An iconic movie of its time - the exemplification of a 1950s blockbuster: based on a best seller, sexy but censored, all star cast, angst, war.
It's beautifully made. Lovely stars. Fred Zinnemann cast the third act, as they say: Monty Clift isn't the first actor you think of as a soldier or a boxer but he is perfect as a sensitive, self destructive rebel, who could turn things around but refuses, and is into his male friend rather than his girlfriend - what a stunning actor and star. Donna Reed is a sort of hooker who is actually very smart and a nice person with plenty of ambition. Deborah Kerr is actually hot for a bit of sex, like Kerr was IRL apparently. Burt Lancaster is a tough professional not keen on a relationship. Frank Sinatra is, in hindsight, super ideal as a proud, cocky, angry man who refuses to back down and gets in fights when he shouldn't have.
Lots of this is moving - the defiance of Sinatra, the constant casual bullying of people in positions of power (and the formal bullying), the death of Sinatra. Some scenes such as Clift playing taps and the Pearl Harbour attack are very well done.
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