How would soldiers behave if they weren't forced to fight? It's a very thought-provoking question, one that's answered in the WWII drama None But the Brave. Frank Sinatra directed the film, and given the strong themes of friendship and loyalty present in the script, it's easy to see why he was drawn to it.
A Japanese platoon is stranded on a tropical island, and as they try to build a boat to escape from the island and return to the war, an American plane crashes on the island. Both sides are isolated, and while at first they're hostile towards each other, as time passes with no rescue from either country, they agree to a temporary truce. As the friendship grows between the commanders and soldiers, there's a sense of dread and sadness looming overhead. If they are rescued, will they immediately become enemies again? Everything in this movie is shared equally between the Japanese and Americans, from the screenplay written by John Twist and Katsuya Susaki, to the dual languages present in the opening credits, to the similar dynamics between the commanders and their soldiers. While Tatsuya Mihashi has the largest role of the Japanese cast, and Clint Walker is the lead of the American cast, the entire ensemble cast gives very good performances. The slow change from wariness to trust is built steadily through the scenes, and as the men begin to dread a potential rescue, the audience feels it just as strongly.
While there's very little fighting in this film, it's a very important war movie. If you think character development and internal tension are just as important as battle scenes, you're going to want to watch None But the Brave the next time you're in the mood for a WWII movie.
A Japanese platoon is stranded on a tropical island, and as they try to build a boat to escape from the island and return to the war, an American plane crashes on the island. Both sides are isolated, and while at first they're hostile towards each other, as time passes with no rescue from either country, they agree to a temporary truce. As the friendship grows between the commanders and soldiers, there's a sense of dread and sadness looming overhead. If they are rescued, will they immediately become enemies again? Everything in this movie is shared equally between the Japanese and Americans, from the screenplay written by John Twist and Katsuya Susaki, to the dual languages present in the opening credits, to the similar dynamics between the commanders and their soldiers. While Tatsuya Mihashi has the largest role of the Japanese cast, and Clint Walker is the lead of the American cast, the entire ensemble cast gives very good performances. The slow change from wariness to trust is built steadily through the scenes, and as the men begin to dread a potential rescue, the audience feels it just as strongly.
While there's very little fighting in this film, it's a very important war movie. If you think character development and internal tension are just as important as battle scenes, you're going to want to watch None But the Brave the next time you're in the mood for a WWII movie.