The Director is so at home with this sort of stuff. That is Characters, their faces and their World gone wrong predicaments. This study of Men in the Korean War Conflict is a scathing, gritty, realism counterpointed by a slight Artistic Touch.

It has a fine cast with standouts all around, led by one of the Screen's most intense Actors, Robert Ryan. Fans of War Movies may find this a bit too Psychological with its lack of Action made more intense by a claustrophobic feeling of closed quarters in a wide open landscape.

The Camera lingers and the perspective is odd giving this a phantasmagorical feel. Things seem real but not really. This becomes, at times, unbearably Suspenseful and that's what its all about. Men in War and that's not a comfortable thing. Neither is this Movie and that's the point.

The Korean Conflict, as this Movie illustrates, was an unsettling and confusing inclusion that was a hard fit for America's usual clear and decisive fight for Freedom. It foreshadowed a forever blurring line that would Haunt our Military to this day. From this point on there was no longer a sharp Good vs Evil template that could be embraced by everyone, no matter Ideology or Political leaning.

As I say in the summary, this film compares very well with Sam Fuller's "Steel Helmet", though this Fuller film was actually made during the Korean War and it was made with an even smaller budget. They both are exceptional films--stories of foot soldiers stranded behind enemy lines during this war. Because both have rather modest stories, the films manage to work because of taut direction, excellent writing and terrific acting. It just goes to show you that you don't need a ton of cash or the biggest name actors to make a very good war film.

The film starts with Robert Ryan playing a lieutenant in charge of a dozen and a half men who have been cut off during an American retreat early in the Korean War. Their goal is to go 17 miles to a hill PROBABLY still held by their forces. But it is very slow-going--particularly when their truck is knocked out and they have to carry their supplies. Things seem to be looking up when a jeep arrives. But the driver is a gung-ho sergeant (Aldo Ray) and his colonel (Robert Keith). This is a problem because Keith obviously has cracked up and is catatonic and Ray has no interest in doing anything but get his commanding officer back to a hospital--and he could care less about the other men. But, when Ryan forces Ray at gunpoint to relinquish the jeep, you know this is NOT your typical war film! There's a lot more to the film than this--as this all occurs in the first ten minutes or so, but I'll leave it to you to see where all this leads. The bottom line is that this is an amazingly tense and well-constructed film--one you can't help but admire because of its efficient use of actors, props and sets.

MEN IN WAR is a fine black-and-white Korean War movie from director Anthony Mann, who was best known for his series of quality westerns teaming him with star James Stewart throughout the 1950s. In many respects, MEN IN WAR is even better than Mann's westerns, because it tells an excellent pared-down story that exemplifies quality acting from the entire cast and oodles of suspense.

The 'men on a mission' journey narrative is really nothing special but that doesn't matter when the quality of the film-making is so good. In essence, MEN IN WAR portrays a dwindling group of soldiers attempting to overcome various obstacles in their bid to return to their own lines. They face the threats of snipers, bombing, and treachery, while at all times must cope with their own moral integrity.

Not only are the characters well-written, but they're well-acted too. Robert Ryan is an ever-present delight as the hard-bitten lieutenant but the real star of the show is Aldo Ray whose tough yet caring character becomes the film's brutish heart. Ray is magnificent in undoubtedly a career-best performance. Supporting players like Vic Morrow, L.Q. Jones, and Nehemiah Persoff round out the cast, with special mention to Robert Keith's shell-shocked colonel.