Beach Red
Encyclopedia
Beach Red is a 1967 World War II
film starring Cornel Wilde
(who also directed) and Rip Torn
. The film depicts a landing by the U.S. Marine Corps on an unnamed Japanese held Pacific island. A reference to the recent Bougainville Campaign early in the film presumably dates the action to November, 1943 or later.
The film is based on a lengthy piece of prose, not quite a novel written by Peter Bowman based on his experiences with the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Pacific Islands
campaigns.
The opening sequence of an opposed beach landing bears a stylistic resemblance to 'Saving Private Ryan
', even though there is more than thirty years between the productions. In one scene during the landing a Marine is shown with his arm blown off similar to Tom Lea
's painting The Price.
As Americans are shown consolidating their gains, flashbacks illustrate the lives of American and Japanese combatants. Shifting first person voice over
in a stream of consciousness style is also used to portray thoughts of numerous characters. Like Wilde's previous production of The Naked Prey
the film does not use subtitles for characters speaking Japanese.
The film only has one musical theme, a song by written Antonino Buenaventura that appears in the titles sung in a folk song manner by Jean Wallace
and appears in various orchestrations throughout the film. The titles of the film are various paintings that suddenly segue
s into the preparations for the landing.
Director, producer, and co-writer Wilde plays a Marine Captain the company commander, Rip Torn
plays his believable company gunnery sergeant
who says the film's tagline
"That's what we're here for. To kill. The rest is all crap!" .
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
film starring Cornel Wilde
Cornel Wilde
Cornel Wilde was an American actor and film director.-Early life:Kornél Lajos Weisz was born in 1912 in Prievidza, Hungary , although his year and place of birth are usually and inaccurately given as 1915 in New York City...
(who also directed) and Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
. The film depicts a landing by the U.S. Marine Corps on an unnamed Japanese held Pacific island. A reference to the recent Bougainville Campaign early in the film presumably dates the action to November, 1943 or later.
The film is based on a lengthy piece of prose, not quite a novel written by Peter Bowman based on his experiences with the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
campaigns.
The opening sequence of an opposed beach landing bears a stylistic resemblance to 'Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
', even though there is more than thirty years between the productions. In one scene during the landing a Marine is shown with his arm blown off similar to Tom Lea
Thomas C. Lea, III
Thomas Calloway "Tom" Lea, III was a noted American muralist, illustrator, artist, war correspondent, novelist, and historian....
's painting The Price.
As Americans are shown consolidating their gains, flashbacks illustrate the lives of American and Japanese combatants. Shifting first person voice over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
in a stream of consciousness style is also used to portray thoughts of numerous characters. Like Wilde's previous production of The Naked Prey
The Naked Prey
The Naked Prey is a 1966 adventure film starring Cornel Wilde, who also directed and produced. It was released by Paramount Pictures. Set in the South African veld, the film is a wilderness survival story loosely based on the experiences of explorer John Colter, who was pursued by Blackfoot...
the film does not use subtitles for characters speaking Japanese.
The film only has one musical theme, a song by written Antonino Buenaventura that appears in the titles sung in a folk song manner by Jean Wallace
Jean Wallace
Jean Wallace was an American television and film actress.-Biography:Born Jean Walasek in Chicago to John T. Walasek and Mary A. Walasek , Wallace began her career as a model then got her first small movie role at the age of seventeen...
and appears in various orchestrations throughout the film. The titles of the film are various paintings that suddenly segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
s into the preparations for the landing.
Director, producer, and co-writer Wilde plays a Marine Captain the company commander, Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
plays his believable company gunnery sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
who says the film's tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
"That's what we're here for. To kill. The rest is all crap!" .
Production
- Filmed on location in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
using troops of the Philippine Armed Forces. The sequence of the Japanese dressed in Marine uniforms was inspired by the original book mentioning Japanese wearing American helmets to infiltrateInfiltration tacticsIn warfare, infiltration tactics involve small, lightly equipped infantry forces attacking enemy rear areas while bypassing enemy front line strongpoints and isolating them for attack by follow-up troops with heavier weapons.-Development during World War I:...
American lines. - When seeking assistance from the U.S. Marine Corps, Cornel WildeCornel WildeCornel Wilde was an American actor and film director.-Early life:Kornél Lajos Weisz was born in 1912 in Prievidza, Hungary , although his year and place of birth are usually and inaccurately given as 1915 in New York City...
was told that due to the commitments of the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
all the Corps could provide the film was color stock footageStock footageStock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
taken during the Pacific Island campaigns. The film provided had deteriorated so Wilde had to spend a considerable part of the film's budget to restore the film to an acceptable quality in order to blend into the film. The Marine Corps was grateful that their historical film had been restored at no cost to them.