Most Helpful Customer Reviews
117 of 118 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant depiction of the price of leadership. . ., December 22, 1999
This review is from: Gallant Hours [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Basically, The Gallant Hours is an episodic biography of Admiral William "Bull" Halsey during the early days of the Second World War, specifically while he was the naval theater commander for the Guadalcanal campaign. James Cagney is superb in this very unusual war film, which has no combat footage, relying instead on character development and the intensity of interpersonal relationships to tell its story. Although Admiral Halsey (Cagney) is the central figure, the movie also closely follows the involvement of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese theater commander, giving the viewer an interesting and enlightening counterpoint persective in the attitudes, concerns and approaches of the opposing leaders. The most remarkable feature of The Gallant Hours is its willingness and effectiveness to show emotions seldom dealt with in military movies. One of these shows Halsey in the horrific dilemma of knowing that he is sending two close friends (Admirals Scott and Callaghan) to certain death, but being constrained by circumstance from any alternate course of action. In yet another sequence, Dennis Weaver gives a brilliant portrayal of a combat pilot dealing with the conflicting emotions of being relieved at having survived his mission and yet feeling both disgust and shame for what he is doing as he and his command "roll up a big score." For the individual who wants a serious treatment of the personal effects of warfare, without the usual rah-rah, flag-waving and stereotyped villification of opposing forces, The Gallant Hours is a sobering, not to be forgotten movie experience. The masterful combination of taut direction, a superior cast, eerie soundtrack and a very unusual approach make this remarkable film a must for any military video library.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
James Cagney as Rear Admiral "Bull" Halsey, April 30, 2004
This review is from: Gallant Hours [VHS] (VHS Tape)
"The Gallant Hours" is one of the more usual bio-pics of a military leader I have ever seen. This is a semi-documentary dramatization of the pivotal role that Rear Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, Jr. played as commander of U.S. naval operation in the South Pacific in bringing about the victory at Guadacanal. The framing device is Halsey's retirement ceremony and the film begins with a moving choral arranged by Roger Wagner that tells us: "I knew a lad who went to sea / and left the shore behind him / I knew him well the lad was me / and now I cannot find him." The hymn sets an almost religious tone for the film that seems rather strange given the events depicted and the approach of the director. Contrast this with the running bit about getting Admiral Halsey to take his shots. The film is directed by U.S.N.R. Comdr. Robert Montgomery, the actor who served in the Navy during World War II but who is better remembered today as being the father of actress Elizabeth Montgomery. One of the most surprising things about this film is that is a war movie without any battle scenes. There are battles, but we hear about them rather than see them. Mostly "The Gallant Hours" is about Halsey's command decisions and the way he worked with his subordinates (when the Chief of Staff of the admiral he replaces because he provides contrary views). There are many scenes that consist mainly of a subordinate bringing Halsey dispatches and him thoughtfully coming up with responses. Halsey, as the cover art emphasizes, is James Cagney, in what would prove to be his second to last film before he retired from acting for twenty years. Having met with Halsey, Cagney was struck by how the navy man hardly made any extraneous gestures, and the actor made a point of excising all of his well-known mannerisms from the performance. Cagney's presence is critical to the film because with it this 115-minute film would have been tedious. However, his presence allows Montgomery to focus on the decision making process during a war in more detail than any other film that comes to mind ("Command Decision" would be in the running, but this one has it beat). Clearly you can do a talking head war movie when the main talking head is James Cagney. The film is as much about the duel between Halsey and his Japanese counterpart, Admiral Yamamoto (James T. Goto), which becomes not only a question of winning the battle to control Guadacanal but a personal attempt to kill each other. The Japanese commander is portrayed as a worthy opponent and there is as much attention to the aspects of his work as there is to that of Halsey. Biographical details abound in this documentary. Every time Halsey meets somebody a voice over tells us not only who they are but what is going to happen to them. The guy who is driving the jeep is an hour away from being short by a sniper and becoming a paraplegic for the rest of his life. A squad heads out on Guadacanal and we learn that only three of them are coming back. The details are such that I would have sworn this film was adapted from a book, but there is no book by that title or any other work cited as the source for this story. The screenplay is by Frank D. Gilroy and Beirne Lay Jr. Lay was the co-author of "Twelve O'Clock High" and it is interesting that like the film version of that classic World War II novel there is a scene in which the central character waits out a pivotal moment alone in his office, living out the battle in his own mind. In case you are not sure what the moral of "The Gallant Hours" happens to be, Cagney reminds us with a voice over at the end: "There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet." Of course, "The Gallant Hours" pretty much disproves that point, at least with regards to the man at the top in the South Pacific.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Greatest War Movies of All Time, November 4, 2003
This review is from: Gallant Hours [VHS] (VHS Tape)
There are no combat scenes - none. Yet the battle sequences are among the most powerful I can remember. Halsey, having bet the farm on his attack of a superior Japenese fleet, sits alone in his quarters waiting for the battle to begin, waiting for word from the Combat Information Center, while in the background disembodied radio chatter chronicles the preparations of war. Wow. Cagney's face is all you need to see. Your tension increases with his. And then his transformation into a warrior leaves you unable to take a breath. The black and white movie uses a narator to solve brilliantly some complex story telling problems, and background music is by a male chorus. And this stuff really works. Robert Montgomery, a competent actor in his own right, directed. I have an old copy taken off the air 20 years ago that I am wearing out. I sure hope the DVD comes out soon. Bill Wood
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
