Load of rubbish!!

Excellent but underrated film

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

When the film begins, you see a flashback of Dean Hess (Rock Hudson) as a pilot during WWII. By mistake, a bomb falls off his P-51 and hits an orphanage. He's haunted by this and this might explain why he became a minister after the war. However, he's still haunted by this mistake and when the Korean War breaks out, he volunteers to serve. His job is setting up an airbase for the South Korean Air Force, although much of his energy ends up being spent helping the many orphans displaced by the war. In some ways, the film reminded me of the story "Lord Jim"--a guy makes a mistake and spends his life trying his best to do good and somehow atone for his past. It makes for an interesting film and Rock Hudson is just fine in the lead. Worth seeing and very well made.

Rock Hudson is in this so I had to get this on DVD & I'm very glad that I did. SPOILER: Due to what he accidentally does in the beginning of the story, you can feel his guilt, pain & need for redemption throughout the rest of the movie. Rock Hudson did an amazing job portraying this in the film based on actual events. You have a clear understanding as to why his life took the course that it did throughout the film. Another important element of this movie that stood out for me is that all the fighter pilots were of equal value, as if skin color didn't exist. That was very impressive & very refreshing to see and yet this is a film made in 1957. And what is it about Old Hollywood & older films that makes you feel like you are really there? It must be the lack of CGI. All the locations and air scenes are fantastic, brilliantly filmed!!

This film has some lovely sentiments and messages. It's all the more touching given it's based on a true story. Hess is certainly a man I would have liked to shake hands with.Hess, is a World War 2 veteran with emotional scars left after a bombing accident over Germany. After trying his hand as a preacher and feeling empty, he finds him self back in the US Air Force in the 1950s Korean conflict. A large group of child refugees move him to act, and hopefully, ease the pain of the previous war. Certainly a story worth telling.Sadly the direction and much of the acting are very very cheesy. Hudson is adequate and the children are wonderful (as you'd expect). But many of the other performances are contrived and stilled. With the exception of some real combat camera footage, the battle scenes are thin. Evidently only men bleed when they are shot? If you are making a War film about a serious subject, I believe Hess is such a subject, do it the honour of not wrapping war in a flouncy skirt. Just a mid afternoon filler.

"Battle Hymn" is the story of a minister (Rock Hudson) who returns to train Korean soldiers to fight after he feels he has lost his calling. Of course he finds redemption and his true faith when he becomes involved with a group of Korean orphans and a young Korean/Indian woman that cares for them. Despite several brilliantly staged action sequences this film is not so much a war saga as it is a tale of introspection and finding courage in religion to carry on. The blend of both adventure and drama is seamless. "Battle Hymn" is an intelligently-crafted and inspiring without being stoic or preachy.THE TRANSFER: Overall the picture quality is nicely rendered but the ravages of time have not been kind in a few spots. Age related artifacts are present throughout – sometimes glaringly so. Black levels are often weak and fine detail is lost in the darkest scenes. Digital anomalies are not an issue for a generally smooth visual presentation. The audio is nicely presented – if somewhat dated.EXTRAS: None.BOTTOM LINE: "Battle Hymn" is finely wrought melodrama tinged with the prerequisite of combat that all war films have in common. The DVD is admirably realized but is not reference quality. Still, it's definitely worth a look.