The Story of G.I. Joe – Movie Review
Director: William A Wellman
Writer: Leopold Atlas, Guy Andore, Philip Stevenson (Screenplay)
Writer: Ernie Pyle (Books)
Cast
- Burgess Meredith (Rocky)
- Robert Mitchum (The Night of the Hunter)
- Freddie Steele (Black Angel)
- Wally Cassell (Sands of Iwo Jima)
- Jimmy Lloyd (She’s a Sweetheart)
Plot: At the close of WWII, Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Ernie Pyle travels with the U.S. Army’s Company C Division during their liberation of Italy.
Runtime: 1 Hour 48 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Story of G.I. Joe starts when war correspondent Ernie Pyle (Meredith) joins a US Army Company. He gets to know the men, as they tell their tales of their lives before the war. Ernie learns about their fears of what they could face and the uncertainty of their futures.
On Ernie’s journey, he meets many soldiers and victims of the war. He sees the good and bad war gives people, witnessing things first-hand, as he tells their stories. It shows how most of the soldiers weren’t ready for battle and they stepped up to protect innocent people losing everything.
Verdict on The Story of G.I. Joe
The Story of G.I. Joe is an up-close and personal journey with a military unit. It is told through the eyes of a war correspondent, who follows their journey through Italy towards the front line.
This war movie is based on the real experiences of Ernie Pyle and his time with a military unit. It shows us how the men felt during the uncertain times while bringing out the best in their unknown time on Earth. This shows the senselessness behind war and how far too many people are killed. Not just soldiers, but innocent victims too. It feels like it would have had a major impact on the time of release, and continued to show the American side as the saviours of the war.
Where to Watch
The Story of G.I. Joe has been remastered for Blu-Ray release, with the following additions.
Blu-ray slipcover (only on Blu-ray)
· “Here he lies where he longed to be…” Wild Bill’s Dog Face Blues – A new video essay by author and filmmaker Scout Tafoya
· New interview with Bill Wellman Jr.
· “The Story of ‘The Story of G.I. Joe’“, a new featurette on the restoration by film restoration supervisor Greg Kimble
· Audio commentary by Alan K. Rode
· Original nitrate trailer
· Reconstruction of the original 1945 trailer
· Photo gallery with original press book pages and stills
Final Thoughts –The Story of G.I. Joe is an eye-opening journey with a travelling war unit.
