A Walk in the Sun (1945)
Director: Lewis Milestone
Starring: Dana Andrews, Richard Conte
Honors:
The understanding of being soldiers fighting overseas
through one of history’s greatest confrontations is a complicated thing to
grasp and share within any medium. Here with Lewis Milestone’s 1945 picture A Walk in the Sun is a brief glimpse
through the cracks of what being a soldier in World War II was like, sharing
thoughts of soldiers as they carry out a seemingly routine mission, juggling
the emotions of separation, lose, and need to keep one’s morale up for the
hopeful return to normalcy. An ensemble piece, this film does not focus on a
singular story, other than the mission, which serves as a frame by which we
view glimpses into the minds of the many individuals that serve alongside each
other.
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The platoon balances the emotions of prisoners of war,
disappointment from fellow soldiers and the ever uncertainty of what will come
from just around the corner. In the end the men fight to take a fortified
farmhouse and eventually destroy the bridge. The platoon takes on heavy loses
making the victory feel just as bitter as it is sweet. The men take a short
moment to reflect on the loss and horror of battle while attempting to keep
their spirits up as they know more is to come in the long fight for freedom.
The film, based on Harry Brown, shares a different look at
war than the usual glorification of battle as an adventure and heroic deeds that
many may be accustomed to. Rather A Walk
in the Sun centers of the psyche of a soldier and the simple fleeting
moments of thought that go through a soldier’s mind outside the world of
combat. In getting to know a little about many characters, we too feel the loss
as their brothers in arms fall during attacks and each soldier questions what
there really is to fight for. We observe as each pine for home or at least a
refuge from this warfare centered life, questioning if they may reap the fruits
of victory, or join those they have seen slain at their sides? The film comes
away with a victory, but also a feeling of irreplaceable lose, an idea of war
that is difficult to share with any audience, as most will never understand
what it was actually like.
The roots of the film’s production lie with actor Burgess
Meredith, who would also be the film’s narrator. It was he who brought the idea
to adapt the novel to friend and producer Samuel Bronston. In the middle of
filming due to credit issues Bronston was forced to shut down production and
the project would land into the hands of director Lewis Milestone’s company
Superior Productions, which finished the feature and eventually shared partial
profits with Bronston due to a lawsuit settled outside of court.
Lewis Milestone was one of Hollywood’s most successful war
genre filmmakers, with his most famous work to that point being the World War I
feature All Quiet on the Western Front. His history of military service and producing
military training films makes him one of the finest experts on the subject
matter along with production quality. His connections with the military helped
bring in Army officers as technical advisors as well as actual tanks and trucks
to bring the film some authenticity.
The action is rather gritty, devoid of horrific images, but
allows for the audience to fill the gaps in their minds, which can be more
gruesome than what any film could do. Milestone does well at making the characters
very tangible, and with the wide array of characters delivers a variety to
which to draw an emotional connection with. The enemy is almost always
portrayed from a distance, giving a sense of mystery of what dangers lie beyond
as the film perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being cut off from safety as
these men were dropped in the middle of enemy territory.
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Of course, the most important part of the film is the
ensemble cast that aided in bringing the wide variety of characters to life on
screen. The film’s headliner would be Dana Andrews as the central figure that
leads the mission through loss of officers. Tough guy styled character actor
Richard Conte would receive high billing as well, portraying a wisecracking
machine gunner. We also get to see many up and coming actors to the industry in
the picture, including future western star John Ireland, a young Lloyd Bridges,
and a medic played by the soft-spoken actor Sterling Holloway, who would be
better known for lending his voice talents to Disney characters, including
Winnie the Pooh.
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