Hell in the Pacific
Hell in the Pacific | |
---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | John Boorman |
Produced by | Reuben Bercovitch |
Written by |
Reuben Bercovitch Alexander Jacobs Eric Bercovici |
Starring |
Lee Marvin Toshirō Mifune |
Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
Cinematography | Conrad Hall |
Edited by | Thomas Stanford |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Cinerama |
Release dates |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language |
English Japanese |
Budget | $4,150,000[1] |
Box office | $3,230,000[1] |
Hell in the Pacific is a 1968 World War II film starring Lee Marvin and Toshirō Mifune, the only two actors in the entire film. It was directed by John Boorman.[2]
Plot
The film is a story of two soldiers, one American and the other Japanese, marooned on an uninhabited Pacific island, who, in order to survive, must accept their differences and work together, despite their two countries being at war.
Cast
- Lee Marvin as American Pilot
- Toshirō Mifune as Captain Tsuruhiko Kuroda
Production notes
The film contains little dialogue, and much like its predecessor – the film None but the Brave – is not dubbed or sub-titled, thus authentically portraying the frustration of restricted communication between the Japanese- and English-speaking. The film was entirely shot in the Rock Islands of Palau in the north Pacific Ocean, near the Philippines in the Philippine Sea.
The film was originally released with a rather abrupt ending, one that left many dissatisfied with the outcome of the struggle these men endured. The subsequent DVD release has an alternative ending, which while leaving the eventual destiny of the two ambiguous, was much more in line with the overall direction of the film.
Both actors served for their respective countries during the Pacific War. Marvin, who was in the US Marines, was wounded and received the Purple Heart during the Battle of Saipan in 1943. Mifune served in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service.
Reception
Box office
The film earned rentals of $1.33 million in North America and $1.9 million elsewhere. Because of the high costs involved, by 1973 the movie had recorded a loss of $4,115,000, making it one of the biggest money losers in the short history of ABC films.[1]
Critical reception
Toshiro Mifune also took on foreign assignments, but few did him justice. It was only John Boorman's Hell in the Pacific that captured something of his range, humour and power.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "ABC's 5 Years of Film Production Profits & Losses", Variety, 31 May 1973 p 3
- ↑ Hell in the Pacific at the American Film Institute Catalog.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hell in the Pacific. |
- Hell in the Pacific at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Hell in the Pacific at the Internet Movie Database
- Hell in the Pacific at AllMovie
- Hell in the Pacific opening titles and first scene on YouTube
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