Objective, Burma! (1945)
Director: Raoul Walsh
Starring: Errol Flynn, James Brown, William Prince
Synopsis:
Paratroopers in Burma are dropped in to destroy a Japanese radar station, but when their means of extraction is cut off, they have to brave miles of enemy territory to get out.
Impressions:
You don't see too many films about operations in Burma during World War II, so that's one thing this movie has going for it. It comes off as something of a victory lap because by the time it came out, the Allies had already turned things around in that neck of the woods. Some people like this movie because it's a fair bit more grounded than a lot of war films coming out around that time. There are only two big action set pieces and most of it is just the slog of trudging through the jungle and trying to keep the team together. A common criticism is that it's a bit on the long side, but I personally never found it dragging all that noticeably. It caused some controversy for focusing on a team of Merrill's Marauders rather than the larger British effort in the theater. The Limeys had a perfectly functional film industry to blow their own trumpet if they were that concerned. And here I was impressed by the inclusion of a Chinese soldier and a couple Gurkhas on the team. Anyway, it's one of the better war films from the period and if that appeals to you, you'll want to give it a watch.
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