This is a superb film that shows Otto Preminger's remarkable craftsmanship, both in the camera work and in conveying a historic narrative. After the novel by James Ba... more >
This is a superb film that shows Otto Preminger's remarkable craftsmanship, both in the camera work and in conveying a historic narrative. After the novel by James Bassett, Preminger is masterful in relaying the sequence of events that turned the tide of the war in the Pacific following the Pearl Harbor disaster. John Wayne reaches for an extraordinary performance as U.S. Navy Capt. Rockwell Torrey, joining intriguing depictions by Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon and Paula Prentiss. In black and white, the visuals are as richly compelling as in Wayne's western films, with single shots that go on for minutes at a time, weaving past scenery and events and dialogue in a manner that is as rewarding to behold as the story itself. < less
