Featured Audience Ratings

• Ken S

  
  Really great Korean War flick from Sam Fuller. Possibly the best Korean war movie ever, although I'd need to do some more research to be sure.

• Cindy I

  
  Well-made film set during the Korean Conflict by Samuel Fuller. More character study than exciting battle film, and definiltely anti-war, as most war films really are. A gruff but tired sergeant, who is the sole survivor of the ambush of his platoon by North Korean soldiers, meets up… More
  Well-made film set during the Korean Conflict by Samuel Fuller. More character study than exciting battle film, and definiltely anti-war, as most war films really are. A gruff but tired sergeant, who is the sole survivor of the ambush of his platoon by North Korean soldiers, meets up with a ragtag platoon in a similar state and a young South Korean boy. They take temporary refuge in a Buddhist temple (although the giant Buddha statue looked more like Geronimo), where they are attacked by North Koreans. A couple of slightly disturbing scenes, including one where Sgt. Zack tells the Korean boy, called "Short Round", to get a helmet and boots from one of his dead platoon mates, and a black soldier's discussion of racism in America, which he seems to accept with little comment. Odd, but I assume it's a product of the time the film was made. For some reason that I haven't put my finger on yet, I got a strong feel of Kurosawa while watching this film, especially Rashomon and Seven Samurai.

• Stella D

  
  i didn't think a film like this was possible in 1950's john wayne america; an emotionally honest portrait of soldiers under fire made at the height of the korean war. i have new found respect for sam fuller. this is in the league of paths of glory and bridge on the river… More
  i didn't think a film like this was possible in 1950's john wayne america; an emotionally honest portrait of soldiers under fire made at the height of the korean war. i have new found respect for sam fuller. this is in the league of paths of glory and bridge on the river kwai. it's outstanding and a must-see for fans of war films. i'd never even heard of this but i'm really glad i watched it

• Randy T

  
  A crusty, war-weary infantry sergeant teams up with a Korean orphan boy and a rag-tag, disheveled group of American soldiers enroute to an abandoned Buddhist temple in order to establish a forward observation post for artillery. Once there they capture a North Korean major who is… More
  A crusty, war-weary infantry sergeant teams up with a Korean orphan boy and a rag-tag, disheveled group of American soldiers enroute to an abandoned Buddhist temple in order to establish a forward observation post for artillery. Once there they capture a North Korean major who is intent on dividing them along racial lines. Shot on a shoe-string budget in 10 days at the height of the Korean war and the McCarthy era "red scare", <i>The Steel Helmet</i> proves beyond any doubt that director Samuel Fuller had enormous testicles. Very few, if any, Hollywood executives would have taken on the Korean conflict (and the American propaganda machine) with such candor and honesty. If all you know about America's fight with North Korea comes from watching episodes of M*A*S*H on TV then this one is a must-see. Easily one of the best American war films ever made.

• Chris B

  
  Samuel Fuller was the rough rebel of Hollywood, but with "The Steel Helmet" in 1951 he achieved both success at the box office and critically. The fact that it was shot in ten days and for 1/10th the average feature length film cost at the time, it is truly stunning what… More
  Samuel Fuller was the rough rebel of Hollywood, but with "The Steel Helmet" in 1951 he achieved both success at the box office and critically. The fact that it was shot in ten days and for 1/10th the average feature length film cost at the time, it is truly stunning what Fuller achieved! Not only is the film brilliantly acted and directed but the cinematography and overall epic feel are shockingly portrayed for the shoestring budget. This is a great war film that tells of the struggles of the soldiers and hits on topics of race (which made it so controversial) and humanity amongst others. Great action sequences just make it all the better and as the end title says "This story has no end", the film does indeed have a timeless feel.