Hell in the Pacific (1968)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

John Boorman

Writers:

Reuben Bercovitch (story)
Alexander Jacobs (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 December 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

They hunted each other as enemies...they tormented each other as savages...they faced each other as men!

Plot:

During World War II, an American pilot and a marooned Japanese navy captain are deserted on a small uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. There, they must cease their hostility and cooperate if they want to survive, but will they?

Plot Keywords:

Island | Japanese | Pilot | Raft | Stranded

Cast

Lee Marvin	...	American Pilot
Toshirô Mifune	...	Captain Tsuruhiko Kuroda

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm mag-optical prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Airai, Babelthuap, Palau

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

Both Lee Marvin and Toshirô Mifune actually served in the Pacific during World War II, of course on opposing sides.

Quotes:

American Pilot: Oh, for a second I thought you were a Jap.

Movie Connections:

References Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Rare and forgotten Lee Marvin Picture

I only discovered Hell in the Pacific after searching for Lee Marvin films as I have become enamored with his work as of late. I thought this was going to be a war movie from start to finish, which I'm not always a big fan of. I am glad to say I was surprised and very pleased with this film.

This is a rare work of film that uses two actors, limited dialog(half of it in Japanese), and only one location. There have been many attempts at making movies about people stranded on islands, but this one pulls it off in a way no other has.

Thsi is a film about not only survival, but overcoming prejudice towards ones sworn enemy in a time of war. It is about moving past the fears of what you do not know, and using what you do know and the basic need to survive to pull through and band together.

I was more enthralled by this movie with almost no dialog, than I have been with movies that have won screenplay Oscars. To me, this is an example that if you have the right actors, the right story, and the right setting, dialog is not always necessary.