From Here to Eternity

In 1953 this movie won the Oscar for best film, best adapted screenplay, best supporting actor and supporting actress. The movie, adapted from the best selling novel by James Jones tells the stories of soldiers based in Hawaii in the weeks prior to the beginning of World War II.

The movie has an all star cast. The movie begins with Private Robert E Lee Prewitt transferring to the Pearl Harbor base. Prewit is a bugler, has transferred in after having undisclosed troubles in his last regiment. As his reputation as an accomplished boxer precedes him the company commander assumes he will be a boon to the regiment's boxing team. Prewitt however insists he does not wish to box any longer leading to his being pressured to do so. Montgomery Clift gives a strong performance.

Burt Lancaster stars as Sgt. Milton Warden. Warden is an enlisted man who feels disdain for his commander who makes little effort at performing his duties, often neglecting them and or leaving Warden to perform them while he chases women. Eventually his disgust with his commanding officer leads Warden down a dangerous path, he begins and affair with the his commanders neglected wife played infamously by Deborah Kerr. Most anyone who has watched a movie or two in their lives has seen the infamous scene in which Lancaster and Kerr lay in the surf in a romantic clinch.

The movie also features Frank Sinatra in an Oscar winning performance as Private Angelo Maggio. Maggio befriends Prewitt when most of the soldiers either ignore or ostracize him. Maggio comes to a bad end however when he gets on the wrong side of the sadistic Fatso Judson. Ernest Borgnine is famous for this role.

Also winning an Oscar was Donna Reed as Alma Burke. Called Lorene in the gentleman's club she works at she and Prewitt develop a relationship after Maggio takes Prewitt out for a night on the town. Seeing Reed in any role that is not innocent or later, matronly, is a bit of a surprise. She was strong enough in this role to win the Oscar. We forget what a strong actress she was.

I have seen several movies Lancaster started in now and what becomes more clear each time is that he was a towering figure. Truthfully I have not seen anything that makes me think that he was a great actor, but he certainly could carry a role.

Eventually the Japanese come to call and our characters lives change forever. The movie offers more depth than a typical World War II film and is well worth a look. Sinatra, so skinny he looks like he could blow away, is especially strong.