Customer Reviews

War Hunt

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

 

 

This is an obviously low-budget affair, but don't let that dissuade you from at least screening this film.

Set in the waning days of the Korean War, the story revolves around a new replacement (Robert Redford), who joins an infantry unit on the front lines. As he experiences the bitter taste of war, he tries to understand the meaning of it all. Meanwhile, he is concerned over the psychotic lone wolf in the outfit (John Saxon), and his bizzare attachment to a young Korean kid. Saxon's character is a successful killing machine, but unaccustomed to fitting in with people.

The main selling point is, of course, the film debut of Robert Redford. Redford is excellent here, even at a relatively young age. Redford has always been good at playing honest, good-guy straight shooters, and his debut as Pvt. Roy Loomis is no exception. However, it really has to be said that, for as good as the young Redford is, it is John Saxon who steals the show as the brooding, psychotic killing machine, Endore. If you don't believe me, just check out the scene when Redford confronts him, and Saxon shows us a murderer using every ounce of control at his command to master his anger and keep from killing.

Gavin MacLeod and Tom Skerritt play fellow soldiers in the squad, and the stark black & white photography assists in setting the proper mood for the story.

War Hunt is an absorbing comparison of the effects of war on two individuals.

One responded to the emotional impact of killing by embracing it. He becomes an isolated, cold and silent killing machine who creeps up at night and kills with a knife, then dances around the bodies. His only emotinal connection is with a young house boy. His influene on that child is chilling.

The second is embodied in the introdcution of Robert Redford to the screen. The war seen through his eyes is tragic and wasteful. His bravery in confronting the evil influence of the first soldier represents a nobility in a man that is in sharp contrast to the dehumanizing effects of the war.

Some would argue that the film effects, representing the state of the art in 1961 give a dated feel that is distracting. However this lends a grittiness and documentary feel that enhances the message.

The popcorn will be forgotton. Save if for a second feature of a much lighter or comic vein, as this heavy film is better digested in pieces over time than brooded over as the only thought late in the evening.

The 'psychotic' hero is an essay captured in two fine War films: Donald Siegal's "Hell Is For Heroes"-- the story of a sergeant who for being psychotic embarked on suicidal heroic missions, and our distinguished film "War Hunt."

The picture is clearly stated and openly defined... Pvt. Raymond Endore (John Saxon) goes out at night on 'solitary' patrols... The information he brings back is very useful for Capt. Wallace Pratt (Charles Aidman) whose posture toward Endore is 'paternal' gratification...

But the strong reason to his voluntary patrol is to murder... He is a ritual killer practicing a formal act with his knife, and after finishing with his victim, he stands behind the body in mystical meditation...

Even after the cease-fire on the Korean front, Endore extends his night patrols... This 'psycho' mind is already sick, and there is nothing to be done to narrow his actions...

With just one major battle scene, "War Hunt" is absolutely a penetrating study of War drama, focusing on its traumatic effects: The 'fighting' soldier and the 'non-fighting' man...

"War Hunt" is ingenious, deeply stimulating, and cautiously photographed... The extraordinary hand-to-hand fight, between Redford and the Chinese soldier, proves it...

John Saxon is terrific as the tormentor and Robert Redford (in his film's debut) is excellent as the idealistic Pvt. Roy Loomis...

"War Hunt" holds up remarkably well. While the release date is listed as 1962, the copyright is 1961, which makes this a 50th anniversary of Redford's first film. The gritty story shot in Topanga Canyon in the Los Angeles area stars John Saxon as Private Raymond Endore, a psychotic soldier transfixed on killing who is allowed personal scouting raids into enemy territory. The film is also significant because it begins a great friendship and working collaboration between Robert Redford and Sydney Pollack who plays Sgt. Owen Van Horn that produced other works like This Property Is Condemned and Three Days of the Condor as well as the classic "The Way We Were." In his book Robert Redford: The Biography, Michael Feeney Callan tells us that Redford made $500 for his three weeks on the film. United Artists' entire budget for the film was $250,000. The New York Times called the film, "One of the most honest and haunting war movies in years." Tom Skerritt has a strong supporting performance as Sgt. Stan Showalter; and Gavin McLeod who later achieved fame on TV's "The Love Boat" played Pvt. Crott. Francis Ford Coppola plays an Army truck driver and was a gofer on the film. Redford's performance is impressive, subtle, gritty and focused. This little black & white film certainly bears watching as a piece of film history, but remains affecting as a tight psychological portrait of men at war. Enjoy!

...As stated elsewhere, Saxon is the real star of this film... Redford does a good job with his character... well meaning, but absolutely unable to make changes, let alone conjure up any heroic actions... Witnessing and surviving are the best that he can do... We are meant to see this story unfold through the eyes of a decent, "All American boy..." drafted and sent to the sharp end...

...Definitely low budget: The Army would not touch this production with a ten foot pole... But the film has a story to tell and does it well. It is unfortunate that Gavin McCleod is a distraction... but he was absolutely unknown when this film was made and his presence was not jarring... On the other hand, the character of the visiting battalion commander is *vastly* too old...

...Real talent used on this film... Even Francis Ford Coppola (uncredited) who was said to be one of the camera men... who also doubled as an extra driving one of the Army trucks...

...As someone who has led and commanded infantry in two wars I can understand the *temptation* of the company commander (though I do not agree with his decision) to play with fire... to use Saxon's character, in spite of the clear dangers... Aside from the natural tendency not to want to get your men killed in extremely dangerous night patrols (and most of them unwilling draftees likely, if they survive... to bring back little information.) Saxon's character is an extremely dangerous weapon... that needs always to be pointed in the right direction...

...I have heard complaints that Saxon's character would never have made it through basic training... let alone having been deployed. True enough, except that sometimes people just "get along" during training and keep a low profile. Once "unzipped" on the steep Korean ridgelines... his real inclinations would spill out... and would grow... to where you could never "get them back into the bag" again...

...The ending of this film is deeply haunting.

Y.P.

Occasionally harrowing, low-budget Korean War drama receives a bare-bones treatment on DVD, with no extras and no anamorphic enhancement. In many ways the prototype for Vietnam movies of the 1970 and '80s, _War Hunt_ serves up a pretentious, heavy-handed allegory of American intervention: A psychotic American soldier (John Saxon) takes an orphaned Korean boy under his wing, and becomes completely unhinged when informed at war's end that the boy and he must go their separate ways. Young Robert Redford, fatuous as ever, makes his film debut as a soldier with the prettiest blow-dry hair in military history.

Fragile, subtly anti-American, and oh-so-tasteful, _War Hunt_ hardly qualifies as a masterpiece. Still, Ted McCord's black-and-white cinematography is excellent (you'd never guess the film was actually shot in California), and the musical score is spare and restrained. The film is not without interest, and it has cast a surprisingly long shadow over the years.

The Korean "police action" gets a good look in this interesting film. I can't help but compare the Chinese propoganda machine calling out to our troops telling them they are dying for an "imperialist" government when we have troops dying in Iraq for our current "imperialist" government.

John Saxon is great in his role as....well, watch the film, eh?

There's more to this flick than war. Redford does well as the "rookie" and the rest of the cast does a great job too.

All in all, a good film for a slow Saturday afternoon.

very heavy war story but great in that we get to see a VERY young Robert Redford and the ever handsome John Saxon as the bad guy .. good battle scenes ... but dark brooding and violent !

**THIS IS FOR THE DVD VERSION ONLY**

To real fans, a dissapointment. To other fans not so good. There are no extras on this DVD, in other words, a barebones DVD. This DVD DOES have the original Theatrical Trailer, and English, Spanish, and French subtitles. This DVD only comes in widescreen.