Two American tanks become isolated from the main push into North Korea in 1950. This film follows Corporal Byrne as he attempts to keep his men together, and ultimately survive.
I am the first person to review this film here in twelve years, so that is testament to just how rarely seen this Korean War film is. Vincente Stasolla wrote and directed it. Twenty years later and it remains his only film. I found this film as a teenager when it was a relatively new release. I watched it about two or three times, and I have only got around to it again this week, but I never forgot it. I was eager to watch it again with a mature (weathered, perhaps) pair of eyes. It still remains a haunting picture, but this time around I was able to appreciate what the film achieved on its tiny budget.
The attention to detail is superb. Stasolla did not have the money for major battle scenes, or scale. Instead he was able to put the money into the small aspects, such as uniforms, weapons and the two brilliant tanks that he acquired, allowing the action to take place within the tight and sweaty confines of the tank, evoking the tension and horror of every other tank movie you have ever seen.
The influence of "The Thin Red Line" (1998) on the flashback and dream sequences is undeniable. But "The Thin Red Line" was itself influenced by an earlier war picture, "Beach Red" from 1967. The low-budget and the colourised dream and memory sequences lend the film a strong surreal and dreamlike quality.
I am the first person to review this film here in twelve years, so that is testament to just how rarely seen this Korean War film is. Vincente Stasolla wrote and directed it. Twenty years later and it remains his only film. I found this film as a teenager when it was a relatively new release. I watched it about two or three times, and I have only got around to it again this week, but I never forgot it. I was eager to watch it again with a mature (weathered, perhaps) pair of eyes. It still remains a haunting picture, but this time around I was able to appreciate what the film achieved on its tiny budget.
The attention to detail is superb. Stasolla did not have the money for major battle scenes, or scale. Instead he was able to put the money into the small aspects, such as uniforms, weapons and the two brilliant tanks that he acquired, allowing the action to take place within the tight and sweaty confines of the tank, evoking the tension and horror of every other tank movie you have ever seen.
The influence of "The Thin Red Line" (1998) on the flashback and dream sequences is undeniable. But "The Thin Red Line" was itself influenced by an earlier war picture, "Beach Red" from 1967. The low-budget and the colourised dream and memory sequences lend the film a strong surreal and dreamlike quality.