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Product Description
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John Huston's The Red Badge of Courage, like Orson Welles's The Magnificent Ambersons, is a heartbreakingly beautiful film mutilated by its studio after a disastrous preview process. You can--and should--read the fascinating production history in Lillian Ross's Picture. Picture is a classic--and so's the movie, even in a 69-minute reduction featuring a climactic Civil War battle that has Stephen Crane's young hero wearing his red badge of courage, then not wearing it, then wearing it again (MGM editor-in-chief Margaret Booth recut two different battles into one). Most-decorated-soldier-of-WWII Audie Murphy was chosen to star ("a gentle little killer," Huston mused); the shadow of WWII is also felt in the casting of war-front chronicler Bill Mauldin as Murphy's pal, and in Huston's own experience making his great battlefield documentary San Pietro. The panoramas evoke Mathew Brady, and Huston's closeup framing brings a psychoanalytic intensity to the terrified young soldier's inner turmoil. --Richard T. Jameson
Product Description
Psychological study of an untried young Union soldier who panics in his first encounter with the enemy but regains his courage and emerges a hero. Based on Stephen Crane's novel. Screenplay by John Huston.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Peter Stines
Format:DVD
It's a toss up as to which version of Crane's Civil War story is the worst adaptation, this one or the one with Richard "John Boy" Thomas. Both have all the appeal of moldy hardtack and rocks in your brogans.The basic story is intact, but it tumbled down hill from there. Sticking Audie Murphy in films just because he was a war hero didn't always work. He was only a fair to middling actor and trundling Bill Mauldin out was a major mistake. Mauldin should have stayed at the drawing board. Historical accuracy doesn't exist in either version. Uniforms, weapons, etc are all typical Hollywood, and while this doesn't entirely detract from the story, it does dampen the effect.Maybe a director will re-make this one. It certainly seems like re-makes are all the rage, but when you run out of ideas, fall back on what works.
By corporal
Format:DVD
Enjoyed the dvd-nice to see some actors when they were young. A good production that gets your feelings going and also your thoughts of being a deserter or a hero.
Audie Murphy played an excellent role.
Audie Murphy played an excellent role.
Format:DVD
John Houston's story of a young Union soldier who overcomes his fear of battle is wonderful. Audie Murphy's portrayal is stirring and quite lifelike, the movie doesn't portray any super human motives, but a simple soldier who is quite naturally scared going into battle and overcomes his fear. However, Houston doesn't allow Murphy's character to get into excessive machoism either, as he finds out that many of his comrades did the same thing he did, turn and run. Had the movie execs not chopped this movie up, it could have been even better. As it is, it's a bit too short and lacking in details such as the battles portrayed in the movie patterned after a real battle. The unit portrayed isn't even mentioned until the end of the movie. It would have been fun to follow Murphy's character's unit through the war.
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4.1 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Did they get it?
Is this a post-WWII patriotic vehicle or is it a true adaptation of Crane's powerful and ground-breaking story?
The story is NOT about heroism. Read more
Published on Oct 22 2003 by Daniel S. Russell
4.0 out of 5 stars
A real soldier's film
The purely psychological aspect of this film -- not only about fear on the combat field, but of being afraid of being afraid -- is great. Read more
Published on April 2 2002 by Charlotte A. Hu
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fine film about war and courage and human nature
John Huston directed this film adaptation of the famous Steven Crane
novel. As soon as it was finished, he left to work on The African
Queen, leaving the editing in the... Read more
novel. As soon as it was finished, he left to work on The African
Queen, leaving the editing in the... Read more
Published on Aug 28 2001 by Linda Linguvic
4.0 out of 5 stars
mutilated classic
It is said that the executives at MGM took away this film from director John Huston, since the issue of anti-heroism in war was unpopular, particularly at the time of McCarthyism... Read more
Published on April 5 2001 by Peter Shelley
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