GUENOT PHILIPPE I won't add many things to the other users have already said. Just here, Steve mc Queen had - SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS - a death very similar to the one he will have several years later in THE SAND PEEBLES, where, at the end, he is shot in the back whilst he runs to get covered under the enemy fire. He is shot, he falls down and his face looks surprised. Except that in this film, he is not quite dead and has still the strength to get up, take the grenade or explosive purse and throw himself into the German blockhaus to get exploded with the enemy.

Woodyanders Autumn, 1944: A small, yet determined group of American soldiers are forced to hold back a bunch of Nazis all by themselves on the German Siegfried line. Adroitly directed in customary mean'n'lean economical fashion by Don Siegel, with a gritty, realistic, and bitterly cynical tone, a taut and hard-hitting script by Richard Carr and Robert Pirosh, exciting (and harrowing) combat action, crisp black and white cinematography by Harold Lipstein, a refreshing dearth of both pretense and sentiment, and startling moments of brutal violence, this powerful little gut punch of a picture even comes complete with a strong central statement on the intrinsic futility and wastefulness of war (the ferocious climactic battle set piece in particular leaves the soul-crushing overall impression that it was all for nothing). The uniformly fine acting from the tip-top cast keeps this movie on track: Steve McQueen excels as austere and rebellious loner Reese, Fess Parker delivers a sound performance as the sturdy and resolute Sergeant Pike, and Bob Newhart in his film debut provides some amusing comic relief as the bumbling Private Driscoll, plus there are spot-on contributions from Harry Guardino as the no-nonsense Sergeant Larkin, James Coburn as the easygoing and resourceful Henshaw, Bobby Darin as amiable and irreverent hustler Corby, Nick Adams as endearingly goofy Polish refugee Homer Janeczek, and Mike Kellin as the tough Kolinsky. Well worth seeing.

trosini The move starts slow and choppy but develops well into some dramatic scenes. The cast is outstanding and the dialog is excellent at times. All in all this is a movie worth watching; true, there are some chintzy scenes in the battles with obvious over acting and ridiculous action of the supposedly injured, but hey it was the 60s and there were no digital effects and those extras didn't get paid much! The black and white filming may turn off some viewers but it actually adds to the drama of this war movie. It is also interesting to watch Bob Newhart, Steve McQueen, Fess Parker, Nick Adams and even Bobby Darin (was he in any other movie in a serious role?) deliver a realism to their lines, and think of their later lives.

zardoz-13 Actor Steve McQueen plays the least charismatic character of his entire career in the concise, Don Siegel directed, 90-minute World War II movie "Hell Is for Heroes," a first-rate, uncompromising anti-war movie about sacrifice and redemption set on the dangerous Siegfried Line in mid-1944. A woebegone squad of six rugged G.I.s that is overdue for rest and relaxation find themselves stretched perilously thin to defend a front for 48 hours against a numerically superior enemy until reinforcements arrive. Fess Parker, Bobby Darin, James Coburn, Harry Guardino, L.Q. Jones, Nick Adams, and first-time actor Bob Newhart co-star in this grim, realistic, thoroughly convincing but virtually all-male combat thriller. Indeed, there is one woman at the outset who operates a bar. Apart from her, no other females populate this serious, no-nonsense, but heavily ironic yarn. Our heroes must convince the enemy that they are 600 rather than a mere six. The production designers deserve a round of applause for their fabulous job of recreating the Type 10 bunkers of the Limes Programme that cover the enemy front as well as the tank teeth that constituted part of the line.Combat films by 1962 were steadily growing more and more cynical, and "Hell Is for Heroes" contains more examples of raw-edged cynicism than flag-waving, sentimental patriotism.. The wise-cracking G.I.s of World War II era movies were overshadowed here by cantankerous, paranoid soldiers not about looting a church or espousing atheism. Although color films were the standard, Siegel lensed "Hell Is for Heroes" in black and white and the choice is appropriate for the unglamorous subject matter. Like many World War II movies, the focus is on the grubby guys on the battlefront and Steve McQueen's Reese is a perfect example. The unshaven, less-than-fortunate protagonist has wrecked a jeep, basically cracked up, been demoted, but he remains a brave, willing soldier who has a difficult time recognizing, much less accommodating authority whether the authority figure is an enlisted man or an officer. McQueen clashed with BATTLEGROUND scenarist Robert Pirosh, a World War II veteran and later creator of the ABC-TV classic COMBAT!, who had been initially hired to direct. Don Siegel replaced him, but Siegel and McQueen had their share of spats. Reportedly, McQueen sought to enhance the lonely character of his anti-social hero by refusing to fraternize with the cast. Neither McQueen nor Darin were on friendly terms during the production.