Film Review: Hell Is for Heroes (1962)

Hollywood’s image of Second World War as “the Good War” was created for wartime propaganda purposes and later maintained because the conflict could be interpreted as simple struggle between Good and Evil and its global nature could have provided countless background for exciting and attractive action adventure stories. However, there were plenty of war veterans in front and behind of Hollywood cameras for the war to be always shown through simplistic fashion. As times went by, their experiences began to influence content resulting in rather dark and depressive war films. One of the examples can be found in Hell Is for Heroes, 1962 film directed by Don Siegel.

The plot begins in 1944 in small town in northeastern France where a platoon of US Army 95th Infantry Division is resting after weeks in combat, with men enthusiastically sharing rumours about upcoming end of war and their unit being brought back to States. One of the new additions to the platoon is Private John Reese (played by Steve McQueen), veteran who doesn’t appear to share their enthusiasm, a loner that was degraded from the rank of sergeant following court-martial, but whose antisocial antics are tolerated by his old acquaintance Sergeant Pike (played by Fess Parker), because he is a very good in combat. Soon news comes that the unit is going back to the front and it takes position near German fortifications of formidable Siegfried Line. Pike and the men soon realise that the American forces are stretched thin and that their platoon must hold much bigger part of the front than they are supposed to. Sergeant Jim Larkin (played by Harry Guardino) employs all kinds of tricks to make their force look larger than it actually is and thus deter Germans from attacking. When Germans sends reconnaissance, it becomes obvious that they would soon learn the truth. Reese decides to pre-emept German attack by bold attack on their positions.

Hell Is for Heroes is a war film that looked rather unusual for its time, more in tune with anti-war sentiments caused by carnage in Vietnam few years later. It begins light and even features character of French woman played by Michele Montau, introduced solely as some sort of eye candy and to prevent the film being all-male affair. However, as action turns to the front, the tone gets dark and becomes increasingly grim which every scene. This includes scenes in which character die in quite unpleasant ways and their sacrifice seems in vain, which would escalate in the unconventional and abrupt ending, which some critics would be tempted to interpret as depiction of utter futility of war. In reality, the ending was result of extremely troubled production. Hell Is for Heroes was authored by Robert Pirosh, decorated WW2 veteran, famous for Oscar-awarded screenplay for 1949 war classic Battleground. Pirosh originally produced and directed the film, but in the end simply left the set, mainly because of the constant clashes with young and bull-headed star Steve McQueen whose prima donna-like antics on set alienated not only him but other members of the cast. Pirosh’s friend Don Siegel, experienced director of action and crime films, was brought to take over and he did solid job under the circumstances. He, however, couldn’t do much about film’s low budget, which became quite apparent in battle scenes and in many ways contributed to the film’s ending. Despite some fine ensemble cast performances and McQueen convincingly playing one of the darkest roles of his career, Hell Is for Heroes is something of a disappointment. Pirosh, however, used experiences from the set to create and help producing Combat!, long-running WW2-themed television series renowned for its realism.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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