Not Rated | 2h 12min | Drama, War | 1949
There was a concerted effort to move toward more realism in war movies during the years following World War II. This is not to say that all Hollywood films became more realistic, but many of its top productions embraced a more sobering perspective of war and eschewed much of the tropes of earlier films. “Twelve O’Clock High,” from 1949, is one film that led the charge into this new, more realistic era.
“Twelve O’Clock” bucked many of the trends of previous war movies, such as including numerous action scenes—in fact, most of the action in this film is played out among the characters and their motivations, hopes, and shortcomings. Their actions aren’t motivated by the conventions of that time, but rather embued with fascinating depth and nuanced connotations….