BATTLE CIRCUS
US, 1953, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Humphrey Bogart, June Allyson, Keenan Wynn, Robert Keith, William Campbell.
Directed by Richard Brooks.
Battle Circus is one of many films about the Korean War that came out in the early 1950s. This film has better credentials than many of them. It was written and directed by Richard Brooks who was emerging as a significant writer-director in the late 40s and early 50s. He was soon to make an impact with such films as The Blackboard Jungle, The Brothers Karamazov, Elmer Gantry, the versions of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Sweet Bird of Youth. In the 1970s he also directed Looking for Mr Goodbar.
In a piece of unusual casting, Humphrey Bogart (soon after his Oscar win in The African Queen) is a doctor on duty in Korea, a touch hardened, a drinker, flirtatious. Also surprising is the casting of June Allyson as the nurse who attracts Bogart – an unlikely romance. Keenan Wynn has his usual role of the smart-talking offsider. Robert Keith is a severe commander.
The film was originally going to be called MASH and there is reference to the MASH units in the film. However, it was to be another seventeen years until Robert Altman gave new meaning and circulation to MASH.
Conventional material – an indication of morale-boosting of the period.
1. A Korean War film? Along with other films about Korea?
2. American propaganda, morale-boosting? The dialogue and the comments about Americans not aware of the fighting in Korea? The American forces? The Korean enemies?
3. Black and white photography, the landscapes for Korea, the fighting grounds? The musical score? The title and the reference to battle and to the war like a circus, especially with the marquees and tents going up and down?
4. The unusual casting and its effect?
5. The action sequences, the dangers, explosions, wounding? Roads barred – and the scene of the vehicles and the wounded men going down the mountainside? The bombardments?
6. The logistics, especially by Statt and his efficiency, getting the tents up and down, on the move, the brisk methods of raising and lowering the tents? Bringing home to audiences the ordinariness of this kind of support in wartime?
7. Humphrey Bogart as Jed Webbe? His rugged look, manner of speaking? His skills, the operation on the boy and Walters’ disbelief? His work, his drinking, his story about the past, his wife walking out on him? His motivation for being in Korea? Meeting Ruth, the initial friction, the attraction, his flirting, her resistance? Going out, the dance? The growing relationship? His putting her on the truck? His getting the men through?
8. Ruth, her reasons for being in Korea, doing her duty, the pretzel factory in Pennsylvania? Her being worldly-wise, hunting off the wolves? Arrival, mistakes, in the mud, the showers, the advice from the other nurses? Her encounters with Jed, the attraction, her resistance? Giving in? Her wanting marriage, permanent commitment? Her work, admiration of Jed’s operation? Trying to warn him when he was drunk? The reunion at the end?
9. Sergeant Statt, the wisecracking offsider, his efficiency in getting things done? Organising the group down the mountainside?
10. Lieutenant Colonel Walters, in command, his attitude towards Jed? Watching him operate? His being wounded?
11. The range of other men, the attitudes of the enlisted men, fighting, being wounded, suffering? The range of nurses, their attitudes, their work?
12. The Korean child? The operation? The Korean and his being demented, Ruth and her being able to talk him down, give up the grenade? The picture of the Korean people in the context of the war?
13. The tradition of war films – and the contribution of this film to the Korean War cycle?
