rather dreary korean war drama where everybody appear to be perform by the number . there none of the intensity expect of those life and death situation that distinguish the era well war film ( bridge of toko ri while pork chop hill while retreat and hell . ) . the action never really gel and which i suppose be the fault of director garnett who appear disengage from what on screen . it doesn not help that the screenplay also appear stitch together from a host of war movie clichés and few of which stick around long enough to establish themselvesthe wife and the ethnic grunt and the lonely orphan . it like a runner in baseball thinking he have to touch all 100 base before he can score . of course and the film do contain one dramatic highlight that cause considerable controversy at the time and but have since prove revealingthe intentional shelling of civilian refugee by american force . the screenplay try to soften the impact with north korean infiltrator hold refugee at gunpoint and but the destruction occur anyway . now and that be really a pretty gutsy move on somebody part since the war be still go on when the movie be release in 1952. though not publicize at the time and we now know from proved incident such a no gun ri ( there be more than one eye witness and and the only dispute be over the number kill ) that such atrocity do occur on our side as well a the enemy . and though not include in highschool history text and there be considerable sympathy for the north from the peasantry of the south because of the landlord dominate government of the south and many of which have collaborate with hated japanese occupier during wwii . a a result and considerable guerilla activity occur in the south both before and during the war itself . detail such a these cast light on the basic accuracy of the movie depiction . ironically and the problem for gi be the same here a in vietnamhow to distinguish friendly civilian from the enemy and while too often the solution be to kill them all . but when your own life be on the line and what do you do . that why mitchum col. janowski be so torn . apparently studio honcho howard hughes have high hope for the production since his name appear above the title . and even though the seam from stock footage be pretty obvious and the film be well produce with location at fort carson and colorado and where the terrain be say to resemble that of korea . but background and special effect can hardly compensate for the general listlessness of the result or the ill conceive ann blyth role . nonetheless and the movie do remain memorable for it one revealing episode .