TAKE THE HIGH GROUND
US, 1953, 101 minutes, Colour.
Richard Widmark, Karl Malden, Carleton Carpenter, Elaine Stewart, Russ Tamblyn, Jerome Courtland, Steve Forrest.
Directed by Richard Brooks.
Take the High Ground was directed by Richard Brooks, novelist (Crossfire), who moved into writing and directing in 1950 with Crisis and continued his career as a director through to the mid-'80s. His films include adaptations of Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth, as well as Lord Jim, In Cold Blood.
Richard Widmark is the drill sergeant - a forerunner of Louis Gossett in An Officer and a Gentleman and Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket. He shows what can be done without the benefit of four-letter word language and explicit sexual reference in his verbal onslaught on his recruits. Karl Malden is his assistant. The recruits include young stars at MGM at the time, Russ Tamblyn, Carleton Carpenter, Robert Arthur, Steve Forrest. Elaine Stewart is the leading lady.
By now, this material is cliche. However, this is an example of how it was treated in the early '50s.
1.Interesting military drama? Training of recruits? American military attitudes? The atmosphere of the post-World War Two experience and Korea?
2.Colour photography, Texas locations? The camp, the town? Musical score?
3.The title, the opening sequence, the hill on Korea? The symbol of taking the high ground? During the training?
4.The focus on Drill Sergeant Ryan: Richard Widmark's presence and style? His own experience of war? The cloud over his career? His assistant and the bond between them? His spiel for the arrival of the recruits, praising the former group? His training methods? The humiliation, the verbal onslaught, the criticism? Drill, the barracks? The military training, the lack of expertise, the mistakes and his capitalising on these? His ridiculing of the men? Excessive punishments? His reason - 16 weeks to train them? In town, the humiliation of the men? The encounter with Julie, his attack on her? His going to her apartment, love for her? Love-hate? Humiliating her? His proposal? Apology? Individual encounters with the men, the boy wanting to desert, Tex and his rifle practice and shooting between Ryan's legs? Winning the admiration of the men? Reconciliation with his assistant after their clash? The new recruits?
5.Ryan's assistant, genial man, good support, war experience? The relationship with the men, supporting Ryan, supporting them, punching him out, the clash over Julie?
6.The presentation of the recruits: their arrival, smart talk, attitudes, bewilderment? The barracks, the meals, the drill, the training, the shooting practice, the manoeuvres? The time off? Joking around, the pillow fight and horsing around? The change over the 16 weeks? Their hatred of Ryan - as part of the training to have a focus of their dislike?
7.The individuals: the man who wanted to kill him and went to the chaplain for advice? Russ Tamblyn and his smart mouth, athletics, dancing with the girls? The rich young man, his getting frantic, drinking the water and the canteen being emptied, his attempted escape? Ryan's father being a deserter and his telling this young man? The Texan and his father's military career, the shooting? The black man and his poetry, letters? The Indian and his background?
8.The picture of army life, macho methods? The necessity of such training for support in war action? The familiar material and its treatment in previous films, subsequent films?
