The Naked and the Dead

Released Aug 6, 1958

2 hr. 11 min.

War

List

83%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

46%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

While stationed at a U.S. Army base on an island in the Pacific, idealistic Lieutenant Hearn (Cliff Robertson) has the nerve to question the morality of his mentor, grizzled veteran General Cummings (Raymond Massey). As a consequence, Hearn is reassigned to lead a squad of soldiers on a dangerous mission -- much to the dismay of the previous squad leader, cynical warmonger Sergeant Croft (Aldo Ray). As the squad nears its goal, the relationship between Hearn and Croft rapidly deteriorates.

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Crom W

Kind of Oliver Stone's Platoon in WW2 time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/20/23

Full Review

kevin w

Following the typical path of combat film, first we are introduced to our WW2 platoon on a Pacific island (with more than the usual amount of scorn heaped on the unfaithful women back home) until we traipse out into the jungle on a dangerous recon mission. There are a couple of highfaluting ideas floated around about hierarchy and the class system, the brotherhood of man, and the ruinous debilitation of combat on the human psyche - but they seem more for a book's discussion than for a movie, even as presented. The leads all do well.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Lots of gratuitous flashbacks to B girls and cheating spouses, stock combat footage that often bears little resemblance to the action on the screen, cliché characters, a contrived plot, totally awesome (American) hand grenades that defy the laws of physics and chemistry, lots of moralizing, and, eventually, a (sort of) feel good ending make for a tiresome 131 minute trek through the Philippine jungle.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

deke p

Norman Mailer wrote this 'anti-war' story in 1948 after he served in Pacific in WWII. Nice. Low audience score correct. Tho the 'professional critics' loved it twice as much. Was on local tv tonight 8.2.2019. btw What's this notice i see on RT: "Thanks! Your review has been submitted! Reviews may take some time to be published and are subject to our Community Code of Conduct." First time I've ever seen that here. Count me out. I don't care if you 'publish' it. I just use RT for my own reference.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Although a bit corny at times and also way overlong, this was a tough warn drama that I was not previously familiar with. Cliff Robertson plays an idealistic young officer who clashes with his commanding officer on how to lead the men, wether ruling by fear or by compassion is better. When handsome Robertson puts his views up against general Raymond Massey and sergeant Aldo Ray (who crushes wounded baby in his bare hands), you can probably guess which side of this argument the filmmakers are going to side with. From a Norman Mailer novel (who apparently complained about how sanitized the film adaptation was), it's significantly more gritty than most Hollywood war films, looking much more like something you'd see form Samuel Fuller. This one was directed by the talented Raoul Walsh, who's films tended to be a bit hit or miss at times, I can't help but think that Fuller would have made so much more of this material, though I'm not sure he would have agreed with the material's thesis. Still, it's an intelligent and quite good war film. You also get an excellent Bernard Herrmann score.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

my parents had this book in thier library i don't think this bears alot of resemblence to it

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

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Raoul Walsh

Director

Aldo Ray

Sgt. Sam Croft

Cliff Robertson

Lt. Robert Hearn

Raymond Massey

Gen. Cummings

Lili St. Cyr

Willa Mae aka Lily

William Campbell

Brown

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A flawed yet fascinating motion picture, one that traffics in gritty intensity yet also makes room for the expected concessions to convention and cliche.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 24, 2021

Full Review

Isabel Quigly

The Spectator

A good, appropriately ape-like cast working through two hours and ten minutes to a moral and moderately happy ending that looks (when you compare it with the tone of the rest) unbearably contrived.

Jul 16, 2018

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Waters down Norman Mailer's 721 page salty 1948 bestseller novel based on his own experiences during WW II in the South Pacific.

Rated: C

Jan 11, 2010

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 17, 2005

Full Review

Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Powerful anti war drama, with great landscape photography

May 28, 2005

Full Review

Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

Rated: 4/5

Jul 25, 2003

Full Review

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Synopsis

While stationed at a U.S. Army base on an island in the Pacific, idealistic Lieutenant Hearn (Cliff Robertson) has the nerve to question the morality of his mentor, grizzled veteran General Cummings (Raymond Massey). As a consequence, Hearn is reassigned to lead a squad of soldiers on a dangerous mission -- much to the dismay of the previous squad leader, cynical warmonger Sergeant Croft (Aldo Ray). As the squad nears its goal, the relationship between Hearn and Croft rapidly deteriorates.

Director: Raoul Walsh
Screenwriter: Denis Sanders, Terry Sanders
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: RKO Pictures, Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 6, 1958, Original