Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

With North Korea unfortunately still generating headlines today, 'Time Limit' is a salutary reminder of just how long this eccentric little dictatorship has been exercising the concern of the West, who during the fifties it made very anxious at the conjoined issues of collaboration and the brainwashing of prisoners. Andrew Marton made an interesting drama in 1954 called 'Prisoner of War' which touched upon the apparent 'turning' of prisoners, while the presence of Khigh Dhiegh (here billed as Kaie Deei) as the beaming Colonel Kim is not the only element in this film that anticipates 'The Manchurian Candidate'.Karl Malden's only credit as a director is gripping, well-acted and keeps you watching to find out were this is all leading; the conclusion when it comes is a somewhat grandiloquently expressed, but satisfying.

To me, Richard Widmark's best film is Time Limit. It's about an army inquest into a soldier who admits that he helped the enemy when he was a POW during the Korean war. Widmark is the Colonel in charge of the investigation, and Richard "He Walked By Night" Basehart brings his A-game to the role of the soldier. Any other colonel might just connect the dots and recommend a court martial - Basehart's Maj. Harry Cargill admits he gave broadcasts for the North Koreans, signed a paper saying the Americans were doing germ warfare, and was attempting to indoctrinate the other POWs in formal "classes" that the North Koreans had to try to brainwash them. All of the POWs in the same camp he was in verify that Cargill did these things.But Cargill refuses to tell Widmark's Colonel William Edwards WHY. And he doesn't seem to care he could be, heck, probably will be executed for treason without some defense. With Cargill's past stellar military record, including in WWII, Edwards will not finish this investigation until he gets a "why". But Cargill has talked to nobody about why he did what he did - not even his wife. And Colonel Edwards is being pressured by his superior, a General whose son died in the same POW camp that Cargill was in, and even by Martin Balsam as a particularly irritating sergeant, to recommend prosecution and wash his hands of the matter.And then Edwards notices that the descriptions of the back-to-back deaths of two soldiers in the POW camp the day before Cargill seemed to turn traitor are identical - as in word for word each time by each soldier. Is there a Manchurian Candidate situation going on here, or something else entirely? The plot twist at the end is the farthest thing from a gimmick, and is infinitely better presented and far less Hollywoodish than the sanctimonious speech by Jose Ferrer at the end of The Caine Mutiny, although I like that film too, for different reasons.Check it out if you get the chance. WWII films always seem to get the spotlight, but this one is a forgotten jewel about a forgotten war.

I had seen Time Limit three times before, always greatly admiring and appreciating the taut court-martial drama. I find it unfortunate that Malden never took another director's turn after such an impressive debut. The acting and direction still hold up well with tour-de-force performances by Basehart and Widmark. These are complemented nicely by dead-on portrayals by Carl Benton Reid, Rip Torn, Martin Balsam, and Yale Wexler as far less humane military characters. Dolores Costello and June Lockhart also give strong performances.But, the reason I write this today is to comment upon how timely Time Limit is to today's POW controversies. In this regard, I consider the 1962 film "the Hook" with Kirk Douglas almost as a companion piece. The questions are the same. How far should a soldier suppress his humanity in the name of the Army Code? How accountable should a soldier be held who defies the code in order to act in accordance with his conscience? How accountable should a soldier be held who obeys orders later judged to be inhumane? All these are central issues in wake of the recent Abu Gharib controversies. Time Limit does an excellent job of examining these dilemmas and convincing those of us who weren't already convinced that there are no easy answers. War, by its nature, is an inhumane activity, ordered by humans and executed by humans who to accomplish their orders must deny within themselves subjugate the very humanity that gives each of us his or her purpose in life. Time Limit and The Hook both provide thoughtful and fairly objective examinations of the issues involved.Time Limit has always been worth watching. Its renewed relevancy just makes it even more so.

With Richard Basehart as the man on trial, this is one of his most stunning works I have ever had the pleasure to see. Richard Widmark is also in one of his finest roles as the Colonel who is also Baseharts Lawyer.As it starts out in a POW Camp somewhere in Korea--you get a gritty feel of what some of those men had to endure--thanks to the fine acting done my Richard Basehart. Thanks to Richard Widmark--you also get a great job done as a man who is trying to up-hold the honors of his profession under incredable pressure from his Commanding Officer--a General, to come up with a quick conviction on Basehart.I highly recommend this movie as something to see. You will not be disappoiinted in the time you spent in watching this VERY fine film.