Beach Red
Beach Red
NR | 03 August 1967 (USA)
Watch Now on MGM+

Watch with Subscription, Cancel anytime

Watch Now
Beach Red Trailers View All

American troops storm ashore on a Japanese-held island and push inland while their enemies plan a counterattack in this look at warfare. Soldiers on both sides are haunted by memories of home and the horrifying, sickening images they find in combat.

Reviews
Micransix

Crappy film

pointyfilippa

The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

View More
Mischa Redfern

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

View More
Cody

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

View More
Oslo Jargo (Bartok Kinski)

Pretty average Pacific Island war film, it has Cornel Wilde (who also directed) and Rip Torn in it, which isn't saying much. Rip Torn is reliable but he's given a stupid scenario and not much screen time. The script is lazily assembled and messy, and towards the end, the whole film becomes so deluded in unbelievable scenes that it detracts from the decent Marine landing opening.1950's tanks are used and also Filipino army regulars take the place of Japanese soldiers in a horrible scene where they are wiped out by bombing and strafing planes.Cornel Wilde is ridiculous as a Captain, who is at the front battle lines, why, because he also wrote the script. He wanted to appear like a hero so he takes a shot at the glory. Most of the cast is played by wooden young men who can't act very well. Add a dispersed monologue from each soldier, boring flashbacks a la 60's clothing and hairstyles and an annoying 1960's folk song.The battle scenes are also hampered by an imposed, black smoke that seems to have been put in in the studio post-production. A few camera shadows and other mistakes are also apparent.Still, it's worth a look if you liked Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and Halls of Montezuma (1950).

View More
ma-cortes

Visually compelling and focused on the battles of a group of Marines and on men's determination to survive their tour of duty . Intense and bloody fight for an occupied Pacific island and shot in Philippines outdoors . This is a thought-provoking as well as exciting wartime film about a spectacular battle for an essential island on the Pacific toll in which a typical crew of Marines fighting the ¨Yellow Menace¨ and it considered to be by some reviewers one of the best American films about the Pacific conflict during WWII ; however , being sometime slow , boring but generally worthwhile . At the beginning the American Marines ashore on a Japanese-held island . As an US marine unit formed by Captain MacDonald (Cornel Wilde) , Sergeant Honeywell (Rip Torn) and Privates (Jaime Sánchez , Burr DeBenning , Patrick Wolfe) fight against the defenders of a Japanese held island , both sides are haunted by their own thoughts and memories ; as battle experience hardens soldiers . What follows are a series of bloody attacks , on the beach , jungles , mountains in which the rifle company fighting Japanese who hold killers gun-machines and other deadly weapons .It is first hand account of a notorious battle on a Pacific island , and against an important base on a solitary atoll . Focusing on relationship between Capt. MacDonald/Cornel Wilde and his soldiers . Effectively portrays the dehumanizing psychological effects , battling soldiers on both sides are haunted by memories of home and the terrifying , sickening images they experience in combat , and using flashbacks by means of photos and images about their past existences . While the relationship between captain and his men makes the biggest impression and delivers the interesting main plot , among many sub-plots , some of which go nowhere . Interesting screenplay based on Peter Bowman's uniquely constructed novel "Beach Red" , it was published in 1945, near the end of World War II . The sequence in which Japanese troops tried to fool the US Marines by wearing their uniforms was taken directly from the source novel . This dark story produced/acted/directed by Wilde is immensely exciting , firmly characterized on its roles and in places very moving too . The film brings home the true horror of battle and the meaninglessness of it all and visually is stunning . Dealing with the inner thoughts , feeling and philosophical leaning of the soldiers , the picture sacrifices continuity to study several questions , utilizing records , memories and many other things . Combat images are naturally , well filmed and effective , getting spectacular scenes such as the impressive plane attacks on the ending . Atmospheric and evocative cinematography by Cecil Cooney . Sad and touching song sung by Jean Hagen , Cornel Wilde's wife . The movie has only one musical element , this song written by Antonino Buenaventura and it also is heard in other variations throughout the flick . Filmed in the Republic of Philippines and in Japan , the producer gratefully acknowledges the dedicated efforts and the cooperation of the entire cast , Department of National of Defense , the R.P. Marine Corps , the R. P. Navy , the R.P Army , the R.P Air Force , the R. P. Constabulary , the R.P. Research Institute , the R. P. Department of forest and a particularly the friendly and considerable people of the Philippines .This harrowing motion picture was compellingly starred , written , produced and directed by Cornel Wilde , being released through United Artists . Wilde does a competent job both as actor and filmmaker . It's amazingly well done movie , being Cornel Wilde's best film . He is especially credited as a good actor but also known for directing some acceptable flicks . His later films were of varying quality, and he ended his career in near-cameos in minor adventure films . As he directed adventures as ¨Maracaibo¨ ,¨Lancelot and Guinevere¨, ¨Sharks' Treasure¨ but also Noir Cinema as ¨The Devil's Hairpin¨, ¨Storm Fear¨ and Sci Fi : ¨Blade of Grass¨. ¨Beach red¨ rating : 6.5/10 , good film , well worth watching . Essential and indispensable seeing for warfare fans . It's a good stuff for young people and war movie lovers who enjoy enormously with the extraordinary battles in the lush jungle.Other fundamental tales based on Pacific landings were the followings : ¨Thin red line¨ by Andrew Marton with Keir Dullea and Jack Warden and ¨Thin red line¨ directed by Terence Malick with star-laden cast as Jim Cazievel as Private protagonist , Sean Penn as the Sergeant , and many others as George Clooney, Nick Nolte and Woody Harrelson . Furthermore , another important film about Guadalcanal battle turns out to be ¨Guadalcanal diary¨ by Lewis Seiler with Anthony Quinn , Preston Foster, Lloyd Nolan and Richard Conte .

View More
Spikeopath

Beach Red is directed by Cornel Wilde who also co-adapts the screenplay with Clint Johnston and Don Peters from the writings of Peter Bowman. Wilde also co-stars with Rip Torn, Burr DeBenning, Patrick Wolfe, Jean Wallace and Jaime Sánchez. Filmed in the Philippines, cinematography is by Cecil R. Cooney.A unit of terrified American soldiers attempt to take a beachhead defended by the Japanese army.Unfairly something of an obscure war movie, Beach Red is a raw and uncompromising viewing experience. Narratively it's minimalist, refreshingly so, but the depiction of the horror of war is quite remarkable. The structure favoured by Wilde sees soldiers from both sides have thought flashbacks to other moments in their lives, either with a live action play or a photographic still. This would only work well if the editing is up to standard, thankfully Frank P. Keller (Bullitt) does a marvellous job of splicing in the telling sequences.Not all the dialogue works, even more so these days, but from the savagery of the beachhead landing to the bleak finale where cigarettes and water strike deep emotional chords, Beach Red is enthralling. While it's influence, as war movie buffs will know, is obvious. 8/10

View More
gs20

For the first few minutes i thought this might be good but during the landing i knew it was just gonna be a wreck.......i even kept watching while cornel wilde held his .45 like an ice cream cone.......constantly......i've never seen a handgun held that way except by a small child......it is just sad with all the money he must have spent on this it is just incredible that everyone who hated this movie was absolutely correct..........i was gonna keep watching so i could see the goof with the guys running around in the background in blue jeans and sneakers but i couldn't stand the awful dialogue, the terrible direction, the goofy narration and the us marines portrayed as girl scouts any longer so i'll never know or care how it ends..........i did get to the plastic spoon used for the canned bean eating though........that was funny......1945....white plastic spoon.....ha!.......i actually have my uncles 3 utensil METAL cutlery set he used in the pacific......the kind that fits together and slides apart while in use.......i also enjoyed whenever an actor was going to shoot a weapon in a number of scenes and the gun didn't or wouldn't fire when in the context of the scene it was clearly supposed to...........and i'm sure they said we'll just leave it in because it looks real when in actuality the actor made no effort to "clear" or un-jam the thing as would a real marine......it just looked so stupid..........something that should have been re-shot or left on the cutting room floor.All in all, just a waste of time..........a real boring, kind of weird stinker and probably the reason wilde only directed two more films after this.

View More