With the US-led attack on Iraq on, I thought this was a movie one should revisit. Based on a World War II campaign against the Japanese in a peaceful village, the movie is not abt glorifying war. To me, it was a reflection how personal ambition can take precedence over lives of men. The Japanese are hiding in a higher elevation and can see the American soldiers clearly. It is almost eerie, the way the Americans keep falling off like dominoes by invisible gunmen. At the time I saw this movie, the Kargil war was on and I could only imagine how much horrible it is to fight a war in such a condition! Is it all worth it? There is conflict between two leaders (don’t know the ranks). For one, this is his chance in a lifetime to prove himself - this being the first real war for him.
The other is more concerned about the lives of the men. The former wins and slowly, with several casualties, the Americans manage to capture the Japanese. Just as you want to hate the Japanese, you realise how war hardens men by the angered reaction of the Americans and the helplessness of the capture Japanese. Each side is as helpless and as much a victim as the other. Whether a country wins a war or not, the soldiers are forever dead to emotions and maybe are partially dead. This is an excellent movie that I wish the likes of Bush and Musharraf will see.