I was prepared to be really wowed by this film, because I think Frank Sinatra was a phenomenal actor, and I've always loved Sterling Hayden.
I think the subject matter and themes of war patriot vs. war killer and pacifist vs. non-pacifist had tremendous potential. But the script was absolutely horribly written. Even for the times, the dialog was corny & stilted & preachy. I felt like I was watching some old "Dragnet" episode. The characters were so superficially drawn I didn't feel like I really got to know any of them.
I'm glad I watched it just to see an old movie with Frank Sinatra, whose films are always interesting, but I wouldn't watch this one over. It just felt like an old TV show to me. If you want to see a well-done "assassination" thriller, see "The Manchurian Candidate".
I think the subject matter and themes of war patriot vs. war killer and pacifist vs. non-pacifist had tremendous potential. But the script was absolutely horribly written. Even for the times, the dialog was corny & stilted & preachy. I felt like I was watching some old "Dragnet" episode. The characters were so superficially drawn I didn't feel like I really got to know any of them.
I'm glad I watched it just to see an old movie with Frank Sinatra, whose films are always interesting, but I wouldn't watch this one over. It just felt like an old TV show to me. If you want to see a well-done "assassination" thriller, see "The Manchurian Candidate".