When you take an introspective book like "The Red Badge of Courage" and try to make it an action film, it's going to suffer a bit. This is the story of a boy who is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of war. Henry Fleming (Audie Murphy) is that boy who runs when confronted with Rebel forces. He hide in the woods, where he is struck on the head by another retreating soldier, knocked unconscious. In the book there is great pain and serious guilt on the part of Fleming. This is hard to portray, but Murphy does quite a good job, considering his relative inexperience. Apparently, the studio just didn't give this film a true chance at greatness. They kept cutting and cutting because it didn't fit the Hollywood mode. We need to remember those big time producers weren't in the business for their health. All of this said, there are great scenes of battle and Murphy's portrayal of the young soldier are very good.
Review of The Red Badge of Courage
The Red Badge of Courage
(1951)
A Book about the Psychological Wanderings of a Soldier
15 December 2016