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Too Late the Hero (1970)

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25 comments in total

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18 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Another Time. Another Place, 21 agosto 2001

Author: Theo Robertson da Isle of Bute, Scotland

Film Makers in Hollywood weren`t allowed to make anti-vietnam war films in the late 60`s , early 70`s so they decided to make allegories instead. Famous examples are MASH and SOLDIER BLUE. What strikes me is that no one ever refers to this great war film as the definitive Hollywood proxy Nam statement.

The story is simple : Soldiers carry out dangerous mission. But these soldiers are badly led and totally reluctant to carry out their duty. They`d rather " frag " their commander and go home than earn medals . And war isn`t shown as a glorious thing , it`s brutal , dehumanising and most of all terrifying. Also watch out for the very humane portrayal of the enemy officer. Is it sympathy for the Japanese or the Vietnamese that he`s shown this way ?

I could point out all the things I love about this film but it`d take too long. The only two things I disliked about TOO LATE THE HERO was a couple of plot holes. First one`s the fact that the Japanese are good at stopping the enemy from escaping the jungle but are totally hopeless at letting them enter it in the first place ! A major strategic mistake I`d have thought. Secondly Lawson decides he wants to carry out his mission after all which turns him into a bit of a cliche. But don`t let that put you off. TOO LATE THE HERO is compelling , bloody and intelligent.

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12 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
commandos on a island take up a impossible mission, 11 luglio 2004
Author: LONESOLO

TOO LATE THE HERO is a top notch war film about a british unit plus one american who must destroy a japanese communications station on a island. The mission for all purposes is impossible. TOO LATE THE HERO is long in a few spots, yet the film overcomes this flaw and the pace flows smoothly again. The film has a gritty realism to it which is aided by the deep jungle locations the film was shot at. Fans of FARWELL TO THE KING will enjoy this film as well, as it is up the same alley as that Nick Nolte film. OOne thing I enjoyed about this film were the casualty levels on the japanese and allied sides; these were were very realistic.

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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
War picture with a lot of personal meaning!, 6 gennaio 2007

Author: sullymangolf da United States

This movie is a personal one for me. I was a high school student at George Dewey H.S., Subic Bay, Philippines from 1968-70. My buddies and I were extras in the movie when it was made out there. We would cut classes and our principal would come out to the movie set to take our names down. We got in trouble when we got back, but this was a once in a lifetime deal. We were paid $12 a day. It was cheaper to use off-duty sailors and marines as well as the high school guys as extras than to pay for extras to be flown in from the U.S. We picked up buses from various parts of the base early in the morning and were taken to the naval magazine where the movie was being filmed. We were out from 6:00 A.M. to about 4:00 P.M. I remember the prop people built this fantastic set with huts and a fake stone church that was used as the Colonel's headquarters. It was nicer than the huts the Filipino people lived in and they wanted to keep them after the movie was finished. They had to be torn down though because of insurance purposes. They had brought these British Army uniforms for us to wear but they were new and looked too good so they ran over them with trucks to give them a rough look. To this day I remember many wild times on the set. Once when Cliff Robertson arrived at the base and was in the Colonel's headquarters, the director Mr. Aldridge yelled at myself and a buddy because we were playing our acoustic guitars too loudly on top of the fake stone church and it could be heard during the scene. I guess Hendrix music was not around in WW2. Another time between takes, Michael Caine and his buddies were on the steps of a building and he started to sing "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. Everyone sang along. It was great and to this day whenever I hear that song it takes me back to that great time! (that was 37 years ago) One of the side actors brought along his girlfriend and she ran around on the beach in her bikini. That was indeed a great sight as sailors, marines and high school kids took breaks from the set to hang out on the beach. I remember meeting the British actor with the broken nose who was in "Flight of the Phoenix" with Jimmy Stewart. He was in the movie and seemed to be a nice guy. A Philippine patrol boat parked at the beach dock. They were kind enough to let us dive off their boat into the water during lunch breaks. Some of the guys earned $18 a day by lying in an open field being dead bodies. These were the soldiers from the movie who were shot by the Japanese snipers. There was a fire on the set one day and shooting had to be stopped. They repaired the set and the movie went on. Parts of the movie were shot near our base hospital on the mountain at Cubi Point in the jungle. These were the scenes where the commando team was in the jungle on the mission. The movie people would party at the Officer's Club at Cubi. It was not well received by all the officers. The movie guys had long hair and dressed very casually, and the marine fighter pilots did not care for this group. I did not hear of any fights though. My buddy next door to our quarters had Michael Caine and some others over for a home cooked dinner. It was well received. It was a great time to be in the Philippines back in those days. After we finished our tour out there we went back to a naval base at Pax River, Maryland. I went up to New York to visit my aunt and she took me to see the movie. It was pretty good. I especially enjoyed it since I could see all my buddies walking around in the background with rifles or just hanging out. It was a great movie and I must say it was filmed in the real jungle setting with snakes and all. No Hollywood back-set here!

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10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
A Unique War Adventure, 19 marzo 2003

Author: pchemoc389 da canada

Too Late the Hero is a cynical war adventure with a set of rather unsavoury, antagonistic characters caught in an unforgiving, hot environment where they risk being embushed at any time by Japanese soldiers. It manages to stay interesting for two hours until building up into a fabulous, exciting finale. Not a big soldiers action film like The Dirty Dozen or Platoon, Too Late the Hero is nevertheless my favourite of the genre, although it took a couple of watchings to appreciate the simple, yet original, intelligent plot development, the realistic, yet interesting and even at times amusing dialogue and characters (for instance, Caine telling Robertson in his cockney accent: "now what's got you jumping about like a frog with a bullet up his ass..") and the suspenseful and well-made action sequences. It is not always easy for this kind of film to retain a kind of unsentimental realism and be entertaining at the same time. Yet, Too Late the Hero does it. While they are not particularly sympathetic characters (there are none in the film, except maybe for the Japanese major), Cliff Robertson and Michael Caine manage to become likeable anti-heroes in their own way, each giving excellent performances; American Robertson wondering what the hell he is doing among a rough bunch of Brits fighting the Japanese on a Pacific island until he decides to find his destiny as a hero, and Caine as a brash, cynical, rude, insubordinate and altogether hilarious cockney, mainly concerned about saving his skin. Too Late the Hero does not dwell into making an elaborate anti-war statement. It takes for granted that war is hell and any sane man would just worry about surviving like Caine, Robertson or most of the other soldiers on an increasingly suicidal mission - not as the leader of the group, brilliantly played by Denholm Elliott, who appears suspect and foolish for trying to maintain traditional combat values and discipline. The interactions between Robertson and his unfriendly British companions add to the interest and credibility of the film, while the unusual chase through the jungle and its exciting conclusion contribute to its originality. Not the best war film ever, but a unique one.

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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Hate saved their skins, friendship made them heroes..., 19 luglio 2004
Author: jlpicard1701E da Lugano, Switzerland

What do you know about psychological warfare? Not much I guess.

Well, this is a war movie with a major twist. It's much less about shelling the enemy or just drill some holes in him, but more about "really" to outsmart him.

An American officer, an Interpreter in Japanese, who's a real artist when it comes to avoid the battlefield, is about to get a long awaited leave when he suddenly is tasked to help a bunch of British raiders in their endeavor to capture and destroy a forward listening Japanese outpost.

Through thick and through thin (literally), men who hate each other as well as hating the American officer (played by Cliff Robertson) have to face a common enemy who masterfully hides in the Jungle.

One by one they get hunted down by the Japanese. Nevertheless, the mission succeeds, but now the remaining force has to return to base. Not an easy task, considering that the Japanese made prisoners and are using them as bait while they communicate with the only two remaining raiders (Robertson and Michael Caine). Through a microphone and various loudspeakers scattered throughout the Jungle and by performing a highly skillful and mind-shattering blackmail, they try to lure the two to surrender.

A well timed war drama, masterfully played by all the actors involved figuring Ian Bannen ("The Hill", "The Outrage" etc.), Harry Andrews ("The Hill", "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Battle of Britain"), Denholm Elliot ("Raiders of the Lost Ark", "A Room with a View"), Ronald Fraser ("The Hill", "The Wild Geese") and Ken Takakura ("The Yakuza", "Antarctica", "Black Rain").

If you like two movies into one: a War Movie and a Suspense Thriller, then the price is really low.

The DVD edition is as one may expect from Anchor Bay. No extras included, except for the trailer, but the movie alone is, in my view, a tiny masterpiece and well worth the effort.

By the way, if you're looking for a similar movie, forget it. It's the only one in its genre. Think about it.

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12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
WWII forerunner of Aliens!, 22 dicembre 1998
Author: Mike-477 da Edinburgh

"Too Late the Hero" is an excellent WWII piece whose plot served as the basis for "Aliens" and "Southern Comfort" and is just as good as those other excellent movies: reluctant hero Cliff Robertson joins a motley group of soldiers (here British troops, including loud-mouthed Michael Caine and mad Ian Bannen) led by an incompetent officer, Denholm Elliot, and an experienced sergeant, Percy Herbert, who dies early on. Soon they are being stalked by a very ruthless enemy (Japanese troops led by Ken Takakura, whose role is, refreshingly, not a stereotype - coming across as a rather efficient officer) and shifty Ronald Fraser attempts to save his skin at the expense of the others. As this is Robert Aldrich there is a lot of brutal action, the characters have very few redeeming features but are excellently portrayed by Robertson and the excellent selection of British character actors, and are very anti-military! The climactic scene where the survivors race across open ground under fire from the Japanese is one of the best climaxes ever!

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
fromthe production company of the avengers ABC, 18 marzo 2001
Author: JET ACE

ASSOCIATED BRITISH COMPANY comes this well told tale of a WW 2 SOE/OSS commando mission to destroy a japanese communications base. The film also stars KEN TAKAKURA as a non sadisitic japanese commander which is a change of pace from the john wayne..."let's avenge the USS ARIZONA" SANDS OF IWO JIMA fare. The character he portrays (takakura) is full of honor and humanity.he is a soldier fighting on what the US would consider the wrong side of the war but from his perspective his side is the right side. I rather enjoy this film as CLIFF ROBERTSON and MICHAEL CAINE give two brilliant performances. The original score adds to the films flavor and it is one of the better produced WW 2 commando films I ate up as a kid on tv. ASSOCIATE BRITISH COMPANY has no relation to the united states tv network ABC for a while they were a british company that did work with BBC and THAMES etc. The look of the film is authentic and Caine gives a briliant performance as a pessimist..the anti secular humansit hot off the heels of BATTLE OF BRITAIN..the nice thing is in this movie he doesn't get eliminated early in the feature. I recommend this movie to WW 2 and action buffs. this and OBSESSION are two of CLIFF ROBERTSONS best roles.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining bit of cynicism, 8 marzo 2004
Author: Steve_Kaczynski da Somewhere in Europe

I liked this the first time I saw it (on TV) and enjoy it whenever it is shown. Caine's character in particular is very entertaining with his cynical comments and the British rank and file soldiers are a refreshing range of unheroic and in the case of Fraser's character, downright criminal types. Denholm Elliott as the British officer in command of the raid is a good portrayal of a neurotic not up to his job. I am inclined to agree that this film is a coded reference to the Vietnam war, like quite a few others made at the time and even later. I disagree with the idea that the Japanese commander is meant to be humane, however. His character is a bit more subtle than the usual portrayals of enemy officers but his behaviour, when he (temporarily?) refrained from killing his two prisoners, reminded me more of a cat playing with a mouse than of a humane opponent.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Solid war film., 5 marzo 2008

Author: fedor8 (fedor8@yahoo.com) da Serbia

TLTH is a solid war movie made in a time devoid of Tom Cruises, Di Crapios and other mattodamonic Bennaffleckians. Caine and Robertson look like men, not wimpy little effeminate preppies which we're served and rammed down our throats en masse nowadays. Michael Caine participated in the Korean war as a soldier, while Denholm Elliot spent several years as a Japanese P.O.W. in WW II; what's the toughest ordeal Casey Affleck ever had to go through? A broken nail? And it partially shows on screen, of course.

The main drawback is the length; I saw no reason for this plot to use up over 2 hours of screen time. A minor problem was the occasional mumbling.

One of the things I liked here is that there was a more realistic way of looking at World War II. In recent decades we've had U.S. liberals and other clueless Leftists tell us how "valid" and "noble" that war was, as opposed to other wars that came later, that were supposedly totally immoral, unclean, nasty and vile. However, there is no such thing as a "pure" or "sanitized" war. The lack of discipline, morality and even courage among some of the British troops in this film is a refreshing break from the kind of silly over-glorification of WW II - especially the way this stands in contrast to the over-vilification of wars fought by America in the decades after that.

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Where Eagles Dare, Guns Of Navarone, Heroes Of Telemark, Play Dirty……..and…what's this?, 13 febbraio 2008

Author: Freddy Levit da Melbourne, Australia

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It started with films like 'Lost Patrol' and 'Objective, Burma', but completely exploded into a sub-genre with the likes of 'The Guns Of Navarone' and 'Bridge On The River Kwai', these two films creating such momentum that for the next two decades the sub-genre ruled box office draws like a tornado. What made these films special? For one, they were usually set in far away, exotic, dangerous and exciting places. Places you never even heard of, so remote, not even the characters in the film knew where they were. But this still is not a sufficient explanation to why we find these films appealing. No, they're appealing because of the men. Send a group of men far away on a mission behind enemy lines, where the minutest mistake could be the difference between life and death, and you have a 'time bomb'. Characters are vital for the success of these films. Each in the unit must have a different background, be flawed in some way, have a weakness and strength. Only together they will succeed in achieving their goal. We love to listen to the briefings, objectives and the planning phase and we enjoy watching the selection process because we anticipate that by the end we will know these men like they were our own brothers. Once deployed, the film really begins and we are in for an adventure of a lifetime. We know what the men must do, but we don't know how. And once there is opposition among the men, the tension really begins. Subconsciously, after watching the men interact and counteract and delve deeper behind enemy territory toward their goal, you cannot help but feel you are part of a unit. Your only world is the group. They are your family. And voilà, magic!

Rarely has a sub-genre such as this been defined so well as by the classic "Too Late The Hero". It has it all. Exotic jungle, hot weather, rugged terrain, arrogant men from all walks of life, impossible mission orders, uncharted territory and a mighty enemy. No silly actresses or damsels in distress for comic or tragic relief, this film is like Rorke's Drift in the tropics. Everyone is tough and if they're not tough, tough luck, because once behind enemy lines there is no turning back. And this film has the most colorful ensemble of character actors I've ever seen. Cliff Robertson plays that lackluster turned reluctant hero character he's so good at playing. Michael Caine eats the scenery as the Cockney loud-mouth. Denholm Elliott is still lost in his own museum. Harry Andrews and Henry Fonda play themselves (which isn't a bad thing as they both deserve all accolades they ever received). Supporting cast is made of character actors playing roles that range from 'slum rat' unreliable type to 'strictly by-the-book' stiff-upper-lip type, from paranoid, insecure type to hard-as-nails tough S.O.B. Denholm Elliott falls into all categories throughout the film as the mission takes its toll on his nerves.

The film's setup is so riveting. You have an island situated somewhere in the pacific. Two settlements both on opposite sides of the island, both represent the enemy to the other. The Americans have sent one of theirs on a mission that is as daring as the quest for the Golden Fleece. A unit of British soldiers is assembled when the American arrives to the island's southern settlement, a settlement surrounded by an oval of grass clearing (to allow for a visible barrier around the settlement). The men set off, their objective being to locate a radio-tower at the Japanese settlement on the other side of the island and neutralize it. Why not just send planes to raid it by air? The Japanese will hear them coming and will radio for reinforcements. This is not what the British want. A complete element of surprise is crucial to finding the radio and destroying it, so that when a British ship passes the Japanese settlement, no transmissions can be made for help. This means the brave soldiers must walk into the lion's den. Led by the American (Cliff Robertson), they must cut their way through humid, sticky, wet, dense jungle completely unnoticed for miles, through night and day, and find the settlement, the radio tower, blow it to smithereens, neutralize the enemy and run for their lives back to base……….back to where they started, with the impenetrable jungle, and the invisible mines and soldiers camouflaged by the green in between them and freedom. But if that were not enough, the tension and confusion between the men builds to such intensity that mutiny seems inevitable.

If you're looking for a jungle suspense fest, you've found the film you're looking for. The whole cast delivers. You finish the film feeling worn out, tired, secure and relieved…………..the kind of relief you get when you feel free and safe…….the actors pull it off so convincingly that you could almost taste their sweat. It's sheer brilliance and an amazing realization of heroism. The direction was claustrophobic and fast-paced, as was the desperate dialog between the men. The script consistently holds your attention, never letting go, always leaving you on the edge-of-your-seat until the powerful finale. One of the greatest complements to the film was the lack or little use of music. This is used to great effect as the REAL music comes in the form of snapping twigs, leaves moving, water trickles, bird chirping and other wildlife…….and absolute MAYHEM.

But the greatest monument to the film, the force behind its very success, is the combined efforts of all actors involved. They MADE the film. It's completely character driven……….it's about the men………..about the heroics of those who never thought they could accomplish anything, who under the odds accomplished everything.

If you're getting a little tired of watching Colin Farrell, Will Smith and Brad Pitt, borrow this film and relive a time when films were made with professional actors……..not bum fluff.

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