Warner Bros. OBJECTIVE BURMA (1945) is one of the best war pictures made during the war about the war. Produced for the studio by Jerry Wald its fine screenplay by Ranald Mac Dougall, and Lester Cole derived from an original story by Alvah Bessie. With crisp and sharp Monochrome cinematography by the great James Wong Howe it was masterfully directed by Raoul Walsh. It also boasted splendid looking Art direction by Ted Smith with the Burmese jungle mock-ups (filmed at the "Lucky" Baldwin ranch near Pasadena in California) not only looking convincingly authentic but with the added sounds of jungle wildlife making it quite daunting too.
The story has Major Nelson (Errol Flynn) and his large contingent of American Paratroopers being dropped into the Burmese jungle behind enemy lines on a secret mission. They must locate and destroy a Japanese radar station. After a successful sneak attack on the station (a good action sequence) the men pull back to their designated pick-up point and wait. Suddenly things go terribly wrong when Japanese ground troops discover where they are after tracking them. Nelson and his men have no alternative but to scurry into the thick jungle to escape and radio for a new pick-up point. But the new rendezvous is 150 miles away. Losing half of the platoon on the journey - because of their forced march through rivers and dense jungle plus tangling with enemy troops - they finally make it to the pick-up point and are rescued.
Although there are the usual stock characterisations - which seems to be endemic in all war movies - performances are generally good. Flynn in particular is excellent! Eschewing his swashbuckling heroic image he turns in a splendid portrayal of a respected commanding officer who is professional and human. In one disturbing moment he expertly manages to bring a deeply effective sense of grief to the scene where he tearfully tries to comfort his dying friend and fellow officer (William Prince). Flynn has rarely been better! OBJECTIVE BURMA was one of the actor's personal favorite pictures and considered it one of his few worthwhile efforts. Good too is Henry Hull as Williams the aging war correspondent who, constantly trying to keep the bright side out, finally succumbs to the pressure of the arduous trek and passes quietly away in his sleep "Gee, I'm awfully sorry Mr. Williams" observes a compassionate James Brown. And watch out for Mark Stevens as the pilot of the B29 in one of his first film appearances under his real name of Stephen Richards.
One of the outstanding aspects of the movie is the marvellous Acadamy Award nominated music by Franz Waxman. The score contains one of the finest march themes ever for a war picture which compliments the early preparation scenes to perfection in its jaunty engaging statement. Then for the Paratroopers jumping from the B29s high pitched strings descend with them as vibrato on the brass simulate the engine noise of the great Bombers. The score is one of the composer's most memorable works and high on the list of Waxman admirers.
OBJECTIVE BURMA hasn't dated at all since it was made sixty five years ago. Unlike many movies of its kind and era it stands up very well today despite starting off on the wrong foot. It was banned in England in 1945 because it omitted to mention any British involvement in Burma. But in 1952 and with a new "apologetic" prologue it was given its long overdue release.
Interestingly, in 1951 the film's basic premise was reused in Warner's Gary Cooper western "Distant Drums".
The story has Major Nelson (Errol Flynn) and his large contingent of American Paratroopers being dropped into the Burmese jungle behind enemy lines on a secret mission. They must locate and destroy a Japanese radar station. After a successful sneak attack on the station (a good action sequence) the men pull back to their designated pick-up point and wait. Suddenly things go terribly wrong when Japanese ground troops discover where they are after tracking them. Nelson and his men have no alternative but to scurry into the thick jungle to escape and radio for a new pick-up point. But the new rendezvous is 150 miles away. Losing half of the platoon on the journey - because of their forced march through rivers and dense jungle plus tangling with enemy troops - they finally make it to the pick-up point and are rescued.
Although there are the usual stock characterisations - which seems to be endemic in all war movies - performances are generally good. Flynn in particular is excellent! Eschewing his swashbuckling heroic image he turns in a splendid portrayal of a respected commanding officer who is professional and human. In one disturbing moment he expertly manages to bring a deeply effective sense of grief to the scene where he tearfully tries to comfort his dying friend and fellow officer (William Prince). Flynn has rarely been better! OBJECTIVE BURMA was one of the actor's personal favorite pictures and considered it one of his few worthwhile efforts. Good too is Henry Hull as Williams the aging war correspondent who, constantly trying to keep the bright side out, finally succumbs to the pressure of the arduous trek and passes quietly away in his sleep "Gee, I'm awfully sorry Mr. Williams" observes a compassionate James Brown. And watch out for Mark Stevens as the pilot of the B29 in one of his first film appearances under his real name of Stephen Richards.
One of the outstanding aspects of the movie is the marvellous Acadamy Award nominated music by Franz Waxman. The score contains one of the finest march themes ever for a war picture which compliments the early preparation scenes to perfection in its jaunty engaging statement. Then for the Paratroopers jumping from the B29s high pitched strings descend with them as vibrato on the brass simulate the engine noise of the great Bombers. The score is one of the composer's most memorable works and high on the list of Waxman admirers.
OBJECTIVE BURMA hasn't dated at all since it was made sixty five years ago. Unlike many movies of its kind and era it stands up very well today despite starting off on the wrong foot. It was banned in England in 1945 because it omitted to mention any British involvement in Burma. But in 1952 and with a new "apologetic" prologue it was given its long overdue release.
Interestingly, in 1951 the film's basic premise was reused in Warner's Gary Cooper western "Distant Drums".