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27 out of 36 people found the following review useful: Masterful, gritty, absorbing - Errol Flynn? -You bet!, 11 February 2005 Author: jbhsgossip from Burbank/Los Angeles California
I first saw Objective Burma as a Saturday afternoon movie, probably on WGN TV in Chicago around 1963 at the tender age of 14. I was expecting the usual Errol Flynn fare (which was fine by me) but this blew my socks off! It rates right up there with Cagney's unbelievable turn in Yankee Doodle Dandy or Bogart's African Queen – If you never thought Flynn could act, this flick will turn your head around.The usual TV Guide description goes something like – "American paratroopers are dropped into Burma to destroy a radar station". Yes, but that's only the first half hour! The real story begins when they find out they can't be picked up and are going to have to 'walk out', and it ain't no Robin Hood swash buckles his way through the castle sequence!The dialog, music, photography, settings, along with major and minor players all work exquisitely to deliver what I humbly consider to be the finest war movie ever made. The depth is incredible, Raoul Walsh's touch is perfect, Flynn soars beyond what anybody ever thought he could. My God, there's even a scene where a tortured comrade begs to be put out of his misery and Flynn pulls it off. This ain't -Santa Fe Trail, Baby!Yes, there is some dialog that today would not be politically correct, but, come on – We were at WAR, and I'm sure the Japanese had some equally colorful words to describe us! Yes, there is little mention of the British who were the major heroes of Burma – Well let them go ahead and make their own damn movie and shut the hell up about it! And, sorry, it's NOT 92 minutes long, Walsh takes his time bringing the story along, showing the deteriorating situation, the heat, the worry, the exasperation – If you want MTV, go somewhere else.So many scenes stand out. Jacobs death, signaling to the supply plane with a mirror, the rendezvous scene, the night battle – Jeez, they're all so damn good. But maybe the one that gets to me the most is in the heat of a skirmish when Flynn's men ask him where to go, what to do – His face contorts into anguish and he gives the unheard of (in Hollywood) answer – But I won't spoil it for you, go see it for yourself. I moved to LA in 1975 and about 20 years later I happened to be visiting the Los Angeles County Arboretum (formerly Lucky Baldwin's Estate in Baldwin Park next to Santa Anita Race Track) and got to talking with someone in the office about all the movies, television shows and commercials shot there (hundreds). I suggested that someone ought to do a book about it. The gal smiled, reached into a cabinet and handed me a well worn, out of print volume – "You mean like this"? I eyed the index eagerly and almost couldn't believe my eyes when I found Objective Burma there. Oh my God, I'd been coming to the park for over 15 years and never realized that the main Victorian house (popularized in the TV series Fantasy Island) is the exact same building used in the 'native village scene' where the big fight takes place. Later I walked over to the building, climbed onto the porch and chuckled to myself – This is where they set up the machine gun to cover their escape when the Japanese attacked. Over there is where they crossed the 'swamp' and here is where Jacobs died. I actually shivered with the realization that I was standing right on the very spot where a large portion of one of my all time favorite movies was filmed. If you happen to be a fan and are in LA, it's only about 7 dollars to get in, and be sure to bring some unsalted popcorn to feed the ducks, Errol probably did…
19 out of 23 people found the following review useful: Great Movie, Now on DVD, 14 May 2003 Author: (orexis@pacbell.net) from SF, Bay Area
This is one of the very best of the WWII battle films made during the war. It has excellent action sequences, and is full of the very intense emotions that were felt during that time. It's also one of Errol Flynn's best roles, as the captain of a parachute squad sent to blow up a Japanese radar station as a prelude to the allied re-conquest of Burma. Unlike many of the war films of the same era, this one is shot almost exclusively outdoors, and a considerable effort was made to make the shoot look and sound like it was actually in a jungle. Considering the film's age, the picture quality of the DVD is very good. A few of the sequences have a lot of scratches and grain, but that was because the film makes good use of real jungle war footage.A must see for fans of WWII films, or of Errol Flynn fans who want to see him in one of his best roles.
14 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Good war picture, 6 December 2004 Author: jlon from Dublin
Flynn and a few dozen soldiers prepare Burma for invasion. DVD review.Flynn leads his team through Burma to blow up a radar station. But their rescue attempts are foiled by the Japanese.One of the earliest examples of the soldier easily entering foreign territory but finding it difficult to get out. Movie is in two parts: the lead up and attack on the radar, followed by the many narrow escapes from the Japs (this movie calls them "monkeys"). The team of soldiers gets reduced in number as the movie nears the end. Flynn (with a posh accent) is likable and the supporting cast are all witty ordinary men. The best scenes are the landing of the supplies from the planes. Another good scene involves the night time attack by the Japs on Flynn's group - with the enemy getting mowed down following the release of a night flare.Objective, Burma! is a war movie worth watching.
11 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Underrated War Film!, 6 June 2003 Author: tom sawyer (sawyert2003@yahoo.com) from Waterford, Michigan
Objective Burma has to be one of Errol Flynn's best movies not to mention performances. he is unlike many of the swashbuckling roles that made him famous. There are other fine performances as well throughout the cast. There is only a small amount of the stereotypical Bronx or New York guy with an accent.Objective Burma is an entertaining movie about a paratrooper units mission to destroy a radar station and how it their escape route becomes blocked and they must fight their way out. It is a very underrated war movie that doesn't get the accolades that a Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day or even the Dirty Dozen. It was a made up story about a small mission in the Pacific Theater of operation.It portrays the men's bravery, sacrifice and and heroism quite well. The acting, storyline and action make for a very well done and in some areas ahead of its time movie. I have never really been an Errol Flynn fan, but this has to rank as one of his better and yet more subdued performances. Henry Hull also gets high marks for his portrayal as a newspaperman. Rent this or buy it, you won't be disappointed!
11 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Errol's Finest, 11 April 2002 Author: Art La Cues from Independence, CA USA
I have always thought that Errol Flynn was a fine actor and this is surely one of his best performances. As the contibutor from Leeds England wrote, this movie does not detract from the British role in Burma. Any knowledgeable person should know that the British were the primary Allied participants in this theater of World War 11. However, this story of an American unit is superb! Errol and the supporting cast are superb. This film portrays the horror of war without the unnecessary crude language and graphic bloodletting of modern war films. Errol Flynn shows a compassion and commitment to saving his men and accomplishing their mission. The direction, dialogue, scenery, and story paints a realistic story of what war really is. No false heroics or unnecessary theatrical baggage. Flynn, Henry Hull, etc. excel in their roles and this movie is a testament to the very best in theatrical productions.
15 out of 22 people found the following review useful: One of my favorites, 23 June 2004 Author: bjs1124 from Florida, USA
I saw this movie when it came out in 1945.As a kid of 8 years it was terrific.I watch it every time it is on TV.I can almost repeat all the dialog in it.I think the part that Henry Hull says when they find our men captured in the village.I think it is very fitting today as to what is going on in Iraq.Colorizing this movie wasn't such a good idea in my opinion.Black and white seems to add realism to the film.I have been googleing all the actors in the film.Where Errol says to Henry Hull,"you know how old the colonel is in there? 34"And our general is 37.He was right.Warner Anderson was 34 years old.Errol of course was 30.All young men who jump out of planes.However,George Tobias was 44,a little old to be jumping out of airplanes.And Henry Hull was 55.I guess he was the oldest in the cast.I met William Prince in NYC many years ago. And talked to him just about this film.I should have asked him more questions but he and I both had appointments to make.Nice guy.
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Against all odds the assignment gets done., 25 May 2003 Author: Michael O'Keefe from Muskogee OK
Rauol Walsh directs one the greatest war films that exceeds its criticism. Errol Flynn leads a group of U.S. paratroopers on a mission to destroy an enemy radar station in Japanese-occupied Burma. The objective is accomplished, but the patrol goes through Hell as it makes its way back to base. Realistic war scenes with the more savage implied and off camera. No phony heroics, just hard fighting soldiers doing what needs to be done. Flynn is flawless and this might just be one his finest roles. A very strong cast includes: James Brown(of TV's Rin Tin Tin), Henry Hull, Mark Stevens, George Tobias, Richard Erdman, William Prince and Hugh Beaumont. No complaints about the near two and a half hour run time. Top of the line war movie shot in beautiful black and white. Produced by Jerry Wald.
11 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Ranks with "They Were Expendable" and "Saving Private Ryan", 26 February 2001 Author: jacksflicks from Hollywood
When I read histories of the Pacific War, I frequently come across passages telling of a rage held by allied soldiers against the Japanese, more intense than that held against the Germans (though had they known at the time about Malmedy and the Holocaust, it might have been a different story). There is a scene in "Objective Burma" which conveys to me, more effectively than any other film, how that rage was born.This is a Warner Brothers "A" picture, directed by the great Raoul Walsh, and it shows. The acting is superb, and the locations are totally convincing. The framework for these is a conventional story of an allied patrol's sabotage of an enemy radar station, deep in the jungle, and its harrowing trek back to safety. What sets "Operation Burma" apart is its concentration on the humanity of the characters within an "action film" context, without resort to melodrama. It is a delicate balance that many films fail to maintain, and it is perhaps why Errol Flynn is ideal as Captain Nelson, leader of the patrol. Flynn's screen image as a swashbuckler was always tempered by a disarming mildness, which not only made the ladies swoon but enabled him convincingly to reveal the human frailty behind the bravura. And nowhere else does he display this double facet to better effect than in "Operation Burma". It is said that the best commanders are those who only have to ask in order to be obeyed. Flynn is this kind of commander. Other fine players should not be neglected. There is a standout performance by Henry Hull, as an elderly journalist whose ambition to cover the war from the ground leads him to the realization that in war it isn't just combat that kills. I also like Warner Anderson, both grim and sympathetic as Flynn's commanding officer. And the uncredited Erville Anderson's "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell is so convincing, I fancied the general was playing himself!I like to have films representing each of a broad range of interests. For Errol Flynn, I have "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "Operation Burma" and "That Forsyte Woman". As well as any others, these three films define Errol Flynn's career. For World War II, I have "Operation Burma," "They Were Expendable" and "Saving Private Ryan". As well as any others, these three films define World War II. They are musts for any comprehensive film library.
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Erroll Flynn Wins Burma, 3 March 2007 Author: DKOSTY from United States
The British banned this film for 7 years because they resented the fact that this movie made it look like Flynn won Burma single-handed. Really, when you watch this film, that is not really how it looks. The story is a little different than that but the British felt they didn't get their just credit in this movie & as it was made in 1945, it hit a raw nerve with them.The story is about a group of paratroops dropped behind enemy lines with the mission of destroying a key enemy radar station. They accomplish that task but then get cut-off from getting out. It really is a game of survivor as in the final Tally all but 11 of them die before the last ones are rescued.Raol Walsh, excellent for directing action, does a good job on this picture. A rare film in that Flynn has no women to romance in this film- the entire cast is male. While they talk about women, there are none to be found. There are plenty of outdoor sequences & a fair amount of action. The film opens & closes with some war propaganda, but the text is actually pretty timeless & patriotic.
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Terrific WWII picture that really holds up well., 13 February 2005 Author: johnbal23 (johnbal23@hotmail.com) from United States
Late in his career, Errol Flynn described "Objective Burma" as one of the roles that he was most proud of. It's easy to see why. A solidly entertaining film that follows the exploits of a small group of American paratroopers dropped behind Japanese lines to destroy an enemy radar installation, it was quite gritty for a 1940's era war picture. Lacking the usual bravado of Flynn films, it had the look of a documentary. That look was greatly enhanced by the fine black and white photography. While the film was shot in California (as I recall) it had a very authentic look and feel. Flynn was excellent in perhaps his best non-swashbuckler role. The interesting second lead was James Brown, best known as the star of "Rin Tin Tin" and, many years later, as a regular on the "Dallas" television series.
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