Samuel Fuller’s early B-movie classic (shot in 10 days in Griffith Park) is instantly recognizable with its explosive action, hard-bitten characters, and a number of classic moments that are some of the most memorable of any war movie ever made. The simplistic story is uneven – it looses steam toward the middle – but Fuller makes excellent use of his low budget. He would go on to make far better films, even far better war films – ‘Fixed Bayonets!’ and ’Merrill’s Marauders’ come to mind – but his hard-hitting style is firmly in place in this early effort.