TOO LATE THE HERO

UK/US, 1970, 134 minutes, Colour.
Michael Caine, Cliff Robertson, Denholm Elliot, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Ronald Fraser, Lance Percival, Henry Fonda.
Directed by Robert Aldrich.

Too Late the Hero is another World War II story, set in the New Hebrides and filmed in the Philippines. Director Robert Aldrich (who also made The Dirty Dozen) produced and partly wrote the screenplay. It was designed as a big Roadshow release, overture music and intermission. However, it is very little different from any other war film and is as good or as bad as any other, depending on one's fancy for action, suspense, heroics and hundreds of the enemy killed off. In tune with the mood of the late 60's, the film is rather pessimistic in tone, showing us that war is fairly ugly and so many men are unheroic - until they are dead, when it is too late.

Apart from the end, there is a sense of realism and hardship about the film and it could well be used as a basis for discussing war.

1. How different was this film from any other similar war film? Was it any better than the usual war film? Why?

2. The choosing and sending of Lawson takes place before the credits finish. What kind of character is Lawson shown to be? How selfish? How heroic? His commander hopes he will die. What tone does this give to the rest of the film?

3. How typical were the English group in the New Hebrides? Was the commander a good commander? Did he choose the right men to lead the mission? Was his judgment wrong?

4. How different were Hearne and the English and Scottish soldiers in their selfishness and lack of heroism from Lawson?

5. Were we meant to identify with Michael Caine's character, Hearne? was he heroic in any way?

6. Comment on the bickering, pettiness, fear and inefficiency of the group ? especially shooting their own men, rifling dead Japanese (and chopping off a finger for a ring). How typical do you think such behaviour is of soldiers in war, especially isolated soldiers?

7. Should the mission leader have attempted the heroics he did? Once he had done the sabotage work, should Lawson have followed him to relay the message? Was Lawson a coward or did he do the right thing?

8. Should the corporal and the soldier have followed Campbell in giving themselves up to the Japanese?

9. Was the ending too far-fetched, the number of Japanese killed and the final run to safety?

10. What effect did Lawson's death have on Hearne? Did Lawson die a hero?