Battle Hymn Rating: Release Date: 25 May, 2004 Retail Price: $14.98 OUR Price: $12.99 You SAVE: $1.99! Cast: Rock Hudson The Rock Paul Simon Martha Scott Complete Cast (7 total)

Battle Hymn Reviews

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Rock Hudson in Korean War Melodrama
This story of a preacher who leaves the ministry to alleviate his conscience by joining the Korean War effort and ends up helping Koren orphans reteams producer Ross Hunter, director Douglas Sirk and star Rock Hudson. However, this war melodrama is not as good or entertaining as their previous collaborations, the grand-scale soap operas "Magnificent Obsession" and "All That Heaven Allows". Probably because its based on the true story of a war hero, Sirk doesn't push genre conventions as he did on his better-known melodramas. Still, Battle Hymn is a very good film, with more emphasis on human relationships, especially "white male guilt" (a favorite theme of Sirk), than war. There is also the suggestion of interracial desire between Rock Hudson and Indian-born actress Anna Kashfi (who would become better known as Mrs. Marlon Brando), who plays a beautiful and noble foreign woman who helps Hudson take care of hundreds of orphans (while his white wife waits back home pregnant). Her attraction for Hudson, of course, is very nobly repressed throughout the film.

one of the best films of all time
There is no doubt, this is one of the best films ever made. It is based on a true story, based during the Korean War. You better have plenty of Kleenex available--it's a tear-jerker. Don't miss this one.

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