I will keep this short and sweet. My father was a mortarman in the trenches during the last year of the Korean War. He said that this was one of the most realistic war movies ever made. The director got just about everything right.

ONCE AGAIN, WE betray our age by reporting that we saw this picture while it was playing during its initial release. The venue was the old Ogden Theatre; which was then located at 63rd Street and Marshfield Avenue in the West Englewood (St. Theodore Parish), Chicago, Illinois.BEING IN JUNIOR High School and 12 years old, we tended to view it as just another War Picture; albeit one about the "Korean Police Action, rather than World War II. It probably didn't rate with the more action oriented matinée fodder such as American-International's HELL SQUAD and TANK BATALLION; which played on a double bill at the very same picture show.BUT WHEN ONE revisits the film, as we just did thanks to Turner Classic Movies, we find a very different picture, indeed. To begin with, we have a story based on the true incident of the Korean War, that wastes no time in getting things moving and makes its 97 minute running time go by in a seeming instant.IT WAS THE product of star Gregory Peck's own Melville Productions and Mr. Peck is the only actor of "Star Status" to appear. That is not to say that the cast was not talent laden; for it certainly was that, having assembled a group of supporting players who were either established veterans or young pups, who were on their way up the ladder.EVEN A QUICK GLANCE over the roster would leave even the casual movie buff impressed. The list contains names such as: Harry Guardino, Rip Torn, George Peppard, James Edwards, Bob Steele, Woody Strode, Norman Fell, George Shibata, Robert Blake, Ken Lynch, Abel Fernandez, Gavin Mac Cloud, Martin Landau, Harry Dean Stanton, Clarence Williams III and many others.ONE PARTICULAR INCIDENT in the story concerned Private Franklin (Woody Strode), who is given to a touch of fearful apprehension about being in combat and feigns injury in order to escape the front and return to the rear echelon. Lt. Clemons (Gregory Peck) recognizes the situation and forces Franklin into service. Franklin's behavior continues that way until he is a candidate for a firing squad.BUT, THE LEVEL headed Lieutenant uses some psychology and Franklin redeems himself, serves honorably & even heroically.* THE FILM IS the story of one incident at the last days of the Korean War. Pork Chop Hill offers no advantage to either side, military or otherwise. But its 'importance' lies in the fact that it is there and it becomes a sort of symbol of just how far the negotiating sides (the United Nations forces and the Communist Chinese) would go in securing a truce.SURELY MANY WOULD argue about the classification of PORK CHOP HILL as a film genre. Some say it's a war film, whereas others just as vehemently argue that its 'message' is one of anti-war.WE TEND TO agree with neither as the sentiments of author, producer/star Gregory Peck and Director Lewis Milestone; whom all would agree. It's just a story about the horrors of war, all war. And that really has nothing to do with political belief; although it is usually the pols who get us into these things! TO SUM IT all up, we quote U.S. Army Civil General, William Tecumseh Sherman who so eloquently stated: "War is Hell!" SO BE IT!!

I recently saw this film on television. I usually like Gregory Peck, but he seemed a bit too wooden in this role. Two things stick out in my mind that are so unreal that the film has been diminished.The first thing is the radio announcer. It would have been fairly simple to shhot out the loudspeakers. The announcer seemed so up-to-date on events, it was as if he was on the front line.The second thing is the abrupt ending. AT one moment we're being told that "a million Chinese" are surging up the hill, and the next moment Gregory Peck receives a message that "help is on the way, they should be there any minute". And in the span of about 15 seconds, the "million Chinese" are routed.

It's the Korean War, Lt. Clemons and his company are ordered to retake from the Chinese a ridge known as Pork Chop Hill, it's a futile exercise as the hill itself has no significant tactical worth. Disillusioned about their superiors and frightened to the hilt, the men must battle for the hill knowing they could well be killed just because the top brass want to save face.Based on actual events and lifted from the story by S.L.A. Marshall, Pork Chop Hill is a poignantly effective drama that impacts hard about the grimness of war. Playing out (with some justification) as a paean to the wonderful infantrymen that fight the wars, it's an engrossing viewing that never feels preachy or self indulgent, a charge that sticks with many other acclaimed war dramas. Directed by Lewis Milestone (All Quiet On The Western Front), the picture benefits from a feeling of authenticity, a sense of desperation hangs heavy for those viewers willing to fully invest into the picture. Photography is expertly handled by Sam Leavitt, with the cast, led by a brilliant show from Gregory Peck as the compassionate Clemons, firing from the top draw. A powerful and memorable movie for sure and certainly an important one because the Korean War is largely forgotten these days, so Pork Chop Hill now stands proud for those that died during the conflict, for this is a wonderful testament to the brave fighting under stupid circumstances. 7.5/10