Objective, Burma!

Rating:
Summary: Objective Burma
Review: A Great transfer to DVD for a great movie. Although not the best history lesson considering Burma was a major British theater of operations and not American, the movie still provides an excellent story about the many obstacles "the fog of war" throws in the way of a group of paratroopers lead by Errol Flynn. The DVD picture is crystal clear and the sound transfer is good. Flynn's acting in this film is surpassed only by The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Sea Hawk.

It is well past time for Flynn's great films to be released: The Adventures of Robin Hood (September 30, 2003 FINALLY), The Sea Hawk, Gentleman Jim, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Captain Blood!!! It has been a real travesty keeping fine Flynn vehicles like these films unavailable on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Objective Burma
Review: A Great transfer to DVD for a great movie. Although not the best history lesson considering Burma was a major British theater of operations and not American, the movie still provides an excellent story about the many obstacles "the fog of war" throws in the way of a group of paratroopers lead by Errol Flynn. The DVD picture is crystal clear and the sound transfer is good. Flynn's acting in this film is surpassed only by The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Sea Hawk.

It is well past time for Flynn's great films to be released: The Adventures of Robin Hood (September 30, 2003 FINALLY), The Sea Hawk, Gentleman Jim, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Captain Blood!!! It has been a real travesty keeping fine Flynn vehicles like these films unavailable on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: One of the few World War ll films that really holds up.
Review: A pounding war film that very realistically shows the sweat and hardship of battle. Direction by Raoul Walsh, photography by James Wong Howe, and a fine restrained performance by Flynn minus any pretty-boy heroics add greatly to the film. Some of the British were peeved at the time of its release because it failed to show the British contribution to this theatre of operations and did not give it laudatory reviews. I think they were blinded to the fact that this is an exceptionaly good war film. 3 1/2 stars, almost 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Over rated
Review: Errol Flynn is one of my favourite actors and I was keen to see this film after last seeing it on TV 30 years ago. My huge disappointment with the film is the lack of realism. If you want to see realism see films like "Apocalypse now" or "Dear hunter". The scene in "Objective Burma" where they destroy the radar instalation and kill all the Japanese soldiers was so fake and unrealistic - the way the soldiers fell. There was no emotion by the troops after the slaughter. It was as if they went on a rabbit hunt. To me this was just a cheap war movie showing how America 's duty was to rid the world of the Japanese menace - see the closing credits. I may be a bit harsh in my appraisal of the movie because i am comparing it to the realism of modern films which really show the the pain and suffering in such graphic detail. The film reminded me of the war TV series "Combat"

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Combat Drama
Review: Errol Flynn made several films about World War II, but two of them are considered classics. One was "The Edge of Darkness," and the other was 1945's "Objective, Burma!" While the film was angrily pulled from theaters in England because it largely ignored British efforts in the fight against the Japanese in Burma, it did a resounding business in the United States.

In the film, Errol Flynn's character leads a group of paratroopers on a mission behind Japanese lines in Burma. When they are stranded there, only one recourse is left to them: to fight their way out. The ensuing struggle to get back to friendly lines presents some of the most tense and action-packed battle scenes in WWII film history.

Note: Watch for the scene in which Errol Flynn weeps. He is watching one of his men, who has been mercilessly tortured by the Japanese, die. The camera moves in on Flynn's face, an extreme closeup. Watch closely, because the scene is dimly lighted and the moment is brief. Big tears of grief roll from Flynn's eyes, indicating he was a much better actor than many critics gave him credit for. END

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Combat Drama
Review: Errol Flynn made several films about World War II, but two of them are considered classics. One was "The Edge of Darkness," and the other was 1945's "Objective, Burma!" While the film was angrily pulled from theaters in England because it largely ignored British efforts in the fight against the Japanese in Burma, it did a resounding business in the United States.

In the film, Errol Flynn's character leads a group of paratroopers on a mission behind Japanese lines in Burma. When they are stranded there, only one recourse is left to them: to fight their way out. The ensuing struggle to get back to friendly lines presents some of the most tense and action-packed battle scenes in WWII film history.

Note: Watch for the scene in which Errol Flynn weeps. He is watching one of his men, who has been mercilessly tortured by the Japanese, die. The camera moves in on Flynn's face, an extreme closeup. Watch closely, because the scene is dimly lighted and the moment is brief. Big tears of grief roll from Flynn's eyes, indicating he was a much better actor than many critics gave him credit for. END

Rating:
Summary: Errol on DVD !
Review: Finally--the great Errol Flynn is becoming available on DVD. One can only hope that Warner Bros. will be releasing more classic Flynn titles in the near future. Except for late in his career, when Errol's excessive lifestyle took its toll, we are looking at one of the most exciting stars to ever grace the "silver screen".

As other reviews will tell you, this is a truly memorable World War II drama about American soldiers successfully accomplishing a dangerous mission against the Japanese in the jungles of Burma, only to face the daunting task of returning to home base alive. The film is exciting, touching, sad and uplifting--and if ever there was an actor that men might follow even through the gates of hell, it is Errol Flynn. I agree that this is one of his best performances. At first, we get the famous Flynn bravado, but as the story progresses, we see more desperate human qualities and ultimately a world-weary resignation. The scene where he discovers that one of his men has been tortured to death does not really show the victim--it doesn't have to--the horror and disbelief on Flynn's face says it all.

The film is long--but even when there is no action taking place, the combination of suspense and sharply-drawn characters keeps a firm grip on your attention. You can feel that oppressive heat--the dense jungle--the biting insects--and the constant threat of a ruthless enemy. In many ways the atmosphere foreshadows another nasty war for Americans, in another Asian jungle, some twenty years later.

The DVD is excellent--the picture is very clear and stable for a 58-year old film.

I know that this movie was vilified in the UK for ignoring the huge role played by British troops in this theatre of the war. I don't pass historical judgments--I simply review the film. As such, "Objective Burma" is a powerful statement, and an excellent vehicle for a truly great star.

Rating:
Summary: A pleasant surprise
Review: I had always heard about Objective Burma, but had never been able to find it. It was finally aired on TV and I got to see it. The film features Errol Flynn, in one of his most impressive acting turns, stars as Captain Nelson, a paratrooper commander who leads his men into a mission that was supposed to last under a day. Instead, they are cut off and are forced to wait it out behind enemy lines, experiencing absolute hell.

The movie was a pleasant surprise, as I didn't know how Flynn would play out in a WWII film. But Flynn was excellent as is the movie itself.

Rating:
Summary: Good action-packed movie.........wheres the DVD
Review: I saw this movie one, but I only saw a fraction of it. I now have it and I love every minute of it. Errol Flynn does very good in his role as the company commander. Flynn slides toward his British accent a few times, but that's all right, I know he's does his best. The movie starts when Flynn's outfit, a army paratrooper battalion, get's orders for a hit-and-run mission in enemy-infested Burma. Thier mission, knock out a japanese radar installation and high-tail-it out of there. I won't spoil the surprise though, but it is a very good action movie. It even had real army paratroopers serving as advisors on the sets. Only two movies were made about the Burma campign, Objective Burma and Merrils Mauraders. If you were in the paratroopers in World War II or if you're in the Airborne paratroopers now, you will love this film. I hope it will be released in DVD format someday.

Rating:
Summary: One of Flynn's Best
Review: Objective Burma is a gritty, suspenseful account of American paratroopers dropped behind Japanese lines in Burma to destroy one of the Japanese radar stations. They end up trapped behind enemy lines and need to walk and fight their way out. Errol Flynn stars as their leader, and it's easily one of the best performances I've ever seen him give. Instead of his usual dashing heroics and cocky attitude, he plays this character with maturity and subtlety, and he is never less than convincing. The locations look very realistic and atmospheric, the sounds of animals and the swamp becoming an important feature of the soundtrack. Director Raoul Walsh paces the film well, building tension expertly and balancing the human elements of the story with excellent episodes of action. This is one of the better WWII movies to come out of Hollywood during the war.