The Rack (1956)

Returning home from two years in a Korean prisoner of war camp, an Army captain (Paul Newman) is accused of collaboration with the enemy. The ensuing court martial recounts the events and reasons leading up to his act of treason. Based on a teleplay that Rod Serling wrote for The United States Steel Hour in 1955, the film version directed by Arnold Laven (THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD) is a well intentioned drama of psychological torture with a generous dash of Freud tossed in. The film makes valid points about physical torture versus mind games played by the enemy and how accountable are we for our choices? Laven doesn't attempt to "open up" Serling's teleplay, it still comes across as a play rather than a movie. Newman's performance is uneven, some of it very Actors Studio histrionics and some moments of genuine character insight. His last speech on the stand is wonderfully done. However, more surprising is that Walter Pidgeon steals the acting honors as the distant military father unable to realize what he's done to his sons until too late. With Lee Marvin, Anne Francis, Edmond O'Brien, Cloris Leachman, Dean Jones, Robert F. Simon and recreating his role from the TV adaptation, Wendell Corey as the military prosecutor.