'A Walk in the Sun' - Movie Review

"A Walk in the Sun" is now considered a classic movie (not just because it's old, but also by the Library of Congress and the National Film Registry). It shows us fairly literally what the title suggests: a walk in the sun, with the caveat being that our characters land on a beach in Italy and have to take their walk under fire from German forces. The movie isn't so much about the battles as it is about the personalities and staying sane in the middle of a war.

Dana Andrews is Sargeant Bill Tyne, who finds himself in charge of the squad after the deaths of a couple of their commanders, and the third having a mental breakdown. He leads them on a walk six miles across the countryside to the house that's their objective. There are a couple of unglamorous battles (I mean that in a good way), but most of the film is the men talking, dealing with the stresses of life in the army.

What the soldiers feel, all the time, is tension. And fear, probably less of the time, but often enough. When will we be fired at? Who's going to die next? And this movie brings the tension, even as the soldiers talk, trying to relax and be normal. This deserves to be seen and remembered.