Hell Is for Heroes (1962)

An Exercise In Nonsense

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I won't add many things to the other users have already said. Just here, Steve mc Queen had - SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS - a death very similar to the one he will have several years later in THE SAND PEEBLES, where, at the end, he is shot in the back whilst he runs to get covered under the enemy fire. He is shot, he falls down and his face looks surprised. Except that in this film, he is not quite dead and has still the strength to get up, take the grenade or explosive purse and throw himself into the German blockhaus to get exploded with the enemy.

WWII drama film dealing with a frontline American infantry squad as they battled their way across Europe . This movie's opening prologue is represented by segments of a speech by President John F. Kennedy . A single maneuver by a squad of GIs in retaliation against the force of the German Siegfried line. While most of the men withdraw from their positions taking on a German pillbox at the far side of a mine-field, half a dozen men are left to protect a wide front. By various ruses, they manage to convince the Germans that a large force is still holding the position by pretending they are more powerful and larger that they really are . As the small squadron is forced to hold off a German attack suffering several dangers , risks and deaths . Reese joins a group of weary GIs unexpectedly ordered back into the line Siegfried and when the main platoon returns, he is threatened with court-martial .World War II film where the drama centers around the diverse characters and on the attack about a well-defensed pillbox . With mud-splattered realism, the show offered character studies of men striving to maintain their own humanity , and heroism in the midst of a world torn by war . Impressive as well as surprising climax final , plenty of action and intensity . Very good acting by Steve McQueen as a degraded soldier who leads two of the men in an unauthorized and unsuccessful attack . Steve McQueen did not socialize with the rest of cast because his character was anti-social and alienated himself from the rest of the squad . In fact , a columnist visiting the set commented on Steve McQueen's irascible temperament by noting that McQueen seemed to be his own worst enemy. Furthermore , Steve McQueen and Bobby Darin did not get along during filming . Support cast is frankly excellent such as Fess Parker as Sgt. Pike , Harry Guardino as Sgt. Larkin , James Coburn as Cpl. Henshaw , Nick Adams as Homer Janeczek , Mike Kellin as Pvt. Kolinsky and a young Bob Newhart's feature-film debut as Pvt. Driscoll who even interpolates a variation on one of his phone monologues into the tale . Director Don Siegel did not want to shoot the scene where Bob Newhart's character has a fake telephone conversation with "headquarters" to fool the Germans listening through a microphone planted in the US bunker, believing that it had no place in the story , he was overruled by the studio, however .Screenwriter Robert Pirosh was originally set to direct the film but after repeated clashes with star Steve McQueen he was replaced with Don Siegel ; Pirosh's script featured many blackly comedic scenes but most of them were not filmed, as Siegel wanted to make the film more dramatic. Robert Pirosh was a Master Sergeant during World War II, serving with the 320th Regiment, 35th Division. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, at Ardennes and in the Rhineland. He commanded a unit in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge was awarded a Bronze Star. Pirosh directed a classic war film titled ¨Go for broke¨and wrote ¨Battleground¨ , ¨A Gathering of Eagles¨ and ¨Combat¨TV series . The motion picture was well directed by Donald Siegel . His first feature as a director was 1946's The Verdict (1946). He made his reputation in the early and mid-'50s with a series of tightly made, expertly crafted, tough but intelligent "B" pictures , among them : The Lineup (1958), Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), Invasion of the body snatchers (1956)), then graduated to major "A" films in the 1960s and early 1970s. He made several "side trips" to television, mostly as a producer . Siegel directed what is generally considered to be Elvis Presley's best picture, Flamingo Star (1960). All of Eastwood's later Western and his ¨Dirty Harry¨ movies owe a considerable debt to Sergio Leone and Donald Siegel . As Donald directed Eastwood in various films , such as : Coogan's bluff , The beguiled , Dirty Harry , Escape from Alcatraz. He had a long professional relationship and personal friendship with Clint Eastwood . This Hard Hitting WWII Action Film has a high rating : Above average , well worth watching.

Autumn 1944, and the powerful Nazi army moves along the Siegried Line. With immense firepower and a high volume of soldiers, it's only a matter of time before they break thru the line. In their way is a small band of GIs, who thru sheer guts and ingenuity, devise a ruse to fool the Nazis into thinking a huge Alied Task Force is holding the line. But just how long can they keep up the pretence?Directed with unfussy and straight know how by Don Siegel, Hell Is For Heroes is an adaptation of Robert Pirosh's script titled Separation Hill. Very much a tale of brains to go with courage, it's actually a picture that is grounded in fact. There really were seven men who used the ruse that is the centre of the film. Very much an ensemble picture, it wasn't without problems during production. Robert Pirosh was actually meant to direct the film, but after headliner Steve McQueen voiced opinions and requests, Pirosh was promptly fired. Enter Siegel, who quickly earned McQueen's respect and crafted the intended ensemble film and not the one man story that McQueen had openly coveted. The final result is a rewarding one on both counts. McQueen does dominate the film by putting an edgy believability to his character Reese, but we do come away knowing that this film is about a group of men coming together under duress.In spite of favourable reviews on its release, Hell Is For Heroes wasn't particularly fancied by its studio {Paramount}. Releasing it as a double bill with the Yul Bryner yawner, Escape from Zahrain, Siegel's picture sadly vanished from view and judged a failure. But as the years have passed, the film, and McQueen's excellent performance, has grown in stature and garnered a new generation of fans. Director Stanley Kubrick {Full Metal Jacket} even going so far as to say McQueen's turn was "the best portrayal of a solitary soldier he'd ever seen", something that Kubrick wouldn't have said lightly I'm sure. With its stark black and white photography (Harold Lipstein), booming Leonard Rosenman score, and a highly impressive young cast led by McQueen, Hell Is For Heroes is a WWII film that simply should not be missed; just like the film itself, a gritty and realistic 8/10 from me.

The director, Don Siegel, is new to me and the premise sounds intriguing. A small group of soldiers in France think they're heading home after a rough tour of duty, though command has other ideas as they're in for a big surprise: the group gets sent back to the front line. Though it's not just any line. It's the Sigfried Line where the bulk of the German war machine is.Each character is introduced perfectly, showcasing their specialty in terms of their squadron and in terms of their characters within the story. The moody-yet-intense black and white coloring fits extremely well with the tone of the film (despair, frustration, tragedy, determination). An excellent cast, which includes Fess Parker, Bobby Darin, James Coburn, and a young Bob Newhart is headed by Steve McQueen when he was just starting to become a big star, establishing his intense, loner character. This movie seemed to be tailor-made just for him. He is utterly brilliant in the compelling role of Pvt. John Reese, a nonconformist, gritty soldier itching for action yet mindful of how (he feels) society is crumbling around him. It seems every time the camera is on McQueen, he makes the absolute most of it, filling it up no matter if he is by himself or with others. The shadows cast on his face add that much more tragedy to his character, and it makes for some memorable moments, since he has very little dialog yet it comes at the most crucial moment in the film. Really, I'm shocked this flies under the radar of war-film lovers, lovers of tragic stories, or just lovers of great film. The rest of the cast give strong performances (especially Fess Parker, James Coburn, and Bob Newhart) complimenting McQueen. McQueen's performance, however, is one of the finest I've seen from him, or from anyone in a war film. How he didn't get any sort of nomination for a Golden Globe or Oscar is ludicrous, but that's besides the point. Every movement or glance from him is authentic; nothing fabricated or scripted, just raw emotion and body language from the master of it.One of their staff sergeants is ordered (along with the small squadron) to hold the fox bunker directly across the Siegfield Line, while being promised reinforcements in a day or two. Problem is, the squadron is comprised of six men and at any moment during nightfall, the Germans could discover this weakness and annihilate them. Reese (McQueen) knows this and being the insubordinate SOB that he is, he suggest penetrating the treacherous line and taking the bunker across the field.It's interesting to see how his fellow soldiers seem keen to the idea, even though it sounds suicidal. In the beginning, as Reese is introduced into the story with the others (being transfered to their company) he wants no part of their companionship at all, and they can tell he means business, specifically when Reese points out their position of weakness. The sergeant in charge senses that Reese is undermining his command by pointing out his reluctance to disobey previous orders and proceed with a risky mission, which will endanger the lives of the men and compromise their position, so he puts Reese in charge of monitoring two German look-outs that were captured in a previous skirmish.What follows is probably the second most memorable scene in the film, where Reese and Sgt. Larkin (Guardino) are ready to fight each other over the issue of whether to attack or not. Larkin shouts at him "You might be a good solider, but as long as I wear these stripes, I say what goes!" pointing at Reese like a child. Reese's response, in a chilling, almost manic look, "You point that finger at me one more time and I'll take your head off.." That floored me. Larkin promises him that he'll get his chance after the war, proceeds to leave their bunker and is killed by a German cluster bomb. The remaining men now know that they have no hope of surviving the night after the previous sneak-attack, so they take Reese's idea and do a stealth-attack of their own.This scene is highly effective in thrilling the viewer with some great music and cool shots of the soldiers crawling across the minefield. Coburn trips one by accident, causing all hell to break loose, ironically when their reinforcements arrive with Sgt. Pike. More members of the small group get killed and you can see despair on Reese's face, feeling at fault, so he turns into the merciless soldier and leads the ensuing raid across the line.The final scene is great, though I can understand why people would have problems with the director adding in actual shots of the war since their budget was small. The parts that are of the movie are effective and brutal, yet stunningly realistic and epic. Of course, McQueen portraying the tragic anti-hero so well, he goes out in the blaze of glory, destroying the German bunker along with himself, after being shot in the chest. It's a great visual seeing a wide-eyed McQueen using the last ebbs of energy to throw the satchel charge into the pillbox along with himself. Any bitter feelings the viewer might have with Reese after the botched sneak-attack go away in his final act of heroism.Absolutely wonderful, atmosphere-soaked film that features a strong, colorful cast, a great script, some marvelous cinematography, and a brilliant performance by Steve McQueen. Definitely one of his best films, even slightly better than the Great Escape, IMO. I have to see The Longest Day to see if it's as good as reviewers say it is, but it'll have to be great since Hell is for Heroes (all hell really breaks loose) is a marvelous little film which seems very ahead of its time with its theme and excellent camera work. Highly recommended.