Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that while FROM HERE TO ETERNITY is not particularly violent for a war film, characters do drink (often to access), smoke, use ethnic slurs, fight, stab each other, break rules, engage in hazing, and commit adultery. There is also some military gun violence. Because of the period that produced the film, there is no explicit sexual activity, but there are some implied sexual relationships.
Families who watch this film can discuss issues of class raised by the officer/enlisted man hierarchy as well as Alma's story of being romantically rejected because she wasn't a "proper" wife. How are issues of class visible in the military setting (where ostensibly, everyone is in uniform)? How do these issues affect romances and other plot lines? Another topic for discussion is Prewitt's refusal to box. Prewitt explains his refusal to the other men, but they refuse to listen. Did Prewitt have any better options for addressing this issue?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Carly Kocurek
War is hell. Being stationed in Hawaii directly before a war, however, is not hell. If FROM HERE TO ETERNITY is remotely accurate, Hawaii in the 1940s was a pretty hot scene -- the drinks were cold, the passions were high, and the ladies were at least as lovely as the scenery.
The star-studded ensemble piece follows several plots. Frank Sinatra plays the rebellious Pvt. Angelo Maggio. Montgomery Clift plays Pvt. Robert E. Lee 'Prew' Prewitt, a former bugler who romances Alma Burk (Donna Reed) and undergoes hazing as his peers try to force him into a boxing match. Deborah Kerr gives an icy hot performance as Karen Holmes, neglected wife of Capt. Dana 'Dynamite' Holmes (Philip Ober).
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY is not a work of feel-good boosterism. Instead, the film is a collection of human dramas set against the backdrop of a Hawaiian U.S. Army base in the days leading up to Pearl Harbor. As the characters fight, drink, smoke, begin and end affairs, they act in ways that are familiar and easy to relate to.
The direction of Frank Zinnemann helped sculpt the movie, which won a total of 8 Oscars, many for the exceptionally talented cast. This is one of those movies that everyone should see, even if it's not their preferred style or genre, simply because the film is so heavily referenced in mass culture. A steamy scene of Karen Holmes kissing Milton Warden on the beach is particularly resonant. And, though the pacing of the movie might be difficult for younger viewers, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY is overall captivating.
Families who enjoy this film may enjoy other military dramas from the period, like Strategic Air Command (1955), Men in War (1957), The Bridge on the River Kwai or other films directed by Frank Zimmemann, like High Noon (1952).
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentImplied sex or sexually suggestive material. |
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ViolenceNot particularly violent for a war film. Some military gun violence. |
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LanguageLanguage is technically quite clean, but some ethnic slurs are used. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoDrinking and smoking. |
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