I found this on DVD cheap in a bargain bin and saw a young Burton in a desert WW2 flick, so why not? Well, I'm sorry to say I'm in the minority here and couldn't get into it at all. I guess because I sympathized with the Jurgen's character more then Burton"s! For me the lines were not drawn nearly clear enough That Jurgen's Major was all that incompetent and that Burton's Captain all that outstanding. On top of that the love interest between the two seemed pretty unbelievable to have been all that wanted by a young Burton, she looks kind of old maid'ish to me, and definitely is not at all loyal to her husband in any scene. In the end I was much more sympathetic to Jurgen's then I was a rogue Burton looking to break up a war time marriage to a fellow officer. I also have a military background and I guess I feel a strong loyalty to senior officers (thats what makes a military work), I've actually been in a bit of wartime drama myself and stuck by my CO against an upstart enlisted person who was totally out of line in a war zone making many accusations that when asked my opinion later on by myself, I stuck by my CO, but in this movie I didn't get any of that same tension. I'll say that those guys were pretty stupid on the raid, blowing up a working jeep in the desert? C'mon! Your on a raid alone, you use the resources you have! They also shot or let escape two horses, I just couldn't get into it with any type of tension. In other words, boring! They give a DSO later on the spot? In The box? Without pinning it on? Give me a break! Also, when I saw on the DVD cover Jurgen's, I assumed he would play a German nemesis to Burton, wrong! I mean he is totally miscast as a fellow British officer (South African, Afrikaner) but I mean he doesn't have the typical accent to even achieve that, does he? Just a final note, Johnny Guitar is one of my all time favorite movies, I did not buy this disc based on it being a Ray made movie, I bought it for Burton and on a whim because it was cheap, I want to point out one quote that I saw of some of my all time favorite war movies and my view in reflection,quote: "Those who have enjoyed ATTACK, HELL IS FOR HEROES, THE BIG RED ONE and particularly Anthony Mann's brilliant MEN IN WAR are well advised to check this out,". My input is if you got this far in my feelings upon watching "Bitter Victory" is pass unless it's on cable and then check it out for free; 6 of 10 out of respect for those who love this movie, it does try to go were not many war movies went in 1957 (I actually think it rates lower like a 5/10).
Review of Bitter Victory
