In Harm's Way (1965)

Director: Otto Preminger
Starring: John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal

Synopsis:
A captain moved to a desk job after losing his ship reunites with his estranged son amid the planning of a major counteroffensive against the Japanese.

Impressions:
If you're looking for a big star-studded war epic set in the Pacific Theater, this is it. There's a nice balance of cynicism and idealism at play here with a lot of bureaucratic wrangling and severe personal drama amid heroism and romance. Usually I feel that romantic subplots bog down war movies, but I really did like the relationship between Rock and Maggie, two older people who have been burned before but manage to proceed with an understated, mature courtship. I also like how Rock's son starts out as such an insufferable little git before character development sets in. I also liked Kirk Douglas as Commander (later Captain) Eddington, who brings a lot of charm and is a solid support for Rock but not without his demons. This is a fine example of a solid character-driven war film and I strongly recommend giving it a watch.

Rating:
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