Attack (1956)

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General		Extras
Category	War	Theatrical Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	1956
Running Time	103:24
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (54:20)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Robert Aldrich
Studio Distributor	MGM	Starring	Jack Palance Eddie Albert Lee Marvin Robert Strauss Richard Jaeckel Buddy Ebsen Jon Shepodd Peter van Eyck Jimmy Goodwin Steven Geray Jud Taylor Louis Mercier Henry Rowland
Case	?
RPI	$19.95	Music	Frank De Vol

    Attack focuses more on the human drama of war rather than the fighting itself, though there is enough of the latter in this film to satisfy most war film fanciers. Set during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, the plot follows the fortunes of one platoon whose leader is revealed as a coward during a lengthy pre-credits sequence, in which some of the platoon are killed because Captain Cooney (Eddie Albert) could not bring himself to provide the required support.

    One of his lieutenants, Joe Costa (Jack Palance), swears that if it happens again he will kill Cooney himself. The other lieutenant, Harry Woodruff (William Smithers), is more circumspect. He learns from Lieutenant Colonel Bartlett (Lee Marvin) that the platoon is unlikely to see combat again, so he can live with having Cooney as the captain. Bartlett has political ambitions and comes from the same town as Cooney, whose father the Judge is the local political kingmaker.

    However, almost as soon as Woodruff tells Costa that they won't see fighting again, the Germans start a counterattack and the platoon is called in to secure a town that may be infested with Germans. Rather than take the whole platoon in as ordered, Cooney sends Costa and his patrol in first to find out if there are any Germans there, then fails to back it up when things go wrong...

    This is a fine, cynical war film based on a stage play, a source that is evident in the set-up of some scenes. Director Robert Aldrich does not always manage to open the film up, and one can imagine that several sequences are word for word from the play, complete with stage directions. That the film is still entertaining and convincing (most of the time) is a credit to Aldrich's direct handling of the material, and the performances of several of the actors. Those who remember Jack Palance from his role in the City Slickers films or his over-the-top appearances in spaghetti westerns and other exploitation films may be surprised by the intensity of his performance here. Despite impressive performances in Sudden Fear and The Big Knife, Palance made surprisingly few films in the 1950s, as if film-makers did not know what to do with him. He is quite compelling as the tough and bitter lieutenant. I have never been a fan of Eddie Albert, but he is also convincing as Cooney, though in the latter part of the film his performance tends to get a bit overheated. It is ironic that he should play a coward in a combat situation, as in real life he was anything but during the war: Navy Lt Heimberger (his real surname, Albert is his middle name) led a group of salvage craft at Tarawa beachhead and rescued some 70 wounded Marines under heavy fire.

    The standout performance is by Lee Marvin as the cynical, cigar-chewing Bartlett. This must have been one of the roles that brought him to public attention, as he is riveting whenever he is on the screen, delivering his lines in a way that shows that they mean something other than the literal text. And there was rarely a war film of this era without Richard Jaeckel, though not much is seen of him. Robert Strauss (Stalag 17) plays the Jewish comedy relief, and Peter van Eyck has a tiny role as a blonde SS officer.

    An impressive film that works in spite of the low budget and speed with which it was made (in only seven weeks), this is better than a lot of bigger, bloated films that have more of a public profile.

Video

    The film is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, close to the original 1.37:1, and is not 16x9 enhanced.

    The transfer looks quite good for a film of this age. It is sharp and well detailed, with good contrast levels. Shadow detail is not the best, but this does not impede the enjoyment or comprehension of the action. This is a black and white film, and black levels are good with no low level noise that I could see. There are no really clean whites in the film.

    There is some aliasing, such as at 7:38. The frame jumps severely at 39:56, resulting in some distortion of the image. Otherwise there are no major film to video transfer issues, and grain levels are quite film-like.

    The film has not been fully restored, so there are regular white flecks and other blemishes, like minor scratches and dirt.

    Optional English subtitles are provided, in clear white text. They seem to match the dialogue very well from the sample I looked at.

    This is an RSDL-formatted disc with the layer change at 54:20, positioned at a cut between shots. It is only mildly disruptive.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The default audio track is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono.

    A typical mono presentation, this is a good audio transfer in that there are no audible problems. There is some thinness of the sound which is not unusual. Dialogue is clear and audible throughout.

    The music score is by Aldrich's regular collaborator Frank Devol. To be honest, I did not really notice much of it, apart from the use of some quite effective military themes during the opening credits.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Theatrical Trailer (2:25)

    The sole extra is an original trailer, which implies that the film has a lot more action than it does. The condition of the trailer is not as good as the main feature, with frequent specks, dirt and damage.

    The US Region 1 and UK Region 2 releases are identical in content to the Region 4. One review of the Region 1 suggests that it is in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, though not 16x9 enhanced. Other information to hand about the Region 1 suggests that it is in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1.

    A fine anti-war film.

    The video quality is good.

    The audio quality is good.

    The sole extra is a trailer.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall