Tarawa, tête de pont

Meh, it's a B movie from the 50s, running only 77 minutes. It's not terrible, but don't expect to see much that's accurate about the Battle of Tarawa...except perhaps for the justification for choosing the Central Pacific route to Japan rather than going exclusively through Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. As in "Battle Cry," another film concerning the 2nd Marine Division prior to Tarawa, much of the film is set in New Zealand, but some of the purported Kiwis have accents from no farther west than California and hair styles no older than the late 1950s. If you've seen "Sands of Iwo Jima," you'll recognize much of the battle and beach footage, just stuck into this movie in between dialogue scenes in order to avoid having to pay to stage it again, I guess. Some accurate, some inaccurate combat film is inserted; as for the latter, amphibious tanks and vehicles with Army markings spoil the mood if you're trying to get a feel for the real Tarawa, as do broad, sandy beaches and lush, intact vegetation. The hatred between the main characters is well done, and the villain is a good mix of hero and coward. The trope of the woman burned badly by losing a husband at war and determined never to fall in love again is on full display (as in "Battle Cry" and "The Americanization of Emily").