Time Limit

Richard Widmark, Richard Basehart, Rip Torn and Carl Benton Reid star in "Time Limit," a 1957 drama directed by Karl Malden. It's a small drama, based on a play, and very well done. During the Korean War, a military investigator, Colonel Edwards (Widmark) is assigned the case of Major Cargill (Basehart), who was a POW and is accused of treason. Edwards believes Cargill to be innocent of the charges, even though Cargill admits that the charges are correct.

This story is really about making a humane decision rather than following military rules. Since as I write this we are still at war in Iraq, this film remains relevant. The scenes at the prisoner of war camp are excellent and really give one the feel for what these soldiers suffered.

Widmark, Torn and Basehart are especially good - Widmark is a man looking for the answer and striving to be both humane and fair, and Torn is a witness to what occurred - both give terrific performances. Basehart is effective as the accused, who just wants to plead guilty and not explain his actions.

A very thought-provoking drama, certainly a topic that's been covered in bigger films, but still worth seeing.

Superb intelligent dialogue and powerful brilliant performances make this film exciting throughout. Time Limit should belong in everyone's movie collection of great films

I had seen Time Limit three times before, always greatly admiring and appreciating the taut court-martial drama. I find it unfortunate that Malden never took another director's turn after such an impressive debut. The acting and direction still hold up well with tour-de-force performances by Basehart and Widmark. These are complemented nicely by dead-on portrayals by Carl Benton Reid, Rip Torn, Martin Balsam, and Yale Wexler as far less humane military characters. Dolores Costello and June Lockhart also give strong performances.

But, the reason I write this today is to comment upon how timely Time Limit is to today's POW controversies. In this regard, I consider the 1962 film "the Hook" with Kirk Douglas almost as a companion piece. The questions are the same. How far should a soldier suppress his humanity in the name of the Army Code? How accountable should a soldier be held who defies the code in order to act in accordance with his conscience? How accountable should a soldier be held who obeys orders later judged to be inhumane? All these are central issues in wake of the recent Abu Gharib controversies.

Time Limit does an excellent job of examining these dilemmas and convincing those of us who weren't already convinced that there are no easy answers. War, by its nature, is an inhumane activity, ordered by humans and executed by humans who to accomplish their orders must deny within themselves subjugate the very humanity that gives each of us his or her purpose in life. Time Limit and The Hook both provide thoughtful and fairly objective examinations of the issues involved.

Time Limit has always been worth watching. Its renewed relevancy just makes it even more so.

Across the frigid nightmare that is the Korean War, there are a thousand nameless graves over which a like amount of ghosts hover. Those haunting's are what drive American writers to pen as many stories onto the pages of that Forgotten War. One of those superb writers is Henry Denker who wrote this story called " Time Limit. " It takes place in one of the many American Army units captured and imprisoned in a P.O.W. camps by the North Koreans. This central story is about one, Major Harry Cargill (Richard Basehart) who having survived the war is now arrested and faces General Court martial and death by firing squad. To see Cargill is given every opportunity to defend himself, Gen. J. Connors (Carl Reid) assigns Col. William Edwards (Richard Widmark) who takes his job seriously. Two surprises hamper Edwards. One, Cargill wants to plead guilty and offers no defense at his trial. Most of the men who come forward to testify agree as to his guilt and find no reason to stop the execution. With the great actor, Karl Malden directing this film and casting such heavies such as Martin Balsam, Rip Torn, Yale Wexler and June Lockhart, this assembly make for a Classic. The movie is assured success with the fine performances and the stark Black and White reality of the Korean War. Excellent vehicle for both Basehart and Widmark. Easilly recommended. ****

The post-war era brought a new-fangled maturity to Hollywood – largely by way of talent coming in from the rival fields of theater and television (and expressed particularly in intense social dramas, often with a dash of psychology) – which considerably invigorated the style of Hollywood film-making in general and even helped towards achieving a more liberal censorship.

The film under review actually bears an affinity to four of the very finest efforts made during this era: Elia Kazan’s ON THE WATERFRONT (1954) – in its depiction of revenge within a close-knit outfit upon a stool pigeon in their midst (which had featured TIME LIMIT director Malden as an actor and Martin Balsam, who also appears here, in a bit part); Stanley Kubrick’s PATHS OF GLORY (1957) – in which army attorney Kirk Douglas also faces opposition (for his meticulous defence) from his superior officers who want to escape personal embarrassment by hastily doing away with the case in question; Sidney Lumet’s TWELVE ANGRY MEN (1957; again with Balsam) – similarly dealing with an investigation packed with twists, as well as not technically being a courtroomer; and John Frankenheimer’s THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) – likewise set during the Korean War and involving brainwashing (plus also featuring Khigh Deigh).

Of course, it’s not quite on the same level of those milestone titles but definitely emerges as an underrated little film – its very sensitive nature (presenting all sides of the equation i.e. duty to rank and country-vs.-loyalty to, and consideration for, one’s fellow man but then leaving the audience to make up its own mind) possibly hindered any chance at Oscar glory, which would have been entirely deserving…or, perhaps, it was simply because there were already two courtroom dramas commanding attention at that year’s ceremony (the afore-mentioned TWELVE ANGRY MEN and Billy Wilder’s equally brilliant WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION) – though, ironically, both remained empty-handed after all!

Malden’s sole directing effort is impressive (though, again, not up to, say, Charles Laughton’s THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER [1955]) and one that gains excellent performances from practically the entire cast. Richard Widmark – a Hollywood star who wasn’t afraid to appear in meaningful films – personally co-produced this one (while others in similar vein he was featured in were NO WAY OUT [1950], JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG [1961], CHEYENNE AUTUMN [1964] and THE BEDFORD INCIDENT [1965]). Richard Basehart is typically anxious (and compelling) as the soldier accused of treason; he, at least, was awarded with a BAFTA nomination for his work here. Pretty Dolores Michaels is very engaging as Widmark’s sympathetic aide; the only other significant female role, turning up in just one scene, is played by June Lockhart: knowing her chiefly from SHE-WOLF OF London (1946), I was surprised to see her in such a demanding part (at one point, frankly confessing to Widmark her marital problems with Basehart) – but she fills it admirably. Martin Balsam’s character, as Widmark’s well-meaning but more often intrusive colleague, provides the sole concession to humor here – and, consequently, is entirely welcome for it. The film’s compactness, based as it is on a stage play, necessitates that it focuses on just two of the testimonies given by the sixteen soldiers involved in the case being tried – the other, apart from Basehart himself, offers a meaty early role for Rip Torn (which, of course, heralds an eventual revelation concerning his particular character). Carl Benton Reid appears as Widmark’s superior and close friend, a by-the-book military officer of the old school whose integrity is shattered by the end of the film in view of his own son’s unforeseen behavior while in captivity.

A gripping, thought-provoking and emotionally-draining experience (in spite of the horrid quality of the VHS version I watched – copied from Cable TV which, at the time, was suffering from bad reception!), I can’t figure out what’s holding this from getting a decent DVD release: hopefully, Widmark’s recent passing will start the ball rolling in this regard. Ultimately, I have to admit that my response to TIME LIMIT was so strong because it may have been influenced by my own current personal situation: notoriety following the violent death of a relative in the course of some shady activity – and which goes hand in hand with the film’s assertion that a man’s whole life, irrespective of how it was spent, will be judged by people who can’t know the whole story on the strength of that single reckless and deplorable act...