Who payed the critics

An absolute waste of money

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

And I am afraid that I cannot imagine why. It really is a genuinely dire and exceptionally boring film. In some ways it is reminiscent of early science fiction when every set had been knocked up on a Hollywood back lot out of whatever was lying around. From the minuscule and unconvincing set (snipers seem to be about ten meters away) apparently made of plaster, to the actors who are also apparently made of plaster with "amusing" stereotypes painted thinly on top, to the oddly warm pool in a frozen cave, to the survival of the cast uninjured when medium artillery shells burst a few meters away on open ground, and finally the awful script that reads like a training manual more than a film.... I really cannot say how dull this is. Even the opportunity to see whether the young James Dean survived wasn't enough to keep me watching for more than an hour. This really is one to be avoided at ALL costs.

Veteran filmmaker Samuel Fuller writes and directs this war drama about conscience and survival. It is kill or be killed. Richard Basehart plays Corporal Denno, who is intellectual and refined hiding his fear of assuming responsibility as he is part of platoon forming a rear guard against the enemy while the rest of the regiment retreats to regroup. Denno feels he is in a near-perilous situation as he watches three superiors get picked off one by one. Physically Denno is a good soldier; but mentally he fears taking command and being responsible for the men who serve under him.FIXED BAYONETS! was filmed and released during the Korean War Kudos to cinematographers, art directors and set designers for making a Fox Studio sound stage look like mountainous and snowy Korea. The cast also includes: Michael O'Shea, Gene Evans, Craig Hill, John Douchette, Henry Kulky and Glenn Corbett.

This Korean war(1951-1953) drama is the fare of American GIs in Korea early 1951 and stands as one of the best warlike film . A band of Chinese troops follows a soldiers group posing as a regiment. Then, they take refuge into a cave stronghold but the group is besieged. They simply do their best to survive a terrifying situation. But the superiors are murdered and the corporal Demmo takes command.The film is dedicated to the queen of battles-the United States Infantry. The producers give grateful thanks to the Department of the Army for its encouragement , advice and active cooperation in the preparation and production of this picture. The film is based on true events, a Chinese communist offensive formed by 350.000 soldiers who vanquished 8º Army commanded by Ridgway and withdraw across southern. Posteriorly, American Army and UN multi-national troops undergo a contra-offensive and retrieve lost territory until 38 parallel.This is a conventional story bolstered considerably by director Fuller's flair for warlike drama and action. Dark and thoughtful and hurriedly made, the movie gains strength as it goes on, and shows a tremendous grasp of the tale as an unit. Excellent performance by male leads, boasting and most restrained acting by Richard Basehart as the corporal taking the command responsibility. Top-notch Gene Evans as brave sergeant and excellent secondaries, Craig Hill, Skip Homeier, Michael O'Shea and appearance an uncredited James Dean. Samuel Fuller's most fluid and strongest film-making lies in his war pictures from ¨Steel helmet,Fixed bayonets, Merril's marauders, Hell and high water, and specially : Big red one¨ all are tremendously exciting and stirring. Rating : Better than average. Well worth watching.

Made with a competent cast of B film actors, Fixed Bayonets is the story of a platoon of 48 men of whom very few survive as they cover the retreat of an American Division in Korea. One movie legend made a brief appearance here, but if you blink you'll miss James Dean as one of the soldiers.Richard Basehart is the lead here who's a corporal and quite worried that if the people above him don't make it the nine days they're asked to hold a strategic pass responsibility will pass to him. It maybe Basehart's best big screen role.Another actor making his personal best in his career is Gene Evans as the sergeant ranked right above Basehart. If I was in a war situation, Evans is the kind of sergeant I'd like to be in a foxhole with.Some of the usual war film stereotypes are here. But director Samuel Fuller, who knew a thing or two about combat, got great performances from his cast. No false heroics here, just guys stuck with a very dirty job covering a retreat after the Chinese Communists enter the Korean War.For war film fans, an absolute must.