Film

The Red Badge of Courage 1951

War 69 min NR

Stephen Crane's Great American Story of the Civil War

Henry Fleming is a young Union soldier in the American Civil War. During his unit's first engagement, Henry flees the battlefield in fear. When he learns that the Union actually won the battle, shame over his cowardice leads him to lie to his friend Tom and the other soldiers, saying that he had been injured in battle. However, when he learns that his unit will be leading a charge against the enemy, Henry takes the opportunity to face his fears and redeem himself.

War Civil war

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Character

Relentless, prestige, bleak and character-led.

contemplativerelentless
unpretentiousprestige
warm

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Reviews on TMDB

Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Taste Buds's numbers.

CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jan 20256/10
Audie Murphy quite potently epitomises the fighting spirit of the young "Fleming" at the height of the US Civil War. He's most certainly not a coward, but he's no warrior either and as he becomes exposed to the repetitive, seemingly endless, horrors of the war he really isn't sure whether to stand and fight or run and hide. Even if he were to succumb to the later survival instinct and still survive, could he endure the consequent shame? If he steps up the mark, will it make him ever an angry and violent man? What's also clear here is the extent to which he is not alone amongst the solders of both sides, their officers - even the general, are all conflicted to an extent as the bodies mount amidst all the mud, splintered trees and tears. It's a curiously short film that rather offers us a baptism of fire as we are swiftly immersed in this young man's predicament, but therein lay the problem for me. I didn't know him, nor much about him and as the story developed I felt way too much detail and character were missing as we raced along to a denouement that was never really in doubt. The production looks good, conveying effectively the grubbiness of their battles and their dependance on
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John Chardon TMDB · Apr 20148.5/10
When Yellow Becomes Red. The Red Badge of Courage is directed by John Huston who also co-adapts to screenplay with Albert Band from the novel of the same name written by Stephen Crane. It stars Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin, Andy Devine, Robert Easton, Douglas Dick, Royal Dano, Arthur Hunnicutt and Tim Durant. Music is by Bronislau Kaper and cinematography by Harold Rosson. The American Civil War and Union soldiers head South to confront the Confederate army. Young Henry Fleming (Murphy) is ill prepared for the horrors of war, so when the crunch comes he retreats from the first battle he’s faced with and has a life choice of either being known as a coward, or find something from within to make him strong enough to return to the front line. Nutshell History Of The Production. John Huston believed that this could have been his masterpiece, but an MGM power struggle saw the film butchered. A narration was insisted upon after poor test screenings, Huston washed his hands off the picture, while Lillian Ross produced a critically acclaimed book about the production. With no fanfare or bunting put out by the studio to promote the picture, the eventual 70 minute cut of the movie flopped as au
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