When "A Walk in the Sun" came out in 1945 it made a strong impression on the home front. It showed more of the reality of war than the string of patriotic we-can-do-it slap-the-Jap stun-the-Hun movies, mostly nonsensical tripe made during the war years. There are no John Wayne heroics here, no superhuman commandos, just the "poor bloody infantry". They are just a platoon of fairly ordinary men on a mission to march to a farmhouse and occupy it. It is not that Hollywood staple of "the mission that could change the course of the war". They lose their lieutenant. They take casualties from planes, maybe even their own planes. The sergeant who takes over the lead breaks down. They keep going. They talk - a lot. But what talk it is! It is the talk of soldiers. Commonplace stuff, where do you come from, what are you going to do after the war, do the brass know what they're doing, gimme a cigarette. The song that opens and closes the movie makes a point that is perhaps the point of the movie when it links them to soldiers of other places and times.
Incidentally, it is fun to look at the cast. Most of the major players in this movie were at the beginning of long and successful careers, notably Dana Andrews, Lloyd Bridges and Norman Lloyd. (Just another thought - after seeing "Saving Private Ryan", I realized that Steven Spielberg has seen "A Walk in the Sun" at least as many times as I have.)
My uncle, a veteran of Tunisia who went into Salerno as a Ranger, hated most war films, but not this one. He also told me that his company had a fight with a German armored car very similar to the one with the halftrack in this film.
Incidentally, it is fun to look at the cast. Most of the major players in this movie were at the beginning of long and successful careers, notably Dana Andrews, Lloyd Bridges and Norman Lloyd. (Just another thought - after seeing "Saving Private Ryan", I realized that Steven Spielberg has seen "A Walk in the Sun" at least as many times as I have.)
My uncle, a veteran of Tunisia who went into Salerno as a Ranger, hated most war films, but not this one. He also told me that his company had a fight with a German armored car very similar to the one with the halftrack in this film.