#266: Semper Cinema review of Beach Red

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema with our review of Beach Red. Beach Red is a film adaptation of Peter Bowman’s novella by the same name, made in 1967 at the height of the Vietnam War, and depicts Marines landing on an unnamed island during WWII. Written, directed, produced, and starring Cornell Wilde, it’s known for its gritty depictions of combat (at least for its time), and it was praised for the honesty of its war is hell message. One theme we discuss is why Wilde chose a WWII setting to express what looks to be an anti-war message during the Vietnam War instead of just depicting the Vietnam War itself. Also of interest are some of the cinematic choices that Wilde goes with, such as voice-overs, still-motion flashbacks, and costuming that was more in line with the fashion of the time the movie was released instead of the era in which the film takes place. Beach Red takes some big swings, and we dive into whether they were worth it.  

Enjoy!  

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