{"id":8569,"date":"2010-07-07T14:50:52","date_gmt":"2010-07-07T21:50:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.allouttabubblegum.com\/main\/?p=8569"},"modified":"2010-07-07T14:50:52","modified_gmt":"2010-07-07T21:50:52","slug":"amb-target-zero-1955","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/amb-target-zero-1955\/","title":{"rendered":"AMB: TARGET ZERO (1955)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Target<\/p>\n

[THE CHALK-OUTLINE]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Target Zero (1955): Breakdown by Kain424<\/span><\/h3>\n

A British tank unit, two mortar strikers, and an American infantry unit make their way through the Korean War front to join ranks with a stronghold of more American soldiers.<\/p>\n

[THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THEIR BADASSITUDE]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

THE HEROES:<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Conte\"<\/p>\n

Richard Conte<\/span> is Lieutenant Tom Flagler<\/span><\/h3>\n

A stubborn man, Lt. Flagler is the glue that holds the unit together.\u00a0 Conte plays the role with a hardheaded-ness that suggests the stress of his responsibilities may just be pulling him apart.\u00a0 It’s not a spectacular performance, but I thought it worked.\u00a0 He’s rough, but plays a subdued vulnerability I haven’t seen too much of (if at all) in these early war films.\u00a0 It works for the movie because it makes him the only one of the bunch to possess more than one dimension as a character.<\/p>\n

As far as his bad-assitude is concerned, Flagler is pretty hardcore.\u00a0 He never lets go of his gun and kills tons and tons of baddies before the picture ends.\u00a0 He earns his stripes.<\/p>\n

\"Castle\"<\/p>\n

Peggy Castle<\/span> is Anne Galloway<\/span><\/h3>\n

Largely relegated to the background role which women usually found themselves in these movies, Castle’s presence here is actually a bit of a mystery.\u00a0 Perhaps she was hired to appeal to more of a broader audience, as the “love” sub-story she winds up in feels entirely tacked on.\u00a0 She spends much of the film as a nurse, hounded somewhat inappropriately by the Lieutenant and then ends the movie as a radio operator.\u00a0 Metaphor for female progression in the 1950s, perhaps?<\/p>\n

\"Bronson\"<\/p>\n

Charles Bronson<\/span> is Sergeant Vince Gaspari <\/span><\/h3>\n

We learn only of his family life and that “he likes to fish.”\u00a0 But Bronson seems to act as the strong man of the group, literally carrying a wounded soldier for miles on his back when the need arises.\u00a0 Still, as much of a bad-ass as he would become in later pictures, I found Bronson to be a bit underused in this film.\u00a0 He’s always around, but he’s never given much more to do than add emphasis to the Lieutenant’s orders and the occasional quip here and there.<\/p>\n

\"8\"<\/p>\n

Richard Wyler<\/span> is Sergeant David Kensemmit<\/span><\/h3>\n

There for the sake of showing that the Korean War wasn’t just about America’s involvement, we have Richard Wyler (credited here as Richard Stapley) as the leader of a small tank unit.\u00a0 A frustrated man, he spends most of the film bitching about Americans (sincere, as opposed to his subordinates who view their colonial cousins as objects of amusement) but is able to redeem himself by the end of the picture when he mows down nearly the entire enemy force singlehandedly.<\/p>\n

THE VILLAINS:<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Koreans\"<\/p>\n

The North Korean Red Army<\/span><\/h3>\n

A largely faceless horde, these are droves and droves of Asian extras.\u00a0 They scream, charge up hills,\u00a0 shoot their rifles, and inevitably die.\u00a0 No characterization is given, nor is there even the slightest attempt made to understand the cause for which they are continuously dying for.\u00a0 I’d say it’s tragic, but the general lack of politicization of the film actually helped me enjoy it more.<\/p>\n

[THE SEX AND VIOLENCE]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

DUDESWEAT AND MACHISMO:<\/span><\/h3>\n

There is nothing as overt as a group bathing sequence, but the soldiers in our little rag-tag squad often speak longingly and specifically of the “men” of “Easy Company.”\u00a0 Apparently, they have a fondness not just for the unit and it’s survival, but of the individual “men” who make it up.\u00a0 “Easy” indeed.\u00a0 And what happens when a woman enters their midst?\u00a0 Nothing.\u00a0 No one other than the Lieutenant bats an eye or makes the slightest move on her.\u00a0 These guys are perfectly content in their own “company.”<\/p>\n

EXPLOITATION AND MISOGYNY:<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Peggy Castle is an affront to women everywhere… at least in this film.\u00a0 Nurse and radio jobs sideline her for all the action.\u00a0 And though she speaks of handling men with her fists in retribution for trying to “get fresh” with her, she eventually tries to make out with Lt. Flagler, a man who’s been treating her like dirt since they met, proving that women just love to be neglected and abused.<\/p>\n

\"Unleashes<\/p>\n

Best of all, once Flagler begins to reciprocate and attempts to move on to second base, she refuses his advances and turns the other troops on him with her screams of “No. No!”\u00a0 Seconds later she takes it back, saying it’s all her fault for leading him on.\u00a0 Seriously, what the fuck!?\u00a0 Dames don’t belong in war movies.\u00a0 Damn little cocktease.\u00a0 Now he has to fight the Red Army with blueballs.<\/p>\n

MURDER BY NUMBERS: [ 166+ ]<\/span><\/h3>\n

Holy shit.\u00a0 So many people died in this it was difficult to count.\u00a0 Airstrikes, hill raids, .50 cal. blasts into lines of enemy troops… it’s all pretty impressive.\u00a0 “The Reds” end up on the receiving end of most of it, with Wyler raking in most of the character kills by the flick’s end.\u00a0\u00a0 Surprisingly, future Action hero phenomenon Bronson doesn’t even reach the double digits.<\/p>\n

\"That'll<\/p>\n

Still, the violence is rather exquisite for its time.\u00a0 It’s very hard to keep track once it passes the 100 mark.\u00a0 There are far away shots of bombs hitting squads of soldiers I didn’t\/couldn’t even count.\u00a0 And by the film’s end, our heroes can only smile at the immense amount of death they have wrought upon this foreign land.\u00a0 Me too.<\/p>\n

MOST SATISFYING DEATH:<\/span><\/h3>\n

At one point on the mission, with the tank running low on fuel, the troop holds up an enemy convoy line and steals all their truck fuel.\u00a0 One of the “Reds” breaks free, causing chaos among the soldiers and resulting in the deaths of two good guys and all the unarmed baddies.\u00a0 The fellow that started it all makes his way to a truck and attempts to break free.<\/p>\n

\"Fun<\/p>\n

He almost makes it, too, but for the quick reaction of our heroes’ tank driver, who runs over the poor bastard.\u00a0 His final, painful scream, as the tank treads crush him and his truck like a tube of toothpaste, is as awesome as it is gruesome.<\/p>\n

[THE BEST OF THE REST]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

EPIC MOMENT:<\/span><\/h3>\n

For me, the best moment came when our heroes realized the short-cut they were taking was actually right through the middle of a mine field.\u00a0 They come up with a solution: drive the tank through the mines, with the troops staying on the treadline behind it.\u00a0 This simple scene was so well done and so tense, it had me at the edge of my seat for its duration.<\/p>\n

BEST LINE:<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the American soldiers named Felix is talking to another recruit, an Apache they’ve typically nicknamed “Geronimo”.\u00a0 The Native American informs the U.S. soldier that he’s really just joined the army to learn skills he can use against the white man on “Glory Day,” a day when the Natives will reclaim American and drive the white man “back into the sea.”<\/p>\n

\"Glory<\/p>\n

Naturally, Geronimo is just messing with our less-than-intelligent American boy, but the sad white man sulks off to talk to one of the British soldiers…<\/p>\n

Felix: “He’s kiddin’!\u00a0 …Ain’t he?”<\/strong><\/p>\n

British Soldier:<\/span> “Don’t worry, Felix.\u00a0 If they throw you out, we’ll take you back.”<\/span><\/h3>\n

[THE EXECUTION]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the 1950s, War Films began moving away from their typical propaganda value and instead began focusing more on the Action aspect of battle.\u00a0 Target Zero<\/strong> is one of the early films of this type, which would later become known as the\u00a0 “Men-On-A-Mission” sub-genre.\u00a0 While the movie retains the typical cliches of the era (small ethnically and nationally diverse group, inner-group conflict, noble sacrifices), its focus on the tension of pre-battle sequences, planning for encounters, and ultimately the fight itself somewhat separates it from the rest of the genre.\u00a0 In fact, I think it features some of the best battle sequences of the era outside of Back To Bataan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Target<\/p>\n

But much of the focus is on the characters instead of the action.\u00a0 In this regard, I feel the movie ultimately fails.\u00a0 The people that populate Target Zero<\/strong> are one-dimensional at best.\u00a0 It’s clear they added in characters from different cultures and backgrounds to let their accents and skin tones hide the fact that the writers added no personality whatsoever to them.\u00a0 Sure, they can be made to serve up a snarky remark or a joke fit for juveniles, but what we want is more bad-assery if we are to follow these fellows through one dangerous situation after another.\u00a0 Instead we get petty arguments over the command structure of the group, hints at the stress endured by military leaders, stories of uncivil soldiers on leave, ethnic tension and blatant sexism.\u00a0 Most of this junk needn’t, and shouldn’t, be in a war movie at all.<\/p>\n

Still, the three main action sequences are done well enough to satisfy me.\u00a0 Plus, any movie that features characters a tank the characters actually refer to by name (Phyllis) can’t be all that bad.\u00a0 And in addition to seeing a young Charles Bronson doing his thing, there is also some early work here by Peckinpah favorite L.Q. Jones and Chuck Connors (Lucas McCain on The Rifleman<\/strong>).\u00a0 Not necessarily worth trying to track down, but not a bad watch if you happen to find it on T.V. one night.<\/p>\n

[THE MORAL OF THE STORY]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Every man (or woman) fights his (or her) own war.<\/p>\n

[THE AOBG ACTION CHECKLIST]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h1>\n

[X] Athlete(s) Turned \u201cActor\u201d [Chuck Connors]
\n[X] Clinging To The Outside Of A Moving Vehicle
\n[\u00a0 ] Crotch Attack
\n[X] Dialogue Telling Us How Bad-Ass The Main Character(s) Is\/Are
\n[\u00a0 ] Ending Featuring An Ambulance, A Blanket or A Towel
\n[\u00a0 ] Factory\/Warehouse\/Castle
\n[X] Giant Explosion(s)
\n[X] Heavy Artillery
\n[\u00a0 ] Improvised Weapon(s)
\n[X] Macho Mode(s) Of Transportation
\n[\u00a0 ] Main Character Sports Facial Accessory(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Manly Embrace(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Notorious Stunt-Man Sighting
\n[X] Passage(s) Of Time Via Montage
\n[X] Politically Fueled Plot Point(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Senseless Destruction Of Property
\n[X] Shoot Out(s) and\/or Sword Fight(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Slow-Motion Finishing Move(s)\/Death(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Stupid Authoritative Figure(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Substance Usage and\/or Abuse
\n[\u00a0 ] Tis The Season
\n[\u00a0 ] Torture Sequence(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Unnecessary Sequel
\n[\u00a0 ] Vehicle Chase(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Vigilante Justice<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n

[TOTAL: 09 outta 25]<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"You<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[THE CHALK-OUTLINE] Target Zero (1955): Breakdown by Kain424 A British tank unit, two mortar strikers, and an American infantry unit make their way through the Korean War front to join ranks with a stronghold of more American soldiers. [THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THEIR BADASSITUDE] THE HEROES: Richard Conte is Lieutenant Tom Flagler A stubborn … Read moreAMB: TARGET ZERO (1955)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[306,1618],"class_list":["post-8569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-charles-bronson","tag-target-zero"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}