They Were Expendable
December. 20,1945 NRShortly after Pearl Harbor, a squadron of PT-boat crews in the Philippines must battle the Navy brass between skirmishes with the Japanese. The title says it all about the Navy's attitude towards the PT-boats and their crews.
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Reviews
Thanks for the memories!
Good movie but grossly overrated
A Masterpiece!
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
I've always enjoyed this film, but in viewing it yesterday a couple of things bothered me which I had not previously noticed. 1) For about half of the movie John Wayne's character acts not just inexperienced, but downright childish, very unlike any other character of his with which I'm familiar. 2) I found the musical background to be very obtrusive. I expect overwrought patriotism from any 1940s war movie, but this one went overboard. Every few minutes, especially when action is happening, they gave us a taste of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Navy Hymn, or even a few bars of the national anthem. They were more such intrusions, but I didn't write them down.I appreciate Robert Montgomery's acting, and contributions to the production, as he actually did serve on PT boats during the war.
Released at the end of World War II, with the ink on the final surrender documents still fresh, "They Were Expendable" is a rousing yet sobering look back when American service personnel faced total defeat at enemy hands. It's not a question of "if" for them, just "when," and this is director John Ford's way of paying tribute.We open in December, 1941, as Lt. John Brickley (Robert Montgomery) is trying to make his superiors see the value of the squadron of PT- boats he commands, presently stationed on Cavite in the Philippines. The brass is not impressed, but then the Japanese begin their offensive and Brickley and his men are put to the test. Can these "high-powered canoes" be counted on to help turn the tide of Japanese cruisers and destroyers?Not really, not for long.Surprisingly for a film made while the war in the Pacific still raged, there is an overall tone of resignation bordering on despair, beginning with the title. A lot of things turn out expendable in this movie, not just the PT-boats and the rest of the American forces in the Philippines, but comradeships formed within the squadron, too. Brickley's second-in-command Rusty Ryan (John Wayne) even has to shed a promising romance with nurse Sandy Davyss (Donna Reed) as the exigencies of war take precedence.The message of "do-and-die" is presented early by Brickley's commander: "You and I are professionals. If the manager says sacrifice, we lay down a bunt and let somebody else hit the home runs."Wayne is the reason people watch "Expendable," but Montgomery is why it sticks. A combat veteran just back from the war, he keeps it real with a low-key performance. There's no shouting when he issues commands, just firm authority. No longer the pretty boy of 1930s cinema, Montgomery is haggard-looking here, with bags under his eyes, a five-'o-clock shadow, and a noticeable paunch. He's not trying to impress anyone, which is why he is so impressive."Who are you working for?" is something he asks Rusty at key moments in the beginning and at the end of the film. This is the moral of the picture, reminding us of the sacrifice being laid.For Ford and screenwriter Frank "Spig" Wead, that sacrifice takes precedence over story. "They Were Expendable" is an episodic, sometimes rambling affair, with more than a bit of hyperbole about what the PT-boats accomplished. Much time is taken up with the squadron's part in the evacuation of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, whom Ford treats as such a holy thing he is never referred to by name. He's simply called "certain key personnel" and draws admiring stares from all. It's understandable given MacArthur's credited role in turning the war, but it does grate.The pathos is deep, but never overwhelming. A deathbed scene between Brickley and one of his officers, whom we earlier see being introduced to the rest the squadron on the eve of the Pearl Harbor attack, is a masterful study of actorly control by both Montgomery and Paul Langton. Several key players in the Ford acting troupe have standout scenes, and with Ford manage to incorporate needed doses of humor in small but strategic ways.I really like Wayne in this movie; already a star, we see him here beginning to emerge as an actor, whether grousing about PT-duty early on, making a hash of an attempt at telling Sandy he loves her on a bad telephone connection, or reciting verse over two dead comrades. While Montgomery sets the tone of the film, Wayne provides the crucial backbone for it to work.In a way, the great strength of "They Were Expendable" is also a weakness; that it was made when the subject was not only fresh but still an open wound. It was hard for Ford and his cast to be as objective and detached from the matter as great art often is, to find a way of dealing with the hard truth that the fight for the Philippines was not just a defeat but a useless one where PT-boats proved of minimal help. All the talk of duty gets frustrating when one thinks of the overwhelming futility behind it."They Were Expendable" best works as a requiem, speaking of loss and man's hope for nobility in the face of same. It reminds us of whatever bad turns fate has in store for us, we need to be strong and face them out with determination, not necessarily because it will do any good but because it is the best we can do.
this is an unexpected treat especially if seen projected. one of the best combat films shot during world war two. Robert Montgomery and duke Morrison give memorable performances as PT boat captains doing battle in and around the former US colony known as the Philippine islands. rear screen projection is only reverted to, well, when there's a close shot of either the duke or bob. other than that, the boats and the camera are in the water. john ford produced this minor classic for MGM. as in all ford films there is a dance sequence. here it's shot in shadow time. very evocative. did Gregg Toland lens the picture? Donna Reed, Ward Bond Jack Holt, Cameron Mitchell and Louis Jean Heydt offer support.
Every time I read IMDb reviews or message boards, I am appalled at how much misinformation and ignorance I encounter. I am mystified about where some reviewers get their information and by what deficient process they form their opinions of a film's worth.If you want to know what reviewers thought back when a vintage film was first released, go to the online archives of newspapers such as The New York Times. In retrospect, the old-time reviewers were usually right on the money.To those reviewers who think They Were Expendable is sentimental, you're right. It's a John Ford film, after all. By all reports, John Ford was a dictatorial SOB who was a horror to work with, but he made great films. This is one of his best, if not THE best.To those reviewers who think this film is a fine portrayal of men's loyalty to their country and to each other in a truly tough time, you're right, too. And so are the reviewers who can crawl into the skin of the men who are portrayed here--in an impossible situation, without the ghost of a chance of relief, scared to death, and knowing that they are doomed.To those reviewers who find this film boring, I can only assume you don't know much about your own country's history. We almost lost that one. It was a scary time, with no good news anywhere.We are now at a stage in our country's history where there are no massive engagements such as World War 2, in which every family knew others in military service. When I was a little kid, almost every family on my street had a blue star service flag displayed in the window, and often a gold star flag indicating the death of someone in service. The war was emotionally close for a lot of people.The country hasn't been that way for a long, long time. I therefore assume that the bored reviewers are (1) young and have not experienced a time of genuine national emergency in which everyone was expected to sacrifice, and did; (2) are too conditioned by the way most recent films (which I see as boring) are presented; and (3) don't see that the story is everything. Luckily, these guys are in the minority. I just hope they don't reproduce.