Merrill's Marauders (1962)

Set in Burma during WWII, a battalion of exhausted and ill soldiers due for relief are lead by Jeff Chandler (in his final film role) after new orders are received and pushed beyond the limits of endurance as he orders them to march over 500 miles to their objective. Samuel Fuller has often returned to the subject of war in his films such as THE BIG RED ONE, THE STEEL HELMET, FIXED BAYONETS and CHINA GATE. While MARAUDERS doesn’t really tell us anything new about war or men in war and doesn’t reflect the power and artistry of his BIG RED ONE or STEEL HELMET, it’s a solid well crafted film with a strong pull. It’s fortunate that acting doesn’t matter much in a film like this since a lot of the actors are bland Warner contract players like Ty Hardin, Peter Brown and Will Hutchins. The film’s ace is its superb wide screen lensing in color by William Clothier (MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE). Fuller and Clothier’s use of the scope screen are textbook examples on how to composition for the wide screen. With Andrew Duggan, Claude Akins and John Hoyt.