In modern times, it does not really register when a filmmaker crafts a movie that depicts typically heroic figures in an unflattering light. We have been conditioned over the years to understand that no one institution is infallible and people are only as strong as their basic nature will allow them to be. Back in the 1950s not long outside of WWII, this was a much different story for anyone looking to make a studio film. Director Robert Aldrich (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Dirty Dozen) is perhaps best known for creating unflinching, pessimistic films that often dealt with with man’s worst inclinations and pushed up against the boundaries of acceptable violence. It should not come as a complete surprise then that Aldrich was met with some pretty vocal criticism when he went to adapt Norman Brooks’ stage play Fragile Fox into the feature film Attack! The play dealt with themes of cowardice and manipulation in the military brass, which made the US Defense Department unwilling to help in the film’s production. Without help in the way of borrowed troops, tanks and more, Aldrich took his limited budget and created a contained, thrilling picture that taps into a less optimistic look at fighting a war.
In the latter stages of World War II, the men of the Fragile Fox company are doing their damndest to hold their own near the frontlines of a Belgian town. With men perishing at a rapid pace and others getting pinned down by heavy gunfire, the only hope is for reinforcements to be sent in to help those who are in peril. Herein lies the problem; Captain Erskine Cooney (Eddie Albert, Roman Holiday) is the leader of these men, and his ability to lead effectively extends only as far as being a good bureaucrat. When it comes to the real business of war, he is as useless as a screen door on a submarine. While his men are being slaughtered, he is frozen in terror unable to send out the necessary men to save the day. This lack of leadership does not sit well with his subordinates, especially the heroic platoon leader Lieutenant Joe Costa (Jack Palance, City Slickers). While the two very nearly come to blows, executive officer, Lt. Harold Woodruff (William Smithers, Dallas) does what he can to keep things civil. If he has his way, he will get Cooney transferred to a desk job that better suits his sensibilities.
This sensible idea is not so easily accomplished thanks to the general corruption and scheming in the power positions of the military. Cooney owes his position to Lieutenant Colonel Clyde Bartlett (Lee Marvin, The Dirty Dozen), who as a youth used to work for Cooney’s father, a powerful judge who would be quite the ally in Bartlett’s post-war political ambitions. When Cooney is charged with seizing a nearby town, his lack of a spine will once again screw over Costa and his men, who agree to go on a reconnaissance mission if reinforcements will be made available to them. While many war films of this time were focused on portraying the scope and intricacies of the fighting, Attack! takes a different approach entirely as it hones in on the nature of men and how individuals can fall apart under pressure. There are plenty of exciting moments of Germans taking on our heroes, but the real villain of the movie is incompetence and corruption. The lack of fighting due to Cooney refusing to send in additional men is somehow more pulse-pounding than if the men had stormed into the firefight with guns blazing. It is one thing to have your heroes die in the course of carrying out their duties to the best of their abilities, it is quite another to have them hung out to dry like sitting ducks.
While this may seem like almost the entirety of the film, this is only a setup to the general situation with many explosive and unsparing confrontations stemming from the main conflict. With this being based on a play, it makes sense that this script has some of the most thoughtful exchanges about war that I have heard from this time period. Even though his character is a coward, Eddie Albert, a decorated WWII vet in real life, plays Cooney with the note-perfect precision that allows you to completely despise the character. He is so oily and self-serving that every phrase out of his mouth makes you want to wring his neck. Jack Palance is a good surrogate in that respect. The character of Costa is everything you want out of your war heroes, and you will find yourself worked up into a frenzy alongside him when he is confronted with blatant corruption. Palance has one of the great chiseled faces that works so incredibly well in this nuanced role. Plenty of praise should also be thrown at Lee Marvin for being more self-assured than Cooney, but just as selfish and devious. Everyone is bringing their A-game, and it elevates the film ten-fold. Aldrich does a phenomenal job of establishing huge personal stakes without having to go overboard with his production. Attack! is not a film I really see getting a lot of attention, but it serves as one of the more compelling wartime dramas I have seen from the golden age of Hollywood.
Video Quality
Attack! makes its US Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a remarkably strong transfer. I could not ascertain any specific information on the elements used for this release, but the picture is a real treat for any fans of the film. The gorgeous black-and-white photography shot by Joseph Biroc sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the uniforms and in the locations, such as the building the group gets trapped in the latter half of the movie. The transfer shows off an admirable amount of depth and enhanced detail within the bombed out landscape. Black levels are deep with very little in the way of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and print damage is kept to a minimum. Kino Classics has made this one shine on Blu-Ray.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this film really well. The first thing you will notice is the grandiosity of the Frank De Vol score and the power of the wartime sound effects. Despite the strength of these elements, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track shows no discernible age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. All of the sound effects and explosions appear to be faithful to the intent of the filmmaker. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. You could not ask for better from Kino Classics.
Special Features
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here which establishes the stakes of the film without giving away every single plot development.
- Trailers: Kino Classics provides trailers for several other releases including Ten Seconds to Hell, Apache, Ulzanna’s Raid, The Killing of Sister George, The Grissom Gang and Beach Red.
Final Thoughts
Attack! is a war film that succeeds by focusing on the darkness inside men rather than indulging in unnecessary spectacle. Those who want firefights and tanks will also be satisfied, but the beauty of this film resides in the way in which it subverts normal conventions. The trio of Jack Palance, Eddie Albert and Lee Marvin are electric when they are on screen with one another. Kino Classics has given this film a Blu-Ray upgrade with an extremely pleasing A/V presentation. While many war films can be very much of the same ilk, Attack! offers something a bit more human and exciting that should be a worthwhile discovery for many. Highly Recommended
Attack! is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.