Fixed Bayonets
starring: Richard Basehart, Gene Evans, Michael O'Shea, Richard Hylton, Craig Hill
directed by: Samuel Fuller
directed by: Samuel Fuller
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Product Description:
The story of a platoon during the Korean War. One by one Corporal Denno's superiors are killed until it comes to the point where he must try to take command responsiblity.System Requirements:Run Time: 92 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 024543432838 Manufacturer No: 2243283
Amazon.com:
Not your typical star-studded or star-spangled war film, cult-fave director Samuel Fuller's Fixed Bayonets is a viscerally thrillingKorean War drama of one platoon's trial, and one corporal's baptism, under fire. Morale is high but the ammo is low for an American division hunkered down in the mountains of Korea. Certain massacre awaits if they retreat. To give "15,000 men a break," 48 "of our toughest combat men" are selected to stay behind and trick the "commies" into thinking the entire division is in place while the others escape safely across a river. Fixed Bayonets is raw and brutal in the best Fuller tradition. The backgrounds are obvious fakes, and the platoon members sport the usual war movie nicknames like Whitey, Rock, Jonesy, and "Mr. Belvedere" (he's the resident know-it-all). But all else has the authentic ring of reportage, as in a powerful scene when the men cluster together to rub their feet to ward off frostbite. Richard Basehart stars as Denno, who can "take an order, but can't give one" until his three superiors are knocked off one by one, leaving him in command. This rueful exchange--"They told me this was going to be a police action." "Why didn't they send the cops?"--is as close as Fuller gets to geopolitics. For war-movie buffs, he does deliver pounding and tense action sequences. In one harrowing scene, a medic must navigate a minefield to try and rescue a wounded sergeant and retrieve the only map to the field.. But he is resolutely unsentimental and more interested in the ravaged, human face of war. These are faces you will not soon forget (one of them, reportedly, belongs to James Dean, but this film is so gripping, one is hard-pressed to make the effort to try to spot him). --Donald Liebenson
The story of a platoon during the Korean War. One by one Corporal Denno's superiors are killed until it comes to the point where he must try to take command responsiblity.System Requirements:Run Time: 92 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 024543432838 Manufacturer No: 2243283
Amazon.com:
Not your typical star-studded or star-spangled war film, cult-fave director Samuel Fuller's Fixed Bayonets is a viscerally thrillingKorean War drama of one platoon's trial, and one corporal's baptism, under fire. Morale is high but the ammo is low for an American division hunkered down in the mountains of Korea. Certain massacre awaits if they retreat. To give "15,000 men a break," 48 "of our toughest combat men" are selected to stay behind and trick the "commies" into thinking the entire division is in place while the others escape safely across a river. Fixed Bayonets is raw and brutal in the best Fuller tradition. The backgrounds are obvious fakes, and the platoon members sport the usual war movie nicknames like Whitey, Rock, Jonesy, and "Mr. Belvedere" (he's the resident know-it-all). But all else has the authentic ring of reportage, as in a powerful scene when the men cluster together to rub their feet to ward off frostbite. Richard Basehart stars as Denno, who can "take an order, but can't give one" until his three superiors are knocked off one by one, leaving him in command. This rueful exchange--"They told me this was going to be a police action." "Why didn't they send the cops?"--is as close as Fuller gets to geopolitics. For war-movie buffs, he does deliver pounding and tense action sequences. In one harrowing scene, a medic must navigate a minefield to try and rescue a wounded sergeant and retrieve the only map to the field.. But he is resolutely unsentimental and more interested in the ravaged, human face of war. These are faces you will not soon forget (one of them, reportedly, belongs to James Dean, but this film is so gripping, one is hard-pressed to make the effort to try to spot him). --Donald Liebenson
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Suspenseful War movie from Cult favorite, Sam Fuller.
One of my favorite directors, Sam Fuller, directs his follow-up to his Korean War classic, "The Steel Helmet(1950)" with this white knuckler called "Fixed Bayonets!(1952)".
"Fixed Bayonets!" follows the story of a platoon of men left behind to hold back a Commie counterattack during the Korean War. All the men are a colorful, memorable lot and the film focuses strongly on the Corporal as portrayed by Richard Basehart. While a courageuous man, he has difficulty in firing his weapon. He ... Read More
Rating: - fixed bayonets
this movie is worth a spot in my collection.
other than some typical american rah rah left over from ww2 era movie cookie cutters, this is actually a fairly interesting movie. solid performances are given all around. this movie makes a good case for esp in the non verbal communication phenomenon. i cant think of another conventional movie that really delves into this phenomenon. war movie buffs will love this one, because it is rarely, if ever played.keep your eyes peeled for a cameo performance ... Read More
Rating: 
- Companion Movie to a Good Book
I recently read "The Last Stand of Fox Company" about a significant battle in the Korean War.I was very impressed with the book and the difficult elements that the soldiers had to put up with.When I saw that "Fixed Bayonets" was on TV recently, I made a point to watch it.The circumstances of the film were very similar to those of the book and I appreciated the way I was able to compare my mental images with the visual ones in "Fixed Bayonets".In the process of supplementing a good book, I rediscovered ... Read More
Rating: 
- Very good movie
This was a very good movie showing the diffrent characters and how they handled themselves. if you are a fan of classic war movies, heres one you wont want to mis. Good acting and plenty of action. Theres not enough movies of the Korean War out there and this is a good movie.
Rating: - Good, but not as gritty as "The Steel Helmet"
After seeing Sam Fuller's "Steel Helmet" on one of the classic channels (AMC or TCM), I bought this DVD expecting a movie of similar originality and grittiness. While "Steel Helmet" confronts the issue of racism with stark realism and grittiness, Fixed Bayonets takes a somewhat softer approach on the issue of cowardice versus leadership.
This movie describes the actions of a platoon left behind as rear-guard, to allow a badly mauled division to withdraw safely to regroup in the face of imminent Communist ... Read More
- Suspenseful War movie from Cult favorite, Sam Fuller.One of my favorite directors, Sam Fuller, directs his follow-up to his Korean War classic, "The Steel Helmet(1950)" with this white knuckler called "Fixed Bayonets!(1952)".
"Fixed Bayonets!" follows the story of a platoon of men left behind to hold back a Commie counterattack during the Korean War. All the men are a colorful, memorable lot and the film focuses strongly on the Corporal as portrayed by Richard Basehart. While a courageuous man, he has difficulty in firing his weapon. He ... Read More
- fixed bayonetsthis movie is worth a spot in my collection.
other than some typical american rah rah left over from ww2 era movie cookie cutters, this is actually a fairly interesting movie. solid performances are given all around. this movie makes a good case for esp in the non verbal communication phenomenon. i cant think of another conventional movie that really delves into this phenomenon. war movie buffs will love this one, because it is rarely, if ever played.keep your eyes peeled for a cameo performance ... Read More
- Companion Movie to a Good BookI recently read "The Last Stand of Fox Company" about a significant battle in the Korean War.I was very impressed with the book and the difficult elements that the soldiers had to put up with.When I saw that "Fixed Bayonets" was on TV recently, I made a point to watch it.The circumstances of the film were very similar to those of the book and I appreciated the way I was able to compare my mental images with the visual ones in "Fixed Bayonets".In the process of supplementing a good book, I rediscovered ... Read More
- Very good movieThis was a very good movie showing the diffrent characters and how they handled themselves. if you are a fan of classic war movies, heres one you wont want to mis. Good acting and plenty of action. Theres not enough movies of the Korean War out there and this is a good movie.
- Good, but not as gritty as "The Steel Helmet"After seeing Sam Fuller's "Steel Helmet" on one of the classic channels (AMC or TCM), I bought this DVD expecting a movie of similar originality and grittiness. While "Steel Helmet" confronts the issue of racism with stark realism and grittiness, Fixed Bayonets takes a somewhat softer approach on the issue of cowardice versus leadership.
This movie describes the actions of a platoon left behind as rear-guard, to allow a badly mauled division to withdraw safely to regroup in the face of imminent Communist ... Read More
