merelyaninnuendo From Here To Eternity..4 Out Of 5From Here To Eternity is a plot driven feature about multiple characters with a thing in common and that is their judgement on right and wrong. The tale depicted in here is way too subtle for a cinematic experience, there isn't enough crisp and loudness for it to flaunt, and yet it still manages to leave a heavy impression on the audience, as it allows homework for them which when the curtain drops, pays off. It is rich on technical aspects like costume design, editing, songs and background score. The script in here is smarter for it doesn't compromise its quality for any commercial or in fact any aspects of the feature, delivering its own independent track that is, on beat. The adaptive screenplay Daniel Taradash knows the characters from the book well enough to offer them enough range and room to factor in effectively to the bigger picture. Fred Zinnemann; the director, as always has delivered it without flinching on going deep into the inner politics among the soldiers and has molded an art worth exploring through his brilliant execution skills. The star cast being aware of the magnitude of the opportunity on telling the tale, has given their all in which is clearly visible where Montgomery Clift, Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra stands along with stellar performances. From Here To Eternity is a justification to the title for its bold and gutsy move on following the story and not worry about the structure or format of the script.

Leofwine_draca I suppose that FROM HERE TO ETERNITY can best be described as the FULL METAL JACKET of the 1950s. It stars the eternally youthful Montgomery Clift (fresh from playing the role of the tormented priest in Hitchcock's I CONFESS) as a raw army recruit based in Hawaii during World War 2 who is subjected to endless bullying and bad behaviour for an unlikely reason: in peacetime Clift was an amateur boxing champion, and his superiors want him to join the army boxing team, but he refuses due to personal circumstances.It's a slight premise but as a film FROM HERE TO ETERNITY works very well indeed, in fact achieving the status of something of a classic. That's because it has real narrative depth and various sub-plots that interact in ways both expected and unexpected. The film boasts from a gritty realism and a lack of sentimentality that means not all of the characters are going to have happy endings. Frank Sinatra shines in the role of a brash young recruit who falls foul of Ernest Borgnine in a star-making performance as a bully. Burt Lancaster is the weary sergeant trying to hold everything together. The story climaxes with the attack on Pearl Harbor, portrayed in a way that is just as powerful as you could hope for.

TxMike This was the darling of 1953, winning a whole slew of Oscars and several more nominations. One of the Oscars went to Sinatra for Best Supporting Actor. Most of us remember Sinatra for his singing but he was a fine actor with 64 roles credited to him.This story takes place in Hawaii in 1941 on an Army base, just a few months before the eventual December 7th surprise attack of Pearl Harbor, the event that got the USA into WW2 against the Japanese. There is a boxing theme running through it, with the military championships scheduled for December 15th, and we know that will be upstaged.Burt Lancaster in his early 40s is the lead as Sgt. Milton Warden. He is confident and runs a tight ship, but he also has his eye on the pretty girls, one in particular, the wife of his commanding officer. It seems pretty well known that the officer routinely cheats on his wife so that makes the pursuit somewhat logical. Deborah Kerr in her early 30s plays that woman, Karen Holmes. The second main story involves Montgomery Clift as Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, a former boxer who quit after a man he knocked over was badly injured and lost his sight. So he was transferred to Hawaii and ceaselessly harassed by men in his platoon trying to get him to change his mind and fight on the team.In his Oscar role Frank Sinatra was Angelo Maggio, a little guy with a big heart but who drank too much. In a bar another man, Ernest Borgnine as Sgt. 'Fatso' Judson, insulted Angelo's mother so Angelo hit Fatso over the head with a chair. The fight was broken up but later when Angelo was thrown in the brig for deserting his guard post, under the 'care' of Fatso, it eventually led to Angelo's death.The last scenes in the movie depict the attack of December 7th and it appears that some real news footage of the attack was used.Several good stories are woven in and while I haven't seen the movies this was competing against I can understand why it was then and still is considered such a timeless movie.

Joseph Pezzuto "A man should be what he can do." 'From Here to Eternity' (1953) embodies a whole new glimpse on U.S. history film all on its own. Shot in glorious black and white with a sharp, savvy screenplay and directed by the great Fred Zinnemann, (who had directed High Noon a year prior,) does this picture accurately capture the life of the soldiers that are stationed on the Schofield Barracks on the Hawaiian island of Oahu in late 1941? Let's take a look. Entering into the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, thus beginning World War II and while waiting around on the island, it is revealed to the viewer the soldier's emotions of boredom and utter loneliness. The film stars many popular actors of the day. Montgomery Clift plays Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, transferred to the barracks of Oahu. There, Captain Dana Holmes, played by Philip Ober, learns of his talent as a talented boxer and pressures him into joining a regimental boxing club in which Prewitt stubbornly rejects. 1st Sergeant Milton Warden, played by Burt Lancaster, agrees to change Prewitt's mind by making his life as difficult as possible. Prewitt is also supported by his friend Private Angelo Maggio throughout, played by Frank Sinatra.In discussing the history portrayed, it tells the viewer that it was designed to show a world that, even though tropical and lush, would soon unfold near the end into traumatic chaos and destruction. It was shown at a time just before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor where young soldiers were sent off to be stationed far away, and not one of them really knew what was going to happen or what the next day would bring forth. World War II was indeed on the deadly brink of a surprise attack, and every American soldier knew that they had to be on their guard nonetheless.In prevailing attitudes/prejudices that were noticeable, one example would be the constant squabbling and rough-necking between Maggie and the bigoted Staff Sergeant James R. "Fatso" Judson, played by Ernest Borgine. One night, Prewitt and Maggio are in a bar and Maggio is so inebriated that, according to him, "Fatso" is playing the piano too loudly in the background. This ensues into Maggio and "Fatso" almost having at it in the middle of the bar, only to be broken up by Prewitt. But their bantering does not end there. Later on in the film, their disdain for each other unfolds into a knife fight in a back alley, in which Maggio winds up in the stockade by "Fatso" for antagonizing him. "Fatso" beats the new prisoner repeatedly until Maggio escapes to find Prewitt and then tells him of all the pain he has endured and then dies in his arms. Prewitt sets out to find "Fatso" and kills him in revenge with a knife fight, and Prewitt receives a sharp slash across the stomach in return. He is later shot by a sentry after coming out of hiding.In describing historical accuracy, it probably comes close as to where the soldiers and recruits are just marching or hanging out and enjoying the paradise around them. Many of them back then may as well have done that. However, the locations was a beautiful oasis, and the surprise attack neat the end of the film comes very close to an accurate depiction. The side-angles of the planes zooming in or overhead dropping bombs were amazing effects, as well as guns being fired by the soldiers and the loud explosions of shells going off everywhere on the island. The air once filled with a tropical breeze was now choked in the thick black smog of war. The time period itself was quite accurate too, even though it was twelve years after the actual event had occurred. And the barracks looked just like they would have that the soldiers were stationed in. Nonetheless, great accuracy and detail throughout the picture.My overall reaction towards this film is that it is one of Zinneman's best. His directorial persistence and settings in this film are as only he can do them. The film was indeed worth watching. Some parts were slow and mushy, including the famous love scene on the beach portrayed by Lancaster and Deborah Kerr laying on the sand as a wave crashes over them, to brutish as Maggio and "Fatso" duel it out with a knife fight at night in a black alley. The most action is near the end of the film with the famous surprise attack on Pearl Harbor itself, when air raid sirens are blaring and gun shots and explosions light up the tropical sky. It is, after all, a classic World War II movie masterpiece, with intriguing action, fight scenes, romance and explosions. How I reacted to the film as a moviegoer was for me, quite a unique experience. I really had no idea what I was in for. I actually felt the hardships and loneliness of the soldiers being stuck on the island, not knowing what would happen or when they would return home. I also felt the horrors of the surprise attack when the bombs where booming and the blood was flowing. All in all, a great movie experience.'From Here to Eternity' was one of the greatest films on U.S. history that I had the privilege of viewing. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, the actors and actresses and the beautiful settings portrayed, filled with action, flair and horrific atrocities and aftermath of war. The film had thirteen nominations and won eight Academy Awards. Every detail and precision in this film paid off magnificently. A film unique among films, this truly is a must-see for all U.S. history film buffs or for anyone who wants to experience the same pleasure and gratification I had personally gained from watching this wonderful classic motion picture about friendships, romance and war, thanks to Mr. Zinneman and Mr. James Jones novel-turned-feature as well.