War Hunt

... starring Robert Redford as a new soldier stationed on the front during the Korean War, circa 1953. He tries to fit in with the seasoned troops he's serving with, but one soldier (John Saxon) is an enigma, an uncommunicative loner who goes out on solo missions at night to assassinate as many enemies as he can. Sure, Saxon brings back some valuable intel, but it is obvious from his dispassionate explanation of his technique to a green Robert Redford that he enjoys killing, especially this up close and personal one-on-one killing he is doing. Saxon is good in this role. He always had "that look" about him.

This low budget effort focuses more on the mental toll wars takes than action scenes. The acting is decent, while the limited budget results in claustrophobic settings. Redford gets an "introducing" credit, although he was in Tall Story in 1960. Sydney Pollack makes his feature acting debut after acting on television for several years. He'd turn to directing after this. Tom Skerritt makes his acting debut. Francis Ford Coppola worked as a truck driver on the film, and appeared briefly on screen driving a truck.

This film is widely available in the public domain.

This character study remains one of the best intimate views of conflict ever filmed, and features Robert Redford's first film appearance. There's also a major appearance by actor Sydney Pollack, before he made is mark as a major director. It's starkly made, grim, and engaging, without any of the jingoism and/or sentimentality applied to most older and recent Hollywood product. The moody score was provided by jazz composer Bud Shank. Nice.

In Korea, in May 1953, the rookie G.I. Roy Loomis (Robert Redford) joins the Jaguars in the front. He befriends the soldiers and discovers that the psychotic Private Raymond Endore (John Saxon) sneaks out of the base every night to slice the throats of their enemies with his dagger. Further, the Korean orphan Charlie (Tommy Matsuda) idolizes Endore. When the governments sign the cease-fire, Endore once again leaves the base bringing the boy with him.

The dramatic "War Hunt" is a film with a wonderful cinematography in black and white, excellent acting but the story is only reasonable. The characters are not well-developed specially the psychotic Raymond Endore that is a rich character but the motives for his death wish and his affection for Charlie are poorly explained along the screenplay. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Obsessão de Matar" ("Obsession of Killing")

The 'psychotic' hero is an essay captured in two fine War films: Donald Siegal's "Hell Is For Heroes"— the story of a sergeant who for being psychotic embarked on suicidal heroic missions, and our distinguished film "War Hunt."

The picture is clearly stated and openly defined... Pvt. Raymond Endore (John Saxon) goes out at night on 'solitary' patrols... The information he brings back is very useful for Capt. Wallace Pratt (Charles Aidman) whose posture toward Endore is 'paternal' gratification...

But the strong reason to his voluntary patrol is to murder... He is a ritual killer practicing a formal act with his knife, and after finishing with his victim, he stands behind the body in mystical meditation...

Even after the cease-fire on the Korean front, Endore extends his night patrols... This 'psycho' mind is already sick, and there is nothing to be done to narrow his actions...

With just one major battle scene, "War Hunt" is absolutely a penetrating study of War drama, focusing on its traumatic effects: The 'fighting' soldier and the 'non-fighting' man...

"War Hunt" is ingenious, deeply stimulating, and cautiously photographed... The extraordinary hand-to-hand fight, between Redford and the Chinese soldier, proves it...

John Saxon is terrific as the tormentor and Robert Redford (in his film's debut) is excellent as the idealistic Pvt. Roy Loomis...

Director Denis Sanders isn't a very well-known or acknowledged filmmaker. After seeing "War Hunt", I looked up his filmography, hoping to credit him to another, more mainstream film – one does not exist. Fortunately, a man does not have to be well known or have a huge fan base to be a good director. "War Hunt" is one of the best low-budget sleepers in the video store, now available on DVD from MGM.

Running less than 90 minutes, "War Hunt" tells a powerful story about the toll of warfare on those who fight it. Idealism, patriotism and notions of heroism are forgotten in the midst of battle. Instead of making men into saints, war usually turns them into demons. Pvt. Loomis (an impossibly young Robert Redford) arrives in Korea during the last few weeks of the war. He meets Raymond Endore (John Saxon, "The Cavern"), an unhinged draftee who thrives on night patrols, during which he kills North Korean soldiers in their sleep. Endore has taken Charlie (Tommy Matsuda), a Korean orphan, into his care and Loomis also befriends the boy, hoping to wrest him away from Endore's dangerous influence.

Much like "Hell is for Heroes" which premiered the same year, "War Hunt" was shot on a shoestring budget in the Midwestern United States. From start to finish, it's obvious that the military did not back the production. After all, this is a very anti-military movie. There are only a few extras on-hand and we only see a few trucks. The lack of financing really shows through in the climactic scene in which hordes of Chinese troops attack the entrenched Americans; most of the explosions and reactions to them look utterly false and stagy.

Thankfully, this is not a picture about action and the glory of war – it's about the aftermath of such scenes. The fighting serves to push the conflict forward in the quiet moments of rest and recuperation when the bullets are done flying. In fact, in the film's third act, set during the cease-fire with the Chinese, the most devastating violence occurs. Endore sets off with Charlie to live in the mountains after the war's end, refusing to admit that he is part of the Army and must return home. The final conclusion between Endore and Captain Pratt (Charles Aidman) is quick, gritty and comes to an unexpected, powerful conclusion.

Sanders' ensemble cast is superb in every way. Redford, in his film debut, is actually quite memorable as Loomis. The first time we meet Loomis, we already know what to expect: we've seen this type of clean-cut, fair-haired boy before. He'll go on to undergo a baptism of fire and become the hero of the piece. Not so, here. Loomis arrives in Korea with ideals and patriotism; much like Charlie Sheen's Chris Taylor in "Platoon", he comes to realize that there are only two kinds of men in warfare: those who crack under its pressures, like Endore, and those who just want to survive, like his new found friends Crotty (Gavin MacLeod) and Showalter (Tom Skerritt). His scenes between Charlie are tender, poignant and moving. His encounters with Endore are chilling and unconventionally solved. As Endore, John Saxon brings a new meaning to the word psychopath. We've never met a wacko like him before. His mannerisms, dialog, expressions, are all played with utter randomness. It's as if he was handed the role and told "do what you want with it". There are times when Endore is almost completely human, but something in his eyes tells us that perhaps there is something slightly wrong with this guy. As the nature of his character is gradually revealed, we can't help but become shocked, almost frightened.

"War Hunt" is a cliché-free, freshly original and involving drama. It makes a strong statement about war's general destructive nature. This is a movie about survival and flawed idealism, not heroism and courage. Kudos to the director for choosing to pick such a controversial subject. The film is almost prophetic in that it approaches the Korean War with an attitude that would come across with force and power in Vietnam films 25 years later, like "Hamburger Hill" and "Platoon".