C N M
This is a top notch, gritty war drama that takes a cynical look at the middle and upper echelons of the military establishment of a front line company in 1944. The selfish motivations behind the decisions of a politically ambitious battalion commander and his cowardly company commander lead to unnecessary sacrifice of enlisted men. Their betrayals cause indignation by the men and incur the wrath of junior officers.
It has unforgettable performances by Jack Palance, Eddie Albert and Lee Marvin. There is also a great supporting cast of William Smithers, Richard Jaeckel and Robert Strauss (whom you will recognize from “Stalag 17”).
The production quality is excellent overall, except for the lower budget combat special effects. Although this aspect can easily be overlooked, I have taken off just 1/2 a star from an otherwise 5 star rating of this movie. It’s that good.
Director Robert Aldrich is known for his gritty work, such as “Apache”, “The Flight of the Phoenix”, “The Dirty Dozen” and “Ulzana’s Raid”. In my opinion, “Attack” is right up there with his best work.
If you like this kind of gritty war drama, I can also recommend Sam Fuller’s “Fixed Bayonets” (1951), Antony Mann’s “Men in War” (1957), Stanley Kubrick’s “Paths of Glory” (1957) and Don Siegel’s “Hell is for Heroes” (1962).
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
06/10/25
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philip w
This Is a very good war film no messing it’s top notch
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/18/25
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Liam D
A decent war movie with solid directing and an amazing cast
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/24/24
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Matthew B
Robert Aldrich was one of the toughest directors of 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He had a knack for taking macho genres and upping the cynical or rough-edged content of them.
Attack was a 1956 war movie that painted a grim picture of the corrupting influence of war, the brutality of the fighting, and the incompetence and corruption in high places. Indeed the US Defence Department was so unhappy with the film's message that they refused to participate in its making.
Attack seems an appropriate title for the movie in more ways than one. The action of the film is based around an offensive by the American soldiers, and a counter-offensive movement by the German troops.
It might be said that ‘attack' is Aldrich's approach towards his subject matter. There is little ambiguity about his intentions in portraying war as an ugly affair, and not just when men are in combat with the other side. As the film's trailer proclaimed, "Not every gun is pointed at the enemy".
Morale in the Fragile Fox company of the National Guard is at a low point. The reason for this is that the men have no respect for the head of the company, Captain Erskine Cooney (Eddie Albert). Even before the action starts, Cooney has a bad reputation with his men. They recognise that he is a man out of his depth, and fear that it will only be a matter of time before his lack of courage and strength leads to a serious disaster.
Cooney comes across as a man who is frightened and unstable. He responds badly to criticism, and becomes hysterical. Curiously he is played by Eddie Albert, a man who could hardly be more different than the character he portrays. Albert was a decorated war hero, who rescued seventy wounded Marines. It is impressive that this actor, better known for appearing in song-and-dance movies, should have played the part so convincingly.
It is easy to see why Aldrich's film would not be popular with the army. The senior officers in the film are either cowards or ruthless manipulators. Courage can be found in junior officers such as Lieutenant Joe Costa (Jack Pallance) and Lieutenant Harry Woodruff (William Smithers). Yet even those officers behave in a manner that is hardly conducive to army discipline. They are insubordinate, and willing to threaten or even kill their Captain if the need arises.
A few brief touches establish the grimness of fighting on the front. The remaining soldiers in the farmhouse list off the names of friends and comrades that they saw fall in the last assault. A wounded soldier lies on the ground while his colleagues each hesitate before reluctantly leaving him behind. Only Costa makes an unsuccessful attempt to help the man. Later there is a particularly nasty death caused by a tank.
Due to the difficult nature of the subject matter, Aldrich had some difficulty making Attack. It was filmed on a lower budget than many war movies of the time. The cast was small, and the lack of co-operation from the US Defence Department meant that there was little military hardware on display. Aldrich had to make do with just two tanks, one borrowed, and one bought for the film.
In the circumstances, Aldrich did a good job of opening up the original stage play on which the film is based. The outside settings give the film an expansive look which hides just how spartan the sets and props were.
Attack is filmed with a grim noir-ish look. The camera freely moves around the sets, making them seem larger than they were. The use of high and low camera angles serves to make the characters seem smaller than they are – mere pawns in the middle of a greater conflict. Perhaps that even applies to Bartlett and Cooney.
While the low budget and lack of unambiguous heroics has caused Attack to be often overlooked among lists of great movies, I would certainly include it in my list. Just 14 years after the end of one of the few wars that most people would feel was justifiable, Aldrich exposed the seamy side that underlies even the noblest of wars.
I wrote a longer appreciation of Attack on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2021/02/18/attack-1956/
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
07/31/23
Full Review
Olivia Y
Superb. No CGI or other mod cons covering up average - just plain brilliant acting, direction and production. Don't let black and white put you off, it actually adds to the tension…….
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/15/23
Full Review
john h
One of my all-time favorites, I must have watched it fifty times by now. For such a tiny budget they pulled off a powerful film not just about war, but about friendship and comradery. Anything else I have to say would give away part of the plot!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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