the role of leader far too easily in the second half. He doesn't seem to struggle with his previous notions of warfare or leadership, his role has suddenly shifted without explanation. Robertson is so good, though, that this can be overlooked somewhat and is forgivable. As Hearne, Caine is the real star of the film. He's just as cynical as Lawson, but is open and blunt about it. He knows that Hornsby is incapable of leading and isn't afraid to point it out to him, even if it means a threat of court-martial. Throughout, his arguments seem legitimate, and Caine always come across as completely sincere. Finally, Denholm Elliott is exceptionally fine as Hornsby. He doesn't seem to know his role as a leader-of-men too well, and this often results in the deaths of his men and, ultimately, a botched mission.
The jungle locations are beautifully photographed by cinematographer Joseph Biroc, but never come across as particularly dark and foreboding. Here, gory death and destruction takes place among beautiful trees, ferns and flowers. Again, this is a film meant as an anti-Vietnam statement, and the jungle locations are a perfect setting.
Unfortunately, as I've repeated ceaselessly, "Too Late the Hero" can't seem to decide supposed to be a movie about a jungle patrol in the New Hebrides in 1942, not a movie about a patrol in Cambodia in 1968. The social commentary on the Vietnam War is delivered too heavily and blatantly distorted. The characters garnish little sympathy, and there is not enough action to keep the slow, talkative pace flowing. As a drama, it almost succeeds; as the action spectacular the trailer claims, it is barely serviceable.
Murky but entertaining Aldrich.......2006-02-09
Filmed not too long after The Dirty Dozen also directed by Robert Aldrich, this film moves away from the ambiguities of that film and presents an even darker vision of war with the usual surreal Aldrich touches. A small island in the Pacific is home to British troops at one end, Japanese at the other. A continous cat-and-mouse game goes on between the two forces. When a patrol accompanied by an American along to provide Japanese translation discovers a military secret, they must fight their way back to the British base battling not only the Japanese but members of the patrol who wish to surrender. The film is unmistakeably Aldrich. The dream-like situations coupled with the very realistic brutality and careful almost clinical depictions of the military are all there. So is the underlying cynism and distrust of authority. In other words, the film delivers the usual rough Aldrich goods. However the story can get a little too strange for its own good. There is a certain choppiness as if some things were cut from the film. The motivations of the Cliff Robertson character seem especially unclear. Additionally a bit of the anti-Vietnam War angst creeps in. While it is not a film for everyone, it is very well-handled with an excellent cast. The location photography is quite striking and evokes a real sense of navigating through an island jungle. Supposedly two endings were shot. Only one is included on the DVD. This is a fairly bare bones release though the trailer for the film is included. For people who enjoy darker edged war films, this will be a good choice.
Exceptional British War film! .......2005-08-22
I won't go into great detail about this film, as others have before me. But if you enjoy war films, and your tired of seeing the same story where the good guys win all the time. This one is for you. Too Late the Hero, has all the elements for a enjoyable war action film. This film shows, mistakes are made in war; not all go by the books, and it's not only the enemy that dies in battle. The film takes place in a jungle setting, where a simple patrol goes on a fateful mission, where things go wrong. You see some classic actors here; most British, and in my books the British made some of the best underrated war films out there, like Dunkirk, and Ice Cold In Alex. Definately worth owning the DVD on this one. Did you know when it went out of print on DVD by Anchor Bay Studios, it shot up to over 100.00 used? Good thing MGM re-released it here. But as with most MGM DVD's you won't get the inner sleeve, and you get one format here; widescreeen. If you find the Anchor Bay release you will get the wide and standard screen format, along with extras. Anchor Bay also released " Hell in the Pacific " in wide and standard format (also out of print, but re-released by MGM). Hopefully MGM will release " Play Dirty " another war film with Michael Caine. In the past it was only released in England. Now with DVD, we get to see some of the films never released to VHS in North America.
Average customer rating:
|
Last Valley/Too Late the Hero
Starring: Double Feature
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
( L )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
ASIN: B000M9BS46
Release Date: 2007-01-16 |
Average customer rating:
- Offbeat yet Brilliant WWII Drama
- Too Late the Hero
- Movie is a Mixed Bag and the DVD is Slightly Lacking
- Murky but entertaining Aldrich
- Exceptional British War film!
|
Too Late the Hero
Starring: Michael Caine , Cliff Robertson , Ian Bannen , Harry Andrews , and Ronald Fraser
Director: Robert Aldrich
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Action & Adventure
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Military & War
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
| Boxed Sets
| Action & Combat
| Anti-War Films
| By Theme
| Civil War
| Comedy
| Documentary
| Drama
| International
| Iraq War
| Vietnam War
| War Epics
| World War I
| World War II
| Blu-ray
| HD DVD
| Universal Media Discs
Andrews, Harry
| ( A )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Bannen, Ian
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Beckley, William
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Caine, Michael
| ( C )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Elliott, Denholm
| ( E )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Fonda, Henry
| ( F )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Fraser, Ronald
| ( F )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Herbert, Percy
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Jason, Harvey
| ( J )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Robertson, Cliff
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Takakura, Ken
| ( T )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Aldrich, Robert
| ( A )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
( T )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Hell in the Pacific
- Immortal Sergeant
- Guns at Batasi
- Men in War
- Between Heaven & Hell
ASIN: B000059RJU |
Customer Reviews:
Offbeat yet Brilliant WWII Drama.......2006-10-18
This is a little known War film from director Robert Aldrich. My dad said I should see it because it is different. I did see it and I did like it. Some of it seems to defy logic but that is what makes it so interesting. It is always good to see Henry Fonda in a film, even though his role was brief yet pivotal, in this film. The irony and ideology of the characters portrayed by Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson is at the heart of this drama and that is what makes this film succeed and very worthwhile. Gritty in nature (the jungle setting is unsettling and induces a certain degree anxiety of its own), it is one of the best WWII films to come out of the early 70s. The ending was a bit contrived but it certainly was suspenseful. Robert Aldrich remains a great unsung and unrecognized director to this day. His premature death, in my opinion, was a great loss to the cinema.
Too Late the Hero.......2006-07-01
Excellent movie. Not your typical WWII movie. Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson do a great job. One of the best war movies ever.
Movie is a Mixed Bag and the DVD is Slightly Lacking.......2006-02-21
ABOUT THE DISC...
The color transfer on this disc is great. Everything is vibrant and sharp Unfortunately, it was shot with the ratio of 2.00:1 and we see it in 1.77:1 (it was released in some theaters this way). The 2.0 Mono sound mix is in good shape, too. The only extras are subtitles, scene selections and a trailer. The movie was shot with 2 different endings and it would have been nice to see the 2nd ending included as a supplement.
ABOUT THE MOVIE... (FROM MY WEBSITE, www.angelfire.com/film/eurowar)
Veteran director Robert Aldrich tried to re-work the success of "The Dirty Dozen" with a blatantly anti-war remake, "Too Late the Hero". Unfortunately, an able cast is wasted in this very anti-war effort, which plays out more like an anti-Vietnam allegory than a tale of wartime heroics.
In the spring of 1942, American Lt. Lawson (Cliff Robertson, "Up from the Beach") sits lazily on a Pacific island, doing everything possible to avoid hazardous duties. Captain Nolan (Henry Fonda, in a one-scene cameo) disrupts his comfort with a hazardous assignment. Lawson is flown to the New Hebrides for a cooperative mission with the British. We find that the British hold one end of the island; the Japanese hold the other. Lawson and a patrol will penetrate enemy territory to destroy a vital radio station.
At first, the film seems utterly predictable. Lawson is a type we've seen before - an unlikely soldier who redeems himself heroically by the final act. But with the introduction of the English characters and their Japanese counterparts, all audience expectations are shattered. Captain Hornsby (Denholm Elliott), the unit commander, proves to be a bungling - and homosexual - idiot, and the men have no faith in him. Pvt. Hearne (Michael Caine, "Play Dirty") is obviously dis-satisfied with Hornsby's indecisive "leadership", and after his incompetence results in unnecessary deaths, Hearne breaks into an open rebellion. Before long, the mission goes downhill, and Lawson and Hearne find themselves united in a mutual struggle for survival behind enemy territory.
Aldrich all-too-clearly means to convey a heavy-handed message that war is bad - very bad. He's got several points to make: officers are corrupt, cold-blooded incompetents. In one scene, Hornsby is seen to shoot wounded prisoners without flinching. In the past, typical Japanese characters have been portrayed universally as evil, murderous dogs. Here, Aldrich tries far too hard to humanize them. First, he introduces a sympathetic Japanese character, Major Yamaguchi (Ken Takakura) in the second half of the film. Yamaguchi is tall, handsome and compassionate - even though he is taunting the fleeing Allied soldiers over loudspeakers spread throughout the jungle. He urges them to surrender, promising good treatment - and seems utterly sincere.
Secondly, Aldrich makes the English out as the villains. Pvt. Campbell (Ronald Fraser) is a coward who runs from battle, but also loots the bodies of dead soldiers - both English and Japanese. He stirs up dissension and even murders one of his own men who won't cooperate with an attempt to surrender to the Japanese. History has taught us just how badly the Japanese mistreated their prisoners and how cruel they were. Any movie that makes them out to be saints and paints the Allied forces as incompetent, murdering thieves needs to be scrutinized carefully. "The Dirty Dozen" made no attempts to glorify Nazism, and 11 of its 12 main characters, a band of criminals, found redemption through self-sacrifice.
The ensemble cast is what holds this piece together. The actors are all very capable and seem sincere, despite the lunacy of much of the script. Robertson seems a comfortable lead, although Lawson's character is never totally fleshed out. As the film begins, he's obviously a coward, but steps into the role of leader far too easily in the second half. He doesn't seem to struggle with his previous notions of warfare or leadership, his role has suddenly shifted without explanation. Robertson is so good, though, that this can be overlooked somewhat and is forgivable. As Hearne, Caine is the real star of the film. He's just as cynical as Lawson, but is open and blunt about it. He knows that Hornsby is incapable of leading and isn't afraid to point it out to him, even if it means a threat of court-martial. Throughout, his arguments seem legitimate, and Caine always come across as completely sincere. Finally, Denholm Elliott is exceptionally fine as Hornsby. He doesn't seem to know his role as a leader-of-men too well, and this often results in the deaths of his men and, ultimately, a botched mission.
The jungle locations are beautifully photographed by cinematographer Joseph Biroc, but never come across as particularly dark and foreboding. Here, gory death and destruction takes place among beautiful trees, ferns and flowers. Again, this is a film meant as an anti-Vietnam statement, and the jungle locations are a perfect setting.
Unfortunately, as I've repeated ceaselessly, "Too Late the Hero" can't seem to decide supposed to be a movie about a jungle patrol in the New Hebrides in 1942, not a movie about a patrol in Cambodia in 1968. The social commentary on the Vietnam War is delivered too heavily and blatantly distorted. The characters garnish little sympathy, and there is not enough action to keep the slow, talkative pace flowing. As a drama, it almost succeeds; as the action spectacular the trailer claims, it is barely serviceable.
Murky but entertaining Aldrich.......2006-02-09
Filmed not too long after The Dirty Dozen also directed by Robert Aldrich, this film moves away from the ambiguities of that film and presents an even darker vision of war with the usual surreal Aldrich touches. A small island in the Pacific is home to British troops at one end, Japanese at the other. A continous cat-and-mouse game goes on between the two forces. When a patrol accompanied by an American along to provide Japanese translation discovers a military secret, they must fight their way back to the British base battling not only the Japanese but members of the patrol who wish to surrender. The film is unmistakeably Aldrich. The dream-like situations coupled with the very realistic brutality and careful almost clinical depictions of the military are all there. So is the underlying cynism and distrust of authority. In other words, the film delivers the usual rough Aldrich goods. However the story can get a little too strange for its own good. There is a certain choppiness as if some things were cut from the film. The motivations of the Cliff Robertson character seem especially unclear. Additionally a bit of the anti-Vietnam War angst creeps in. While it is not a film for everyone, it is very well-handled with an excellent cast. The location photography is quite striking and evokes a real sense of navigating through an island jungle. Supposedly two endings were shot. Only one is included on the DVD. This is a fairly bare bones release though the trailer for the film is included. For people who enjoy darker edged war films, this will be a good choice.
Exceptional British War film! .......2005-08-22
I won't go into great detail about this film, as others have before me. But if you enjoy war films, and your tired of seeing the same story where the good guys win all the time. This one is for you. Too Late the Hero, has all the elements for a enjoyable war action film. This film shows, mistakes are made in war; not all go by the books, and it's not only the enemy that dies in battle. The film takes place in a jungle setting, where a simple patrol goes on a fateful mission, where things go wrong. You see some classic actors here; most British, and in my books the British made some of the best underrated war films out there, like Dunkirk, and Ice Cold In Alex. Definately worth owning the DVD on this one. Did you know when it went out of print on DVD by Anchor Bay Studios, it shot up to over 100.00 used? Good thing MGM re-released it here. But as with most MGM DVD's you won't get the inner sleeve, and you get one format here; widescreeen. If you find the Anchor Bay release you will get the wide and standard screen format, along with extras. Anchor Bay also released " Hell in the Pacific " in wide and standard format (also out of print, but re-released by MGM). Hopefully MGM will release " Play Dirty " another war film with Michael Caine. In the past it was only released in England. Now with DVD, we get to see some of the films never released to VHS in North America.
DVD:
- Black Mama, White Mama
- Eat My Dust
- Secret Desires of a Housewife 2
- Do or Die
- Best Seller
- Thundering Mantis
- Drums of Fu Manchu
- Knights of the Round Table
- Tidal Wave: No Escape
- The President's Man 2
DVD List
DVD
DVD
Muriel Anderson's All Star Guitar Night: Concert 2000
London's Burning - Series 5 - Episodes 1 And 2 : Video
Cheaters [2000]
DVD: Discovery of Noah's Ark:Whole Story
Kottan ermittelt - Hartlgasse 16a