Objective Burma

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A paratroop captain (Errol Flynn) sets out with a platoon to attack a Japanese outpost in the jungle. The Americans reach their target, take out the enemy with almost balletic precision, then gear up to return home. This feels like the point when a conventional war movie would have reached its action-filled climax, but the journey has only begun. Ahead lies one of the most arduous and agonizing adventures any World War II film ever offered, brilliantly directed by that underrated old master Raoul Walsh and photographed with almost tactile realism by the great James Wong Howe.

The chief rap against Objective, Burma! (of concern mainly to British observers) is that it suggests that only U.S. forces contested the Japanese in the jungles of Burma. (OK, so it's not the most accurate history lesson.) But that's small beer in view of the movie's bone-chilling portrayal of pain, sacrifice, and endurance. The jungle atmosphere is so persuasive, you'd swear it was shot on the actual locations (though in fact Walsh effectively reworked many of the same situations in Distant Drums, a sort-of Western about the Seminole War, six years later). You'll never forget the terrifying last dark night on a mountainside--or the crocodiles.... Flynn is excellent (he had given his best performance ever in Walsh's Gentleman Jim three years earlier), and he's backed by a solid cast including Henry Hull (as an aging war correspondent), James Brown, William Prince, George Tobias, and Stephen Richards (soon to change his name to Mark Stevens). Incidentally, two of the writers, Alvah Bessie and Lester Cole, were later blacklisted; see if you can spot any Commie propaganda. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Mission accomplished! Errol Flynn, who brought boyish bravado to The Adventures of Robin Hood, Dodge City, Gentleman Jim and other screen yarns, turns in a mature, acclaimed performance as the leader of a paratrooper patrol stranded in Burma. It's "one of the few features of which I am proud," Flynn later said. There's reason for pride. "This is one of the finest World War II films made during the war," The Movie Guide says. "One of the best war movies," Guide for the Film Fanatic's Danny Peary wrote, "and among the grimmest." Raoul Walsh directs the hard-hitting action, shot in rugged California locations so similar to Burma that veterans of that campaign refused to believe the crew hadn't somehow sneaked into Asia.

DVD Features:
Other:WB 1941 Short "The Tanks are Coming" WB 1943 Short "The Rear Gunner"
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Objective, Burma!.......2007-06-25

Raoul Walsh's tight, pounding "Burma" is one of the best WWII films out there, and reportedly one of Flynn's personal favorites. It should be, as the swashbuckling star turns in a gritty, first-rate performance as the intrepid Nelson, with worthy support from Hull as the aging correspondent who's clearly in over his head. Long but consistently engrossing, this unsung classic merits a wider audience.

great war story.......2007-05-21

This is, in my opinion, one of the best ww2 movies,be advised though that this is quite a long movie, but it is easy to keep interest in it, with lots of action, and a few quiet moments also.One thing readily apparent is that as the show starts the guys on their trek through the jungle,and for most of the way through the jungle there is very realistic and noticeable sounds of the jungle such as birds and animals and sounds you would hear while hiking a trail, there is also the constant tension of the enemy in the area and that they are being followed or tracked by the enemy.all in all, I think, one of the better war movies of the era.

We got run out of Burma..........2007-03-03

... and it's as humiliating as hell. - Gen Joseph Stilwell

By 1945, the year Raoul Walsh's OBJECTIVE, BURMA was released, the Allied armies would be well on their way to reclaiming Burma. The movie chronicles an operation undertaken on the eve of a massive invasion of the country. A Japanese radar station near the front line needs to be taken out of commission. The air force doesn't know exactly where the camouflaged installation is, so a small group of paratroopers, lead by Lieutenant Errol Flynn, are to be air dropped somewhere near where they believe the radar station is, destroy it, and force march themselves to a rendezvous point, where U.S. transports plane will be waiting to return them to base. Inevitably things don't go as planned, and Flynn and his small squad suddenly find themselves trapped in hostile territory. They become a `lost battalion,' deep in enemy territory, their condition and chance of rescue diminishing rapidly.

Some of the best movies about World War II were made between 1945 and 1950. A certain war weariness on the home front, returning veterans, and, of all things, newsreels from the battlefield conspired to force out much of the jingoism and almost all of the martial enthusiasm that were prominent components of movies made just a couple of years earlier. Realism counts in action movies based on real events, and OBJECTIVE, BURMA is about as realistic as they come. Not convincing in terms of special effects or convincing gore - later generations of films would concentrate on stuff like that. Rather, Walsh leaves this one relatively blood free. There are scenes of violence and carnage that would tax the ingenuity of today's CGI wizards, but in those scenes Walsh simply, and cannily, pulls a tight close up on Flynn and let his subtly expressive face reflect the horror and disgust, pity and sadness we'd feel if we saw what he sees.

This is a movie that works on every level. The photography, by James Wong Howe, is spectacular. Another future Oscar winner, Franz Waxman, scored this movie. More than the music, though, I was impressed by the ambient sounds of the jungle this movie was filled with. More than most thrillers this one had me on the edge of my seat throughout. It feels like it was filmed in a Burmese jungle although, after a trip to my favorite internet movie site, it appears the jungle scenes were shot in the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden. The highest recommendation for this great war movie.

Also on the disk are a couple of fun shorts filmed during the war.

The Tanks are Coming - George Tobias, who also has a substantial role in OBJECTIVE BURMA, stars as a "cabbie from the Bronx" in this 1941 two-reel recruitment film. There's a lot of documentary to this one. We travel along with Tobias to Fort Knox, Kentucky, to partake in a detailed look at the training of `America's first armored force.' Tobias participates in calisthenics, training in gas masks, gets to fire 37mm tank guns mounted on wobbly plates, and watch as a passel of `blitz buggies' directly imperil his carefully hidden taxi cab which, I believe, he named Betsy. A nifty little Techni-Color short that was nominated for an Academy Award. Nifty doesn't mean classic, great, or even Oscar-worthy, but patriotism was running pretty high when the Oscars were held for this one (2/26/1942) and `Tanks' lost out in its category (Best Short Subject, Two-Reel) to `Main Street on the March!' , yet another short about America gearing up for war.

Rear Gunner - Burgess Meredith stars as the title character in this 1943 b/w two-reeler. Meredith is a recruit from Kansas with a clever speech impediment who begins the film, it appears, oiling the hinges on plane fuselages. Meredith's character, we're told, is one of those fellows who are `short on height, long on ambition' the armed services were constantly on the lookout for. Best of all he was good at "hittin' down crows" back ta home. Turns out he's a dead-eye killer on the skeet range, too, which lands him in gunnery school and a chance to become one of the Air Force's modern knights of fire. Pretty soon the movie has him, along with squad commander Ronald Reagan and a crew of lesser stars, heading for a place called Over There. Unlike `The Tanks are Coming,' `Rear Gunner' shows its star in (heroic) action. "Berlin and Tokyo beware!"

compelling.......2007-01-19

This movie is compelling and realistic. It keeps you involved the entire time. The most complete movie about a World War II episode and truly gives one a feeling of being there.

Burma .......2007-01-04

A great addition to any Action/War movie collection.(Raul Walsh).
Not as good as Merrill's Marauders (A Sam Fuller Movie).

Objective, Burma!/Never So Few/Go for Broke!

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Objective, Burma!/Never So Few/Go for Broke!
3 Very Good WWII Films
Three Exceptional Hardnosed WWII Films

Objective, Burma!/Never So Few/Go for Broke!
Starring: Van Johnson , Lane Nakano , George Miki , Akira Fukunaga , and Ken K. Okamoto
Director: Robert Pirosh , Raoul Walsh , and John Sturges
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000HT38BW
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

World War II Burma is the setting for two gritty and gut-grabbing combat classics. In Never So Few (Disc 1/Side A), Frank Sinatra and Steve McQueen (in his first big-budget film) play U.S. combatants waging guerrilla war. U.S. paratroopers in Burma cope with a mission gone wrong in Objective, Burma! (Disc 2). Errol Flynn heads the acclaimed World War II morale booster. And Japanese-American volunteers from internment camps show plenty of fight in Go for Broke! (Disc 1/Side B), making its DVD debut. Van Johnson plays the lieutenant who witnesses the courage of the famed 442nd in Europe.

Customer Reviews:

Objective, Burma!/Never So Few/Go for Broke!.......2007-02-25

Action filled, kept my interest! Van Johnson grand performance!!

3 Very Good WWII Films.......2006-11-22

This is a very good 2-disc DVD set. These 3 WWII films cover both the CBI and European theatres of war. OBJECTIVE BURMA and GO FOR BROKE focus more on the basic American fighting man while NEVER SO FEW lends its perspective to daring and theatrical heroics. Yet all 3 films never lose focus of the human element and the morality of what happens in war. Frank Sinatra's character makes this very clear in NEVER SO FEW making that film more than just a great action war film.

Three Exceptional Hardnosed WWII Films.......2006-10-12

OBJECTIVE, BURMA! is a first rate quality production and I think one of Errol Flynn's best films. I think Errol Flynn's perception as a good actor was greatly undermined by the very transcendence of his good looks and screen presence. In OBJECTIVE BURMA Errol Flynn rises far beyond those attributes and gives a very credible and sincere performance and his performance is one of the many strengths of this film.
Paratroop Major Nelson (Errol Flynn) leads his men into Burma to destroy a Japanese jungle outpost. What makes this film so intriguing is the human cost and life struggle to enter the Burmese jungle, accomplish the mission and return to safety. This is a hard-nosed action drama filled with a lot of emotion and sentiment. Under Raoul Walsh's brilliant direction war is not a thing comprised of glory but one of sacrifice and endurance. Henry Hull as the aged journalist Mark Williams gives a truly endearing performance and brings Walsh's message vividly photographed by James Wong Howe to fruition.
In terms of Hollywood's standards this is a very realistic WWII film. The script and dialogue by Ranald MacDougall and Lester Cole are very effective and detailed to the man. Very realistic Art designs by Ted Smith and Sets by designer Jack McConaghy combined with Cinematographer James Wong Howe's outstanding and deeply textured images are so convincing that you become entrenched in and overwhelmed by the Burmese jungle and all the dangers and death that it holds. Franz Waxman also composed one of his best scores. The cast including James Brown, William Prince, George Tobias, Mark Stevens, Anthony Caruso and Hugh Beaumont is excellent. This is an outstanding film.

GO FOR BROKE! This is a very entertaining film directed by Robert Pirosh about the formation of the WWII 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Based on factual events and what makes it unique is that the 442 was made up of Japanese-American volunteers who served in the European, essentially Italy and France, theater of battle. Van Johnson, giving one of his best performances, portrays Lt. Mike Grayson in charge of a platoon of these troops. Van Johnson as Lt. Grayson carries as much prejudice against Japanese-Americans as did the rest of the country at that point in the war. The film appears true to its subject depicting prejudice and resentment from both sides of the issue. The combat scenes have a sense of reality about them never losing sight of the horrors of war. The photography by Paul C. Vogel and detailed sets by Cedric Gibbons and Eddie Imazu enhance this point. However, this film does run the gamut of emotions and the camaraderie of the Japanese-American soldiers developed along side Van Johnson's Lt. Grayson is extremely well conveyed and is a high point of this film. This is a very good film, somehow forgotten and deserves to be seen and stand along side other essential WWII films.

NEVER SO FEW is a very entertaining WWII hardnosed action adventure film again set in Burma with great characters, dialogue, camaraderie and Steve McQueen as Ringa. The outstanding cast includes Frank Sinatra, Richard Johnson, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Brian Donlevy, Dean Jones, Paul Henreid, George Takei and Whit Bissell. Steve McQueen almost steals this film away from Frank Sinatra. However, the worldly Sinatra leading a guerilla force, battling the enemy well as his superiors (Brian Donlevy) and having time to romance Gina Lollobrigida demonstrates a strong sense of charm, righteousness and an ability to show off just how good an actor he really was.
Director John Sturges really new how to tell a story with strong individuals giving each character a sense of depth, believability and distinct charisma. Composer Hugo Friedhofer was very adept at scoring WWII films capturing the drive of the combatants juxtaposed with the horrors of the conflict. The one actor that seems to have gone unrecognized in this film is the very British Richard Johnson. In the earlier scenes in the film he was Frank Sinatra's drinking partner and his second in command. Johnson gives a very colorful and convincing performance and the camaraderie between him and Sinatra looks incredibly natural. It is this camaraderie that is the springboard for all the interwoven characters in this film and really enhances Steve McQueen's introduction as Ringa and the rest is film history.

World War II 3-Pack (Destination Tokyo / Objective Burma / They Were Expendable)

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World War II 3-Pack (Destination Tokyo / Objective Burma / They Were Expendable)
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Battle Cry / Objective Burma / Operation Pacific [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

One of Errol Flynn's Best Films

Battle Cry / Objective Burma / Operation Pacific [Region 2]
Starring: Errol Flynn , James Brown (II) , William Prince , George Tobias , and Henry Hull
Director: Raoul Walsh , and George Waggner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

One of Errol Flynn's Best Films.......2006-10-12

Average customer rating:

Objective, Burma!
great war story
We got run out of Burma...
compelling
Burma

Objective, Burma! [Region 2]
Starring: Errol Flynn , James Brown (II) , William Prince , George Tobias , and Henry Hull
Director: Raoul Walsh
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Objective, Burma!.......2007-06-25

great war story.......2007-05-21

We got run out of Burma..........2007-03-03

compelling.......2007-01-19

This movie is compelling and realistic. It keeps you involved the entire time. The most complete movie about a World War II episode and truly gives one a feeling of being there.

Burma .......2007-01-04

A great addition to any Action/War movie collection.(Raul Walsh).
Not as good as Merrill's Marauders (A Sam Fuller Movie).

DVD:

DVD

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