Customer Reviews

Battle Hymn

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rock Hudson stars as a minister who feels he has lost his calling and returns to the Air Force (he had fought in WWII) to train Korean soldiers during the Korean War. He and his men become involved with a group of Korean orphans and a young Korean/Indian woman that cares for them. While the war rages on, Hudson begins to find his way back to God, while also trying to protect the orphans. I initially believed that this was a war-action film, only to be surprised that, although there are several good fighting sequences, this was a more personal story of finding faith. Surprisingly, it meshes together well with the action. Hudson is earnest in his portrayal of the real life colonel, and he is well supported by Dan Duryea as one of his men/sidekick. There are some great lines about faith, and some of them made me think, especially the belief that God allows things to happen for reasons that may not be clear to us now, however bad they may seem at the time. In light of what has gone on in the world lately, this is a comforting thought. Battle Hymn is a well crafted, inspiring movie that never seems to preach, yet it certainly makes its points.

Once again, Hollywood has taken a true story, changed or omitted facts and passed it off as the real thing. Despite that, this is an inspiring and poignant movie and as another reviewer here said, this is the type of movie they don't make any more.

The stoic Rock Hudson plays Colonel Dean E. Hess, a real life WW II fighter pilot who comes to Korea to train the first ROKAF pilots in American aircraft and tactics. However, there are some glaring inconsistencies in this movie and what happened in real life to Dean Hess.

For one thing, Hess already had a degree in theology and was in graduate school when he became an aviation cadet in the Air Corps during WW II. He received his ordination and elected to return to the Air Force and make it his career postwar. It was not as the result of Korea itself or any deep spiritual problem. From what I read, when he bombed the orphanage or hospital in Germany during WW II, he did not have the problems portrayed in the movie.

The Anna Kashfi character, En Soon Whang was an older women in her 50s and not a beautiful, half-Korean - half Indian teacher. She was Korean and had lost two sons in WW II and in Korea. She had already helped start and maintain an orphanage. Then Major Hess helped out, along with many other Americans and the kiddy lift did happen. But not like in the movie.

This movie is inspiring because it does show the power of faith as well as Hess's value to a fellow pilot and long-term friend who he helps at the hour of his death. That was perhaps one of the most powerful parts of the movie, because his friend, a typical fighter pilot, has no foundation on which to stand. As he says to Hess, "I realize I was afraid to live and now, I don't know how to die." The minister in Hess the pilot finds his real calling, and pastors to his dying friend. He makes the transition from this life to the next easier for his friend and the other pilot is able to die peacefully. It is at that point that Dean Hess finds himself, by stepping outside himself.

I saw this movie for the first time more than 25 years ago on television and was very taken with it. It was at a time before I renewed my own faith. Dean Hess's pastoral counseling to his dying friend had a big impact on me because I had an inordinate fear of death and dying. His words had the effect of helping me conquer that fear and later, led me back to my own relationship with God. Perhaps that is the real (but hidden value) of this movie.

There is also another dimension to this movie that should be mentioned. The aerial sequences are extremely well done. Viewers who are fans of the North American P-51 Mustang will benefit from several scenes of combat flying that show the plane in its best light. In this part of the movie, Hudson manages to convey the competence of Hess as a leader and pilot. He is an excellent manager and teacher and his success training the ROKAF pilots is evident in later scenes.

Finally, one of the things the movie doesn't point out is that Colonel Dean E. Hess remained in the Air Force after the Korean War and not as a chaplain. He retired from active duty in 1971 as a full colonel and he spent the better part of his career as a fighter pilot. He was a man of God to be sure, but he was also a pilot and that is where he made his largest contributions to the service.

Paul Connors

they cut out a lot of what was actually in the book. I supose I am partial to this book, mainly because it is my dad's book that he wrote. The move does not show the actual meaning or the value of what dad had really experience in the S. Korean war and what he had gone through. I am his daughter, whom he had adopter from S. Korea

Being a service man myself. I can only say, speechless. They just don't make movies like this any more. Or is it that they don't make men like this who we can write books about or even make movies about. Alas, this is not true. The US Military still has the same quality of personnel, as yesteryear. Roughnecks along with the folks who just don't know any better. Just like the Sgt in the movie, the one thing that counts is that his hart is in the right place. Anyhow, it's a very patriotic movie that will touch anyone who has served, was a spouse, or a dependant of the military. A must see flick. THANK YOU COL HESS!

Any of the family of Col Hess is more than welcome to send me an email at rickeyr@hotmail.com

This story of a preacher who leaves the ministry to alleviate his conscience by joining the Korean War effort and ends up helping Koren orphans reteams producer Ross Hunter, director Douglas Sirk and star Rock Hudson. However, this war melodrama is not as good or entertaining as their previous collaborations, the grand-scale soap operas "Magnificent Obsession" and "All That Heaven Allows". Probably because its based on the true story of a war hero, Sirk doesn't push genre conventions as he did on his better-known melodramas. Still, Battle Hymn is a very good film, with more emphasis on human relationships, especially "white male guilt" (a favorite theme of Sirk), than war. There is also the suggestion of interracial desire between Rock Hudson and Indian-born actress Anna Kashfi (who would become better known as Mrs. Marlon Brando), who plays a beautiful and noble foreign woman who helps Hudson take care of hundreds of orphans (while his white wife waits back home pregnant). Her attraction for Hudson, of course, is very nobly repressed throughout the film.

"Battle Hymn" is the story of a minister (Rock Hudson) who returns to train Korean soldiers to fight after he feels he has lost his calling. Of course he finds redemption and his true faith when he becomes involved with a group of Korean orphans and a young Korean/Indian woman that cares for them. Despite several brilliantly staged action sequences this film is not so much a war saga as it is a tale of introspection and finding courage in religion to carry on. The reason is simple; the film's director is Douglas Sirk - known for his soppy, sloppy and gushy melodramas that ooz treacle over substance, like "Imitation of Life" and "Written on the Wind". The blend of both adventure and drama is seamless. "Battle Hymn" is an intelligently-crafted and inspiring without being stoic or preachy.
THE TRANSFER: Overall the picture quality is nicely rendered but the ravages of time have not been kind in a few spots. Age related artifacts are present throughout - sometimes glaringly so. Black levels are often weak and fine detail is lost in the darkest scenes. Digital anomalies are not an issue for a generally smooth visual presentation. The audio is nicely presented - if somewhat dated.
EXTRAS: None.
BOTTOM LINE: "Battle Hymn" is finely wrought melodrama tinged with the prerequisite of combat that all war films have in common. The DVD is admirably realized but is not reference quality. Still, it's definitely worth a look.

"Battle Hymn" is roughly based on an actual event -- the rescue of a bunch of orphans during the Korean War, who were saved from the advancing North Koreans when they were packed into U.S. cargo planes and flown to safety.
Rock Hudson is not given much of an opportunity to display his acting ability (of which he possessed more than he was given credit for during his lifetime), but he does a workmanlike job with the lines he's given. He portrays an actual U.S. Air Force officer who was in civilian life a clergyman. Hess was involved in the famous "Kiddy Car Airlift" -- although, according to detractors, possibly not to the extent shown in the movie.

The story itself is rewarding and for die-hard Hudson fans who would be happy merely to watch him declaim the telephone book, it's probably worthwhile.

When one thinks of the films directed by Douglas Sirk, the mind instantly recalls his series of lush, Technicolor-soaked melodramas ("All That Heaven Allows", "Magnificent Obsession" and "Written on the Wind"). Often forgotten though are the two outstanding wartime dramas - "A Time to Love and a Time to Die", and BATTLE HYMN (1957)...

Based on a true story, Sirk regular Rock Hudson stars as Colonel Dean Hess, a former WW2 pilot traumatised after accidentally bombing a German orphanage. In an effort to make amends, Hess becomes a minister but is still haunted by his wartime experiences. When the Korean War breaks out, Hess enlists for a training camp in South Korea but soon finds an even greater purpose, assisting En Soon Yang (Anna Kashfi), a lovely half-Indian half-Korean woman, in caring for and housing over 400 homeless Korean orphans.

Robert Mitchum was originally slated to play the role of Hess, but his controversial 1949 drug-possessions charge--something which his reputation and career never quite recovered from--blackballed him from the project. Martha Hyer, playing Mrs Hess, does a fine job, during a period when she was really riding high on a series of superior roles (which also included Barbara Lamont in "The Best of Everything", and Gwen French in "Some Came Running"). Aside from Hudson, the best performances come from Anna Kashfi as orphanage mistress Soon Yang, Dan Duryea as the comical Sergeant Herman, and Philip Ahn as Lun-Wa, an elderly drifter who is called into helping the orphans.

I'll probably always slightly prefer Sirk's underrated WW2 drama "A Time to Love...", but on it's merits this is a fantastic film. Perfecly balancing breathtaking aerial battle scenes with the human drama of the orphans, BATTLE HYMN isn't your typical war movie, making it far more accessible for a wider audience bracket. Even if war movies aren't your cup of tea, I guarantee you'll find the story completely fascinating.

The DVD is sadly virtually bare-bones except for the trailer. Recommended.

Oh, how Hollywood has difficulty treating spiritual issues. The true story of how an American pilot was moved by God to help defenseless Korean orphans could have been treated with the serious it deserved, say like in the production values attending "Bridge Over the River Quai". As it is a credible attempt was made here, albiet a little corny. Worth the watch; not a classic.

ROCK HUDSON DID A GREAT JOB PLAYING DEAN HESS. GREAT MOVIE IF YOU ARE A P-51 LOVER.