Take the High Ground (DVD)

Richard Widmark turns callow young men into fighting machines in this engaging boot- camp drama costarring Karl Malden and directed by Richard Brooks. As war rages in Korea, a new crop of U.S. Army recruits reports for basic training, where drill sergeants Ryan (Widmark) and Holt (Malden) have 16 weeks to make them combat-ready. While Holt lends a sympathetic ear and is well-regarded by the troops, Ryan relies solely on tough tactics to whip them into shape. As his brutal methods are questioned by Holt and he becomes involved with an unhappy war widow (Elaine Stewart), Ryan wrestles with the problems of training soldiers while romancing a troubled young woman. Also starring Russ Tamblyn and Steve Forrest, Take the High Ground! was shot on location at Fort Bliss, Texas, and received a well-earned 1953 Oscar nomination for Writing (Story and Screenplay).

• war