On B List of Movie Reviews

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Beach Red (1967)

Rate: 2
Viewed: 7/14

Bred
7/14: I get it already: war is stupid.

But does the message need to be repeated endlessly? What's shown in Beach Red has been done in countless films, most notably All Quiet on the Western Front and Platoon. I was often confused if it's supposed to take place during World War II or the Vietnam War. The pace is so slow that a snail can move faster.

As a director, Cornel Wilde is limited because he keeps looping the same cycle over and over throughout: pick a character, make him recall memories by showing still images that resemble pornography, and have him walk through the jungle. He even goes far enough to use war stock footage for the beginning. How boring.

Speaking of "shocking" wounds, I see the dark side of war yet never witness any of the soldiers physically shot as they fall down during live fighting. Weird, isn't it? The last ten minutes is an agony to sit through. Moreover, the characters (none of the thespians can act) are eternally forgettable, and I don't care if they survive or not. Oh, really...marines land on the beach to find Japanese soldiers drawing pictures, eating rice, doing whatnots, and dressing up like them before making a surprise attack? Like it would happen during World War II.

All in all, Beach Red is for kids under 12.