After studying "They Were Expendable" in a film class, I understand and respect what John Ford was trying to do in this film. Here is a World War II movie that is subtle rather than bombastic, quietly rather than forcefully patriotic. The enemy is not presented as evil or cartoonish. In fact, Japanese soldiers are never even shown, though you do get to see Japanese planes and ships in some beautifully orchestrated and filmed battle scenes.
But my initial reaction to "They Were Expendable", before I was forced to think this long and hard about it, was one of boredom. The plot is episodic and sometimes hard to follow, a function of Ford's restrained approach to film-making. A 1945 audience, familiar with the story of what happened in the Philippines, would have understood exactly what Ford was getting at, but for a modern viewer, it's more difficult. For instance, during a sequence featuring General MacArthur, no one ever says "MacArthur", which confused me on my first viewing.
The characters in "They Were Expendable" are not particularly interesting, and many of the minor characters lack definition. Even the heroes, Lieutenant Brickley (Robert Montgomery) and his friend Rusty (John Wayne), have rudimentary personalities. Brickley is wise, responsible, and does his best to please both his commanders and his subordinates; Rusty is a frustrated young man, impatient for glory. Though both men undergo a few internal conflicts, their behavior is always predictable.
"They Were Expendable" chronicles one of the worst defeats in U.S. military history, the fall of the Philippines early in World War II. But while the film's tone is slow and somber, it never delivers the sense of utter tragedy and loss that this story deserves. In 1945, John Ford could make a war movie that was understated and allusive, knowing that his audience would fill in the blanks. Sixty years later, this film has lost much of its power, and its shortcomings in the areas of plot, character, and mood are now apparent.
But my initial reaction to "They Were Expendable", before I was forced to think this long and hard about it, was one of boredom. The plot is episodic and sometimes hard to follow, a function of Ford's restrained approach to film-making. A 1945 audience, familiar with the story of what happened in the Philippines, would have understood exactly what Ford was getting at, but for a modern viewer, it's more difficult. For instance, during a sequence featuring General MacArthur, no one ever says "MacArthur", which confused me on my first viewing.
The characters in "They Were Expendable" are not particularly interesting, and many of the minor characters lack definition. Even the heroes, Lieutenant Brickley (Robert Montgomery) and his friend Rusty (John Wayne), have rudimentary personalities. Brickley is wise, responsible, and does his best to please both his commanders and his subordinates; Rusty is a frustrated young man, impatient for glory. Though both men undergo a few internal conflicts, their behavior is always predictable.
"They Were Expendable" chronicles one of the worst defeats in U.S. military history, the fall of the Philippines early in World War II. But while the film's tone is slow and somber, it never delivers the sense of utter tragedy and loss that this story deserves. In 1945, John Ford could make a war movie that was understated and allusive, knowing that his audience would fill in the blanks. Sixty years later, this film has lost much of its power, and its shortcomings in the areas of plot, character, and mood are now apparent.