Hell Is for Heroes

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Thomas V @TomVee Sep 27, 2026 Don Siegel, much like Robert Wise, was one of the great journeyman directors of Hollywood, who could work very successfully in any genre and has a body of work that-while not masterpieces level-is very strong, especially considering some of his best were B pictures. Hell is For Heroes brings his expertise to the war genre and is taut, tension filled, action packed and quite grim, with lots of familiar genre tropes but also a good cast, good writing, and convincing effects. I'd consider giving it 4 stars if it had a bit more originality. Bob Newhart's screen debut, which features him doing a version of his classic phone call routine (which I'm old enough to remember, sadly), would count if it fit the picture better. It doesn't hurt the film and it's actually a pretty funny bit of comic relief, but it is a little out of place here. Overall, a very solid war picture. See more philip W @RT34210439 May 16, 2026 If you like hard war movies this is for you See more Matthew D @OceanSage Oct 7, 2025 Steve Mcqueen gives a hardened performance as a worn out soldier on the frontlines of WWII. Director Don Siegel always delivers gritty characters and bloody violence and his war drama Hell Is for Heroes (1962) is no different. Siegel’s direction is gripping and keeps things moving all the way to the exciting finale. Siegel introduces us to a group of weary soldiers in 1944 of World War II, who are sent back to the front line to hold this frontline with just six men. Don Siegel delivers a slower opening, then engrosses you with these intriguing characters and intense suspense, all for a riveting finale that’s worth the wait. It feels nihilistic, hopeless, and bleak. Steve McQueen and James Coburn are excellent and feel like real movie stars. The rest of the cast are amusing, like a young Bob Newhart, but their parts come across too much like a goofy MASH episode. There is a surprising amount of humor from writers Robert Pirosh and Richard Carr. The grimdark ending shows how violent and pointless war really is, especially when everyone is getting blown apart. It’s a quick 90 minutes, so Siegel does not waste your time. Editor Howard A. Smith’s smooth cuts keep us with this small group for an intimate feel. We never really see too much of the Germans or other platoons, so we get to know these guys pretty well. Cinematographer Harold Lipstein gives us mostly close-up and medium shots, so that it’s like we’re right there with this platoon. The few wide shots are of the frontline and attacking German side. The huge explosions by special effects artist Richard Parker are great. Composer Leonard Rosenman opts for a big score that feels tension rising. Sound designers Philip Mitchell and John Wilkinson keep the front quiet, so as to make the bombardments even louder by comparison. Overall, Don Siegel delivers a solidly bleak war film with Hell Is for Heroes. See more Daniel C. M @RT91944882 May 3, 2025 A more quirky, fast-paced and gritty war film that often threads in dark comedy territory, a genuinely funny one at that, and features very well written characters and are also very well acted, alongside a great and masterful direction that successfully utilizes and disguises it's low budget and limited scenery. Though the movie starts to derail towards the end of the last act with genericity and a unsatisfying end full of loosen threads. See more Fred P @RT54329054 Mar 10, 2025 A "B" picture with "A" list stars. McQueen's finest performance? Could be. Bob Newhart's first movie and all around significant war film that also stars James Coburn and Nick Adams, not to mention Fess Parker. Viewed it many times. The tension that McQueen gives is important and many actors could not have given this sort of performance. McQueen was a much better actor than some have given him credit for. Everyone involved seemed to have issues with this one and the fact that the film ended the way it did was really a stroke of luck as the Director and actors and producers were not good with each other. That ending is as good as it gets in a war film. Highly recommended. See more Mike W @MikeW269 Nov 26, 2024 There are a lot of accomplished actors here. Bobby Darin stood his ground with all of them See more Read all reviews

Hell Is for Heroes

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