It's actually a shocking story but the more romantic for its extreme bitterness. Trevor Howard was one of the most prominent British actors after the war, making any number of films that are generally found all excellent. He was himself wounded in the war on duty and dismissed from service, which enabled him to start acting for real. Here he is teamed with Linda Darnell, another exceptionally prominent actress, a favourite of many of the best Hollywood directors, but here she is a widow in war service 1944 with a keen psychological eye for men's qualities. She is chosen by her superiors (John Williams) to select one soldier out of five volunteers for a mission demanding extreme courage, and she chooses Trevor Howard, who wants to prove himself a bold soldier at any cost after having missed so many opportunities at great battles; but he is a sensitive pianist. It's before D-day, it's a story by Alec Waugh which is rather gruesome, he is sent out to fool the Germans with fake information, his superiors being certain he will crack under Nazi torture and provide them with the false information, she is aware of the deception herself, but he is never informed about it, not even after the war, when he is deep in remorse for believing he had betrayed his country. The thing is, the Nazis by their torture destroy his fingers. Trevor Howard seldom made roles like this of acute pain of extreme bitterness, but he is bitterly convincing. The film is short but a small masterpiece, a kind of condensed dark war drama, and you will not forget it.