An odd sort of movie - part tribute to West Point, part courtroom drama, part analysis of PTSD. Three writers are credited, including the impressive Jonathan Latimer, and I wonder if each writer took a completely different approach to the material. But this lack of focus on a specific story hurts the film. It goes all over the place - we meet Ladd at West Point, then there are these charges against him, then we flash back, then we flashback again.
There are all these plots - Ladd romancing Donna Reed, the widow of his former officer; Ladd's initial dislike of the army then becoming an officer; Ladd dealing with life after the army; Ladd being accused of hazing by a rich man's son; Ladd thinking he was a coward.
So you take what you get: John Farrow's brisk direction, the novelty of Alan Ladd as a student at West Point, some documentary like touches of life at West Point, a particularly strong support cast including George Colouris (a worthy baddy, a ruthless lawyer), Donna Reed (noble widow), Henry Travers, Tom Neal and Audie Murphy (who actually would've been ideal in Ladd's role had they ever decided to remake this).
But really this isn't a very good movie. It's too unfocused, Ladd doesn't seem that interested, and the climax is based on a contrivance (i.e. that Ladd would think he was a coward).
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