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a+walk+in+the+sun | Year: 1945 Directed: - Lewis Milestone Actors/Actresses: - Dana Andrews - Richard Conte The Best Non-war War Film Lewis Milestone directed the best war films of his time: "All's Quiet on the Western Front" (WWI), "A Walk in the Sun" (WWII) and "Pork Chop Hill" (Korea). Of the three, "A Walk in the Sun", has the least action but the most reflection on what it's like to be the common man at war. It's more poetry than prose: the soliliquies by John Ireland's character composing letters to his sister; the delightful banter between movie stealing Richard Conte and George Tyne; Norman Llyod as the worried philospher obsessed with a future war in Tibet and Dana Andrews' star turn as the compassionate center of the platoon. Like poetic refrains, all the major themes are revisted: "nobody dies"(irony), "Tibet"(future wars), and "apples"(precognition). The signature Milestone tracking shots of impersonal mass slaughter are hypnotic and brutal at the same time. The wonderful title music ... is tear jerking heroic. Earl didn't like the other music in the film but he was wrong, it works. I love this film. It's everything you want in a film. It's moving, funny, sad and real. There's not a lot of action with only 2 fight scenes and most of the action occurs off camera which gives it a reverential reserve and a deliberate narrow point of view. The viewer takes that walk in the sun with the platoon and is limited to what they can see and hear just like a real infantryman. There is no B.S.and it's G rated with no extraneous violence. A film for everyone who wants to look inside rather than just outside. Still one of the best World War II films I too have seen A walk In The Sun countless times since I first saw it on television when I was a kid in the mid 1950's. I still believe that it is one of the best war films ever made. Yes, I also have seen Saving Private Ryan many times and love it as well. In many ways, these films have a lot in common. They both exemplify the tenseness and horror of war. While SPR is more graphic, A Walk In The Sun succeeds with superb camera work and more subtlety. The acting in A Walk In The Sun is excellent and I practically memorized all of the humorous dialogue between Pvts Rivera (Richard Conte) and Freedman (George Tyne). These two were a quintesential element of the film. This film was excellently directed by Lewis Milestone and should not be missed. Not a restored version It is apparent that the copyright has expired on this movie, as a number of DVD houses are offering various versions. This transfer is moderately scratchy and occasionally fuzzy, and obviously slightly cropped. It is too bad the studio hasn't seen fit to issue a restored version (and copyright the restoration). Unfortunately, judging by the offerings here on Amazon, there is no studio version available. Buy A Walk In The Sun at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on A Walk In The Sun Search with the Priority Search Engine on A Walk In The Sun This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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