Rating: 
Summary: 10% good 90 % bad
Review: A good war film, about the creation of the modern Israeli army and the creation of the state of Israel. Kirk Douglas plays a recently demobilized American military expert who returns home from WWII only to find he still has fighting and wanderlust in his blood. A cloak-and-dagger offer to help train the beleagured Jewish militias is all he needs to tell his wife, "honey, I'll write you soon!" and zip off to the promised land. The film is very one-sided and romanticized, yet compelling... In retrospect, historians have argued that the Israelis weren't as badly outgunned in 1948 as the official version implies, but I'm sure it was still bad enough. Guest appearances by John Wayne, Frank Sinatra (who phoned in role as a happy-go-lucky fighter pilot) and Yul Brynner make this a bona fide Epic Film, but you might find your attention wandering more towards the Sophia Loren-alike hottie, Senta Berger, who plays Kirk's Israeli love interest. History and war buffs will find this an intertaining and engaging film; jihadists and moral relativists might want to skip it.
Rating: 
Summary: Mythologized and propagandistic, but compelling
Review: A good war film, about the creation of the modern Israeli army and the creation of the state of Israel. Kirk Douglas plays a recently demobilized American military expert who returns home from WWII only to find he still has fighting and wanderlust in his blood. A cloak-and-dagger offer to help train the beleagured Jewish militias is all he needs to tell his wife, "honey, I'll write you soon!" and zip off to the promised land. The film is very one-sided and romanticized, yet compelling... In retrospect, historians have argued that the Israelis weren't as badly outgunned in 1948 as the official version implies, but I'm sure it was still bad enough. Guest appearances by John Wayne, Frank Sinatra (who phoned in role as a happy-go-lucky fighter pilot) and Yul Brynner make this a bona fide Epic Film, but you might find your attention wandering more towards the Sophia Loren-alike hottie, Senta Berger, who plays Kirk's Israeli love interest. History and war buffs will find this an intertaining and engaging film; jihadists and moral relativists might want to skip it.
Rating: 
Summary: Cast a giant shadow
Review: A masterful story describing the birth of a nation. The fight of a few people to overcome unbeatable odds. An all star cast, in a modern day story where the underdog actually wins one
Rating:
Summary: Cast a Giant CAST
Review: First off, this film contains a rousing score by Elmer Bernstein. It is brilliant. Melville Shavelson wrote and directed this sprawling biographical action picture about (Colonel) "Mickey" Marcus (Kirk Douglas), a West Point graduate and an adviser to President Roosevelt during W.W.II, who, at the request of the Israelis, went to there in the late 40s to re-organize their army. In this account, based on a book by Ted Berkman, Mickey Marcus is the master strategist who leads the Israelis to victory in the war with the Arabs. Melville Shavelson admires him, making him the cool but enigmatic leader. Shavelson is very eager to please the audience enough to throw in numerous guest stars, such as Frank Sinatra and Yul Brynner, and agonizes over Mickey's moral conflict between Angie Dickinson, the wife he leaves at home in the U.S., and Senta Berger, the female warrior he takes up with. Even those willing to accept the hours of incoherence and banality may recoil at the obscenity of being asked to experience the horrors of Dachau as reflected in John Wayne's bleary eyes. It also features Topol, James Donald, Stathis Giallelis, Ruth White, Gordon Jackson, Luther Adler, Gary Merrill, and Jeremy Kemp. Get the soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: Cast a Giant CAST
Review: First off, this film contains a rousing score by Elmer Bernstein. It is brilliant. Melville Shavelson wrote and directed this sprawling biographical action picture about (Colonel) "Mickey" Marcus (Kirk Douglas), a West Point graduate and an adviser to President Roosevelt during W.W.II, who, at the request of the Israelis, went to there in the late 40s to re-organize their army. In this account, based on a book by Ted Berkman, Mickey Marcus is the master strategist who leads the Israelis to victory in the war with the Arabs. Melville Shavelson admires him, making him the cool but enigmatic leader. Shavelson is very eager to please the audience enough to throw in numerous guest stars, such as Frank Sinatra and Yul Brynner, and agonizes over Mickey's moral conflict between Angie Dickinson, the wife he leaves at home in the U.S., and Senta Berger, the female warrior he takes up with. Even those willing to accept the hours of incoherence and banality may recoil at the obscenity of being asked to experience the horrors of Dachau as reflected in John Wayne's bleary eyes. It also features Topol, James Donald, Stathis Giallelis, Ruth White, Gordon Jackson, Luther Adler, Gary Merrill, and Jeremy Kemp. Get the soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: Great story, lame movie
Review: Hokey is right. This film now seems terminally dated, with stilted dialogue, cheesy flashbacks, implausible female characters, and all the narrative energy of a dead flashlight battery. The only high points are some action scenes and comic relief provided by the great Israeli actor Topol (playing an Arab sympathetic to the Israeli cause). Why hasn't anyone ever made a GREAT movie about Israel's fight for independence? "Exodus" is marginally superior (I like Paul Newman better than Kirk Douglas), but burdened by a glacial pace.
Rating:
Summary: UTTER RUBBISH
Review: I GIVE THIS MOVIE MINUS 5 STARS.
Why do we watch movies? Sometimes its because we like fantasy, or action, or romance, OR THE TELLING OF A TRUE STORY. I guess the idea with cast a giant shadow was to tell the true story of how a group terrorists [Jews] with great might and courage created an independent state of Israel- which of course is all false and utter rubbish. The film is light years away from the telling of a true story. The Jews were not mighty nor courageous, nor passionate. The truth is they were terrorists and with America's help defeated the Arabs. What ever the film potrays of the Jews was wrong and highly inaccurate. There was also some inaccuracies in the portrayl of the Arabs, but not on a grand scale as the Jews. Steven Speilberg wanted to do a movie very close to the truth about the same war, but when zionists saw the script they pressured Steven to drop the idea. Cast a Giant shadow underated the amreican involvement which was the only reason why Israel won that war. If you like a war movie there are plenty that are much better than this. If you are pro-israeli I think you will like it, but remember 80% of it is inccurate. Many people watch and then review a movie at amazon if it is a good ONE. On the basis of that, cast A Giant shadow has only 11 reviews, indicating what utter rubbish of a movie it is.
Rating:
Summary: a true story with a tragic death [that of col. marcus]
Review: i was an 11 year old when the events in this movie took place. col. marcus was often a guest at our house, prior to going to help israel. my father was a member of the nypd, and was one of the pallbearers for col. marcus. in addition to that, he was also involved in helping the israelis get weapons [pistols, ammo, and radios]. i saw this movie whwn it 1st came out, and memories were refreshed. i also visited israel, and went to latrun and up the 'burma road' to jerusalem. to this day, there are the remnants of military vehicles destroyed in battle by the arab forces, which entirely out manned and outgunned the fledgling israeli army. one of the results of col. marcus' untimely death was the mandatory learning of hebrew for all new immigrants, no exceptions! despite all the negative reviews, this reviewer knew col. marcus, and other fighters for the fledgling israeli army. this review refers to the book, the screen version, and the vhs tape. it is worth buying this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Hokey? Perhaps, but very entertaining
Review: I'm glad I saw this before I read Leonard Maltins' review. This depiction of an American Jew involved in Israels' early war with its Arab neighbors is not a theatrical masterpiece but it is worth watching. The story revolves around Mickey Marcus, an American Army officer, who resigns his commission and goes to Israel to help form and train the fledgling Israeli Army. Watching Sinatra throw nasty stuff out of a Piper Cub is worth the price of admission.
Rating:
Summary: 10% good 90 % bad
Review: Okay, we wanted a movie to enjoy about the Land of Israel and it's struggles. Old style movie making was enjoyable, as was the usual depiction of the Jewish courage and struggle along with a similar type people giving American support. HOWEVER, from the get-go the main actor was cheating on his wife, and every time John Wayne got a chance to say "damn" he sure did. It's like they realized at this point in movie making they could get away with saying "damn" on screen more than in the work place or schools, or any other place of decency, and so they went ALL OUT. Like little kids getting away with something for the first time, if it's all the sudden allowed for some reason, they display it with exhuberance! So bad language, a love affair during marriage (actually celebrated by two married couples' cheating spouses) is toyed with and starts to come to full fruition (whatever THAT means anymore). Movie went in the garbage, we are sad we bought it. There was NO need for profanity, nor a need for such sensuousness on a topic about heroic bravery and humand struggles to live together in peace ON A BATTLEFIELD. The Jews are dipicted as passionate and courageous (usual depiction) but not very smart w/ politics and rough relationships (usual depiction). We aren't Jewish, but we say...don't buy!
|
