Men in War

6 September 1950, Korea. Lieutenant Benson's platoon is left behind enemy lines during a retreat. The radio does not work, the map is incomplete, and nobody knows where they are. On the road they come across Sergeant Montana, carrying his colonel, now unable to speak, in a jeep; that is his only concern. Benson and Montana cannot stand each other but have to walk to the same objective: Hill 465. Anthony Mann tells war not as strategy but as walking. Almost all of the narrative takes place along one road; the danger is at every step and is not shown. The enemy is barely visible until the end of the film. Robert Ryan plays Benson and Aldo Ray plays Montana. The opposition between the two actors drives the narrative. Who it's for: Viewers who like 1950s war films, Anthony Mann, and narratives built as suspense. Who it's not for: The pace is slow and there are few characters. The ending gives no feeling of heroism either.