Typically tough, no-nonsense Sam Fuller movie which reminded me a lot of Battleground because it concerns a fight by an American platoon in a snowy region. This time the region is Korea, and the action is conveyed believably and with great skill, although it does get a little dull in places.
It's not a classic as a drama - there is a corporal (Richard Basehart) who doesn't want to fight and is worried about taking command, but he comes good in the end. There's not as many as the melodramatic flourishes you find in other Fuller films, which is perhaps this is not as beloved by cultists as others. James Dean has a very small role as a soldier; Gene Evans is good value as a tough sergeant.
There's lots of talk about sore feet, smoking, freezing and shoot out in caves. Basehart finding himself leading the platoon is a little predictable, but this has a fair amount of integrity.
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