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Attack (1956)

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19 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Awesome, 2 settembre 2004
Author: jlon da Dublin

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Easily one of the best war pictures, ever. DVD review.

It's 1944 and two US soldiers don't see eye to eye.

One of the best movies from the 1950s. Extremely well directed by Aldrich: the camera moves across a broken window to follow a soldier walking on the other side, every scene is tension packed, many scenes are given life by having soldiers running in the background, the tank scenes resemble science fiction, the acting is superb and the whole movie reeks of despair of what ordinary decent soldiers have to put up with from their ill-suited commanders. Adult war movie that is stunning to sit through. Palance's best role. Albert's best role. One of the best war movies ever. Compare this fantastic movie to the silly and pompous war pictures from the 1960s onwards. There's so much going on in Attack that it's worth watching again: the antagonism between Palance and Albert, Palance pushing the German into the line of machine-gun fire (because the German is the same rank as Albert!), the American soldiers getting obliterated when running to the farmhouse, Palance lobbing a grenade into a German tank, Palance getting crushed underneath a tank, the depressing ending and the shooting of the sniper. A definite influence on the anti-Vietnam war movies of the '80s.

Attack! has to be seen by every war movie fan.

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15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the two or 3 best war movies ever made., 16 giugno 2004

Author: inframan da the lower depths

This gripping film has the benefits of an outstanding cast: Palance was peerless here, combining a sense of command with a deep sense of compassion & especially what it takes to get the job done under fire. Palance could do it because he had been there (& seriously wounded) in WW2. Lee Marvin was a combat marine who got shot in that war, too. These guys had real frames of reference to deal from. All the supporting cast stands out as well, Buddy Ebsen as the savvy platoon sergeant, William Smithers as the by the book lieutenant, Robert Straus & Richard Jaeckel as the grunts they played so well in these films. AND THEN there's Eddie Albert playing the cowardly Captain whose father is a high-level political wheeler-dealer. Some of his swaggering & smirking & foolhardy statements, even the features & facial expressions, seem oddly, weirdly timely, though this film is just short of 50 years old. I won't name names for fear of being drawn into a political campaign year vortex, but this movie sure is worth watching against today's operations in Iraq _ & Washington. I wonder what kinds of movies will be coming out in 1- - 20 years about the Iraq wars.

One more word. It could not have happened with Robert Aldrich at the helm. A real masterpiece!

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15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent But Under Appreciated WWII Drama, 21 ottobre 2001

Author: (bsmith5552@rogers.com) da Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"Attack" is a WWII tale about a company of American soldiers fighting somewhere in France over some God forsaken town.

Jack Palance stars as a battle hardened platoon leader who becomes embittered with his commanding officer (Eddie Albert), who through cowardice has caused one of Palance's squads to perish in battle. The rest of the story follows the efforts of Palance and fellow platoon leader (William Smithers) to have him removed. Unfortunately Albert's commander (Lee Marvin), who has his own agenda, refuses to cooperate even though he is aware of Albert's incompetence. A second incident follows where more of Palance's men are lost over Albert's failure to act. Palance then vows to take matters into his own hands.

Palance and Albert give excellent performances as Lt. Joe Costa and Capt. Cooney respectively. Lee Marvin in an early lead role as Colonel Bartlett is also good. Rounding out the cast as members of Palance's platoon are Buddy Ebsen, Robert Strauss and Richard Jaeckel. Look for Strother Martin in a bit at the beginning of the picture.

"Attack" with it's stark black and white photography, realistic battle scenes and memorable performances by its stars, has got to rank as one of the most under appreciated of all WWII movies.

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16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Impressive War Drama, 7 aprile 2004

Author: Theo Robertson da Isle Of Bute , Scotland

Anyone remember a 1965 war movie called BATTLE OF THE BULGE ? That`s the movie supposedly set during the Ardennes campaign in Belguim but instead of seeing snow shrouded forests we`re led to believe the conflict took place on dusty desert plains . Unfortunately with ATTACK director Robert Aldrich makes a similar error in geography and weather conditions . There`s no snow to be seen ( Apart from some fake snow in one scene ) there`s no forests and you do get the feeling the movie was filmed on a hot summers day no matter how the cast try and convince you other wise . In fact I felt rather sorry for the actors dressed in heavy greatcoats jumping up and down trying to get into character and it`s interesting to note that by half way through the movie everyone has stopped in their vain attempts trying to convince the audience it`s a very cold day

That said ATTACK is a very impressive war drama - and please note I used the word drama in the last sentence . It`s based on a play but unlike a lot of movies based on plays that often use flashback to tell the tale the roots of the source is hidden , this actually feels cinematic . The movie centres around the conflict Lt Costa who blames his commanding officer Captain Cooney for getting his platoon wiped out . The human drama of cowardice and command and the motive of revenge feature very heavily . It should also be pointed out how well Captain Cooney is written and played by Eddie Albert , he`s relatively sympathetic as a weak man who seems caught up in things outside his control though at the end he does become a sort of melodramtic carichture . The whole cast do a good job and the scenes with Lee Marvin and Eddie Albert together are superb . It`s such a pity no one seems to make war movies this intelligent anymore

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12 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Tough, hard-hitting WWII battle film, 3 marzo 2001

Author: bjzajac da Philadelphia, PA

This is one of the toughest and most realistic films about WWII combat in Europe made in the 1950s. The bayonet sharpness of this movie stems from that many of the actors in the film are or were themselves WWII veterans. Lee Marvin was a US Marine on Saipan and was wounded in combat, and Eddie Albert was in the Navy and was at the unimaginably bloody battle of Tarawa (Betio). These men knew what war was about and what it cost to wage it. See this film. You will witness a classic drama about bravery in war and the ugliness and finality of combat.

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13 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
The Great Jack Palance in a Powerful War Film, 30 maggio 2000
Author: mackjay da Out there in the dark

Long on several "lost film" lists, "Attack" is at last available on video. There are several reasons to see this film. It is a forerunner of so many grim, realistic movies that treat the subject with intelligence ("Men In War", "Pork Chop Hill", "Platoon", "The Thin Red Line"). It is brilliantly directed (many scenes are almost unbearable in their naked dramatic truth). And it contains several performances that demand attention.

The conviction of Eddie Albert's playing of the cowardly Lieutenant may come as a surprise to those unaware of his talents. Lee Marvin also delivers a solid characterization, as do most of the other supporting players. But the main feature of this film is the astonishing portrayal of Lt. Costa by Jack Palance. The kind of immersion in a role that Palance exhibits here is rare. It is the kind of performance that seems more like "being" than acting. A number of close-ups of Palance's face deliver a frisson of emotional intensity and truth that are rare and wonderful in the cinema of any period. In fact, Palance helps to demonstrate, in this picture, why "war films" should exist as a genre. The condition of war, of combat in particular, serves to foreground, polarize and intensify emotions and moral convictions. It can call into question the very nature of humanity. Just what is the price of a human life? What do we as humans mean to one another? When do concepts like 'bravery' and 'cowardice' cease to have meaning?

"Attack" is a small film, great in its impact.

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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Gritty hardcore war drama, with fine performances, 25 ottobre 1998

Author: bux da Tecumseh ok

Albert is the ineffective commander, Palance the subordinate that swears revenge. This one is not for the squeamish, the scene where Palance is ran over by a tank is shocking. More shocking is the wonderfully psychotic performance by Albert, as the mentally disturbed commander. Lee Marvin has a nice supporting role, this one will make your skin crawl.

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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best, 21 giugno 2000
Author: none-67

One of the best war films ever made, this gritty little-known gem features Jack Palance in perhaps his best role. The dynamics of a small infantry unit just about at the end of its tether in WWII Europe are portrayed extremely realistically. Eddie Albert, Lee Marvin, and Buddy Ebsen give great supporting performances.

The film is in B&W and has all the dirt and sweatiness and fear that is characteristic of really good work done in the 1950's.

No pretty boys here

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
I could have been Erskine Cooney, 17 giugno 2004

Author: helpless_dancer da Broken Bow, Oklahoma

It would seem political correctness prevailed even back during the big bloodletting. The military should screen it's officers very thoroughly before giving them the command over others' lives. Captain Cooney should never have been issued a uniform much less been promoted to such a high field rank. Most of these old 40's and 50's war films leave me colder than a dead kraut but this was way above the fold. Yes, some of the special effects were a bit tame and a couple of the sets looked like what they were, but this was one gritty, ugly tale of the horror and waste of combat. The entire cast was excellent in their portrayal of soldiers in a hopeless situation. Many familiar old faces in this one, most of whom are no longer with us.

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Fantastic War Movie - No Holds Barred, 17 ottobre 2003
Author: SgtSlaughter da St. Davids, Pennsylvania, USA

One of Robert Aldrich's classic war movies explores pyschological pressure and just how war effects men mentally. Even the "good guys" have their bad sides, and the bad guys are so screwed up you either sympathize with them or hate them.

During the fall of 1944, Captain Cooney (Eddie Albert) commands a weary infantry company. Lt. Costa (a young Jack Palance) realizes that Cooney is unfit for command when he freezes in combat. Costa and close friend Lt. Woodruff (Bill Smithers) try to inform their superior, Colonel Bartlett (Lee Marvin sporting a southern drawl) of Cooney's incompetence; instead, White wants to stay out of the way and hopes for the best. He owes Cooney a chance to become a hero so he can look good back home. Well, as you might have expected, Cooney again freezes in combat, this time costing the lives of several of Costa's men - and Costa goes looking for vengeance in an awesome climactic sequence.

The supporting cast is dotted with familiar faces, including Robert Strass from STALAG 17 as an oafish, emotional dogface; the late Buddy Ebsen (BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL) as Costa's loyal platoon sergeant; and Richard Jaeckel (who's appeared in at least a dozen war flicks) as another young soldier. Kudos to Bill Smithers, who does a fantastic job in an early role as Costa's rational friend. His final scene will leave you stunned and reeling.

The movie features a number of memorable scenes which combine physical action, superb dialog and emotion perfectly. One scene in which a mortally wounded Jack Palance prays that God will let him live long enough to kill Cooney is gut-wrenching. Interestingly, both Cooney and Costa have lost their grip on sanity. It's clear from the beginning that Cooney is a whackjob, and Costa is perfectly sane. But he becomes madly (no pun intended) obsessed with killing Cooney, that he forgets everything else - including his own men which is fighting to save. Instead of focusing on thousands of troops and big explosions, Aldrich delivers enough punch in his small-scale story to knock you down. Interiors and exteriors are beautifully shot, confining the action within small spaces to deliver maximum intensity and efficiency.

ATTACK! is an honest film - yes, this type of thing did happen; read or see BAND OF BROTHERS (particularly episode #7) to witness a brutally accurate account of flawed leadership resulting in disaster. I give an 11/10.

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