r5fuego

Yes, Kat is absolutely compelling, But this film is more-it is comedy the works. From start to finish. It is just plain funny with some great inside jokes that any fan or would be actor would appreciate. Even the ending managed to be funny, compelling and poignant-at the same time. Something Saturday Night Live dreams of achieving but never quite does.

Scott Wright did a wonderful job on what was obviously a small budget. And Pablo Schreiber (brother of Leiv) puts together an hysterical character by channeling a cross between Matthew McConaughey and Russell Crowe.

Author author!

I'll pass along my Uncle Frank's review of this film. Uncle Frank's war ended during the Invasion of Sicily where he received his second Purple Heart. He never liked to talk about his experiences, but several times before his death in 1983 he unequivocally stated that "A Walk In the Sun" was the most accurate portrayal of an infantryman's experience in war.

Military historians like Gen. S.L.A. Marshall and Stephen Ambrose have long noted how each soldier has an isolated view of combat with absolutely no idea of what is going on outside of his or her immediate area ("I wonder who won" says Richard Beymer near the end of "The Longest Day").

This movie stays with that view throughout, leaving the "generals'" the "philosophers'" and the "politicians'" views to others. Run, walk, crawl and dig in. Often smell and hearing are more useful senses than sight in guessing what's going on. Death and emotional breakdown are almost routine, part of the job. Younger viewers may note the influences of this movie on so many others, and the TV shows that followed, from Altman's "Combat" episodes to "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers." The soldier's view of combat on Omaha Beach in "Private Ryan," is one example. Compare in both movies the sharp banter between the ethnically diverse foot soldiers as they walk along towards inevitable danger, whether farmhouse or antenna installation. I even see the dialog between Vincent Vega and Jules as they carry out their "missions" as an outgrowth of this movie.

I agree with Uncle Frank.

This movie stands the test of time as a western classic examining universal themes, up there with more touted flicks like Shane, and the Searchers. The brutal murder of his parents begins the metamorphosis of Steve McQueen's character, from an innocent boy into an instrument of revenge. His hatred grows more resolute, even as several people are kind to him along the way, and he falls in love, twice. An example of the lengths he goes to is getting himself thrown into prison to gain access to one of his victims. Despite the humanity he encounters on his journey to catch the killers, will he allow hatred to consume his life? Though coming from different places, McQueen, and Carl Malden, as the leader of the gang he is after, both give vintage powerful performances. A young Suzanne Pleshette is gorgeous. Brian Keith is simply great. A thinking man's Kill Bill.

After delivering his prize bulls from Texas to a mysterious buyer in the Amazon, Glen Ford is reluctantly drawn into a dispute between a wealthy rancher, a beautiful women, homesteaders and Brazilian bandits. A vintage performance by Ford is complemented by Cesar Romero, as the bandit "El Gato." The sexy Abbe Lane pulls off a song in the middle of the movie that showcases her then husband, Xavier Cugat's, Latin score. Americans in the 1950's were fascinated with the Amazon, one of North America's last frontiers. With some great second unit wildlife shots, this is not Monument Valley. If you can enjoy an old time western, with its stoic hero and sharp moral choices, set in 1950's Brazil, then this one is for you.