Rating: 
Summary: If you liked Paths of Glory, You'll like Attack.
Review: A great ensemble cast portrarying unusual and intense characters. Jack Palance, Eddie Albert, Lee Marvin and Buddy Ebsen deliver outstanding performances in this story of a psychotic Army Captain whose cowardice needlessly costs the lives of his men druing WWII.
Rating:
Summary: A striking study in noir and white
Review: A World War 2 tale, set in or around the Battle of the Bulge. An American colonel with political ambitions (Lee Marvin) pushes forward one of his companies, assuring the company commander (Eddie Albert) that the village he has to take is unlikely to present any dangers. Inevitably, the first platoon in there (led by Jack Palance) will find itself in a murderous trap. Arnold lacks the courage to do the job, but he comes from a good family with powerful political connections. Marvin needs this support if he is to succeed in politics after the war: he knows the war is won, he's already focusing on his own future ... and he's prepared to ignore the obvious cowardice and incompetence of Arnold.
Robert Aldrich offers a striking study in courage and cowardice, ambition and duty, leadership and indecision. Originally a stage play, the structure of the production does suffer in places from this. However, instead of the guns-blazing, flashy special effects of recent war movies, `Attack' often feels claustrophobic, with men pinned into small rooms and glum cellars. While it sometimes feels a bit `staged', at others, the sense of confined space means you can almost smell the sweat. There are echoes of Tennessee Williams here.
Shot in black and white, the film has a distinct noir quality. Indeed, one of its most attractive features is the photography, the use of light and dark to emphasise the loneliness and the isolation of the soldiers. Palance has a rugged face at the best of times, but his cragginess is emphasised by the noir lighting ... and by a little cameo scene where he strips to the waist to work bellows for a blacksmith. This is Hollywood realism, juxtaposing the muscular, masculine Palance against the podgy, effete, political Arnold.
The acting can become almost melodramatic at times - Arnold, in particular, is in danger of becoming a caricature. In the end, it's a method acting tour-de-force as Arnold comes unpicked at the seams.
A serious subject, sentimental in places, but the photography and direction often gives it an almost documentary feel ... and don't ever doubt that soldiers do get sentimental from time to time. For all its breathlessness and raw emotion, for all the bulging muscles and taut jaws, this is not a very physical - or physically energetic - movie. The tension is in the dialogue and the interaction between characters. This can be a bit dated in places, a bit stereotypical, but there is a quality in the writing and in the drama which is sadly missing in many better known war movies.
What is the moral of the `play'? Courage? Retribution? Justice? I tend to feel it's actually dishonesty, corruption, perversion. Truth is the first casualty of war. `Attack' confirms that warfare is ultimately about lies - convincing yourself that the enemy are sufficiently different from you to be worthy of hate, convincing yourself that you're not scared, convincing yourself that the war has a meaning and a purpose, convincing yourself that it will lead to a better future.
A film which aspiring screenwriters should study and deconstruct. 'Attack' has genuine qualities in both its drama, its acting, its direction, and its cinematography. It is a film which will engage.
Rating: 
Summary: Ahead of its Time
Review: As other reviewers point out this is one heck of a neglected movie, one that achieves an intensity rare in a film of any type. Perhaps some background would be helpful to the film's growing popularity. Produced in 1956 at the height of the Cold War, Attack! was reviled by conservatives and liberals alike (many walked out during the showing) for its unflattering portrayal of the army's hallowed field command. It took a lot of guts for Bob Aldrich to oversee production during an era of political repression, monitored by a hostile corps of film reviewers ready to pounce on anything that looked unAmerican. But Aldrich was determined not to be intimidated and to show a side of combat few Americans knew. One of only a few Hollywood movie-makers to challenge the conventions, he is reponsible for such other ground-breaking classics as The Big Knife and of course the highly innovative Kiss Me Deadly. Because of its subject matter, Attack! was quickly consigned to audience oblivion where it largely remains, awaiting rediscovery as the brutally honest and superb film that it is. Even knowledgeable movie-goers believe that Kubrick's 1957, Paths of Glory, is the first 50's anti-war film. Anyone having seen Attack! knows this is definitely not so. In fact, the latter surpasses Kubrick's celebrated film in at least two categories - Its willingness to take on the WWII American establishment instead of the more remote WWI French military, and Jack Palance's absolutely unforgettable performance as Lt. Costa, perhaps the finest and most affecting to be found in any war movie. The reassuring ending may strike some as a cop-out and probably does represent the outermost limits of the time. Nevertheless, in a telling absence, we are never shown how army brass responds to the Lieutenant's urgency, suggesting that the corruption may even extend to higher-ups - Aldrich may have compromised but he wasn't dishonest! The internet may be the perfect medium for rescuing Hollywood's many overlooked gems. Movies that were made with care, intelligence, and most of all - conviction, but which for whatever reason, passed into film oblivion. Attack! is definitely one of these. But just as importantly, the movie serves as an enduring tribute to the guiding hand and perseverence of its gutsy and talented director, Robert Aldrich. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Anti-war classic
Review: Attack is an excellent anti-war movie set during the Battle of the Bulge. It tells the story of a company led by an incompetent captain who constantly leads his men into impossible situations. After watching a squad massacred, Lieutenant Costa, played by Jack Palance, decides to take matters into his own hands. This movie is able to blend good action sequences with excellent characters and sharp dialogue. Palance gives one of his best performances as Lt. Joe Costa who refuses to watch his men be butchered by Captain Cooney. Eddie Albert is despicable as Cooney, the cowardly commander. Also starring are Lee Marvin, Buddie Ebsen, Richard Jaeckel, and William Smithers. This is an excellent anti-war movie that shows the corruption and horror in a war. Good soundtrack as well. The DVD is very good with a fullscreen presentation and a theatrical trailer included. Do not miss!
Rating:
Summary: In War the Enemy Has a Face: Sometimes Us
Review: ATTACK is one of the great war films of all time. It very nearly never got to print since the US Armed Forces withdrew its backing when the Powers That Be learned of its anti-war thrust that sometimes we were not all the good guys. Director Robert Aldrich guttily refused to lessen his attack, not specifically on the singular incompetence of one American company commander, but on the collective incompetence of many others. Jack Palance plays Lieutenant Costa, in what is surely the finest role of his long career. He is a platoon commander who values the lives of his men enough to stick out his neck for them when he feels that his own commander, played by Eddie Albert, uses them as dispensable pawns in his own psychotic game. Costa is an intimidating presence who refuses to allow the failure of his own flesh to prevent him from saving his men. Eddie Albert is Captain Cooney, a man with severe psychological problems who is given a company to command only because of family connections. The viewer is not sure how much to sympathize with him when it becomes clear that he is unfit to command. There is a startling scene when he and another lieutenant, well played by William Smithers, are discussing how to repel the latest Nazi attack. Cooney seems mentally disjointed and becomes unglued right in front of Smithers' eyes. Cooney relives a beating that he got from his father years ago, indicating that his unfitness to command preceded the added strain of combat to an already fragile ego. Costa is enraged at Cooney's cowardice that resulted in the deaths of many of his men and determines to kill him even at the cost of his own life. The scene in which he rips off his own arm from under a tank tread is a chilling reminder of the impact that war can have on the human psyche.
ATTACK is a movie of continuous scenes that indicate that the damage of war is at least as often mental as physical. When Lee Marvin, who plays Cooney's commander, comments on the whereabouts of Costa, he says, 'Don't worry about Costa. He has more lives than a cat.' That may be so, but in war, even cats use up their lives pretty quickly. No other movie says this as eloquently as ATTACK.
Rating:
Summary: YES!
Review: ATTACK! is a cult classic that should be bought by all WWII movie fanatics. I bought the DVD version the day it was released, and am pleased with the image and sound quality, eventhough it is in Standard Format (not Widescreen). The Trailer, included as a Special Feature, is horrible though.
All of the Customer Reviews listed for this Movie are very good.
However, I must add that the Combat Scenes tend to be both poorly acted and directed. ATTACK! does usually portray the German Enemy as fearsome and deadly. However, the manner in which both American and German soldiers get shot is usually laughable. I think ATTACK! tops both ANZIO and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN as the WWII movie which includes the WORST sniper in the German Army (the guy is even supposed to be from an SS Unit). In contrast, ENEMY AT THE GATES has the best one (Ed Harris).
Rating:
Summary: "He died like a soldier."
Review: Director Robert Aldrich (Kiss Me Deadly, Ulzana's Raid, Apache) has never been one to make the typical war movie and Attack! is no exception. The story, set in "Europe: 1944", concerns Fox Company which is "led" by the incompetent Captain Cooney (Eddie Albert). Lt. Costa (Jack Palance) has lost men and has been sent carelessly into deadly situations by Cooney. Cooney is an alcoholic coward who later totally flips out. Anyone who only knows Albert from "Green Acres" has to see this performance, especially his nervous breakdown scene to really see what he was capable of. Lee Marvin plays Col. Bartlett, who doesent want to admit to Cooney's incapabilities as an Officer because he receives legal favors from Cooney's prominent Judge father in return for securing his son's position as Captain. Costa vows to Cooney that if one more of his men die, he will come back and kill him. I won't reveal the conclusion, but it keeps you guessing until the last shot. A Robert Aldrich war film has a way of focusing more on the personal weaknesses and morals of the characters rather than being a historical document of the conflict. In other words, this film is about the internal/external conflicts between the individual American soldiers. It is not really about why we were at war with the Nazis, although it is set in the context of that conflict.
Very unique film, especially in the war film genre and I hope it makes its way to a nice representation on DVD someday. Definitely worth seeking out in any capacity, whether its to rent or own. *By the way, thats Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies) as Sgt. Toliver of Fox Company. More Aldrich films with:
Jack Palance - The Big Knife (1955), Ten Seconds to Hell (1959)
Lee Marvin - The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Eddie Albert - The Longest Yard (1974), Hustle (1975) More Aldrich war films:
The Angry Hills (1959)
Too Late the Hero (1970)
Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977) Robert Aldrich (1918-1983)
Rating:
Summary: War Brings Out the Best or the Worst in Some
Review: Director Robert Aldrich's contribution to American cinema has seemed to diminish over the years since his untimely death. ATTACK was one of his better films. I remember seeing it many years ago and it was quite realistic and graphic for its time. The chiseled face of Jack Palance as the dutiful Lt. Costa is still vivid in my mind, as is Eddie Albert's performance as the cowardly Capt. Cooney. This is a grim and hard boiled film with an engaging plot that really questions the reason why man must die in war and who ultimately bears the responsibility for sending combatants to their deaths. This film contains outstanding performances by all including Lee Marvin, Richard Jaeckel, Buddy Ebsen, Robert Strauss, William Smithers, Strother Martin and Peter Van Eyck. Cinematographer Joseph Biroc's photography is stark bringing a feeling of hopelessness and despair to this film about men in war. A very good DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Great plot for its time, but a horrible movie
Review: Having read the reviews posted here, I had to respond. This movie is one of the worst examples of war movies I have ever seen. Yes, the tension is seething between the two antagonists, but the sets are cheap, the dialogue laughable, and the acting hilarious. Jack Palance would do most any movie great credit with his performance, but with the rest of this cast so pathetic, he comes off as completely overacting. Everything about this movie is Hollywood garbage. Defiant, cruel Germans. Tough, willing Americans. The tactics are laughable, and the lingo is inaccurate. Yes there is some gore and this is not a rally-round-the-flag, patriotic entertainer, but this is a script that should have stayed on a stage. Perhaps the only saving grace is that while they used U.S. tanks to portray the Germans, they at least had the decency to visually modify them to look somewhat like German vehicles. Also, the DVD has a skip in the final battle, and the final scene is offset on your screen so you can't view it all.
Rating:
Summary: Great plot for its time, but a horrible movie
Review: Having read the reviews posted here, I had to respond. This movie is one of the worst examples of war movies I have ever seen. Yes, the tension is seething between the two antagonists, but the sets are cheap, the dialogue laughable, and the acting hilarious. Jack Palance would do most any movie great credit with his performance, but with the rest of this cast so pathetic, he comes off as completely overacting. Everything about this movie is Hollywood garbage. Defiant, cruel Germans. Tough, willing Americans. The tactics are laughable, and the lingo is inaccurate. Yes there is some gore and this is not a rally-round-the-flag, patriotic entertainer, but this is a script that should have stayed on a stage. Perhaps the only saving grace is that while they used U.S. tanks to portray the Germans, they at least had the decency to visually modify them to look somewhat like German vehicles. Also, the DVD has a skip in the final battle, and the final scene is offset on your screen so you can't view it all.
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