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Hell is for Heroes

Reviewed by: B. Lou Goodwin
Genre: Action
Video: Widescreen
Audio: Dolby-English Mono, French Mono
Language: English, French
Subtitle: English
Length: 89 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: 5-22-01
Studio: Paramount
Commentary: None
Documentaries: None
Featurettes: None
Filmography/Biography: None
Interviews: None
Trailers/TV Spots: Theatrical Trailer included
Alternate/Deleted Scenes: None
Music Video: None
Other: Scene Selections
Cast and Crew: Steve McQueen, Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, Bob Newhart, Nick Adams, James Coburn, and Mike Kellin
Screenplay by: Robert Pirosh and Richard Carr
Produced by: Henry Blake
Directed By: Donald Siegel
Music: NA
The Review: Hell is for Heroes is a grim portrayal of an outnumbered army squad that is ordered to hold the Siegfied Line against the Nazi forces of World War II. The only hope that these men have to survive is to convince the German army that their force is larger than it is. They contrive several ingenious ruses to full the German army but they fear that a larger Nazi force is on its way. Since it is doubtful that the American reinforcements will arrive in time, Steve McQueen, who plays an embittered army private, develops a plan that might save them. McQueen can't get permission to carry out his plan from his commanding officer so he goes ahead with his plan against orders. I cannot recommend buying this film. Hell is for Heroes doesn't allow the moviegoer to connect with the characters on an emotional level. Without an emotional attachment to the events, this movie becomes a mediocre war film. I do have to give points for not over-glorifying the battle scenes but overall there are quite a few better movies made in the same era. For the War World II buffs out there, this would still be an acceptable movie to rent but not to buy.
Image and Sound This film is shown in the original black and white. Unlike many VCR versions of the movies made in the early 1960's, the scenes in this DVD are crisp and clean. From the bombs bursting in air to the facial close-ups, each shot has a distinct edge and clear focus. The DVD enhances the picture quality of the film but this small improvement is not enough for me to give this movie a thumb's up. A modernization that I do highly approve of is that this film is shown in a widescreen format and enhanced for 16:9 televisions. Movie lovers will get a better feel for how the movie looked and felt on the big screen with these improvements. As for the sound quality, I did not find that the sound was greatly improved at all. It has Dolby Digital but it is not stereo. Once, a person has become accustomed to stereo sound, mono just doesn't have the resonance. This would be a better buy for someone who is hearing impaired and relies heavily on visual cues and subtitles.
The Extras The theatrical trailer gives away much of the plot of the film but it is an exciting peek into the advertising ploys of the motion picture companies in the 1960's. It is worth a look if only to compare it to the modern sneak previews that an audience is exposed to. Another perk is that they have included a scene selection option. This is especially useful if one is looking for historical inaccuracies. No other extra features have been included on this DVD.
Commentary None
Final Words: Hell is for Heroes is not a movie that I would recommend for purchase. It leaves the audience feeling flat and uninterested. If the characters had been a little more developed or if I could have found a connection with Steve McQueen's character, I might have felt differently about the entire film This movie just leaves you waiting for a promise that it never delivers on. If you are planning to purchase Hell is for Heroes anyway please let me recommend the DVD version. The picture quality of the DVD is superior to the VCR version and that is worth the extra purchase cost.


Send all Comments to Teakwood Productions
 June 5, 2001