The Mountain Road

1960
1h 42m

IMDb RATING

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James Stewart and Lisa Lu in The Mountain Road (1960)

A US Army Major stationed in East China in 1944 is ordered to blow up military installations in order to slow down the advancing Japanese Army.A US Army Major stationed in East China in 1944 is ordered to blow up military installations in order to slow down the advancing Japanese Army.A US Army Major stationed in East China in 1944 is ordered to blow up military installations in order to slow down the advancing Japanese Army.

Director
- Daniel Mann
Writers
- Alfred Hayes
- Theodore H. White
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

1.1K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Daniel Mann
Writers
- Alfred Hayes
- Theodore H. White
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos16

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The film includes themes considered to be taboo for Hollywood during the war years, such as tensions between allies and racism among Americans.

Goofs
When Baldwin and his unit arrive at the ammunition dump they're supposed to blow up, it consists of several small buildings and shacks. But the interior shots showing mountains of ammunition have no resemblance to the buildings they're supposed to be in: two of them are clearly gigantic tunnels ten or twenty times as long as the buildings that are supposedly being inspected.

Quotes
Major Baldwin: Colonel, I'm gonna blow up this road. Now, how can we keep the people off?
Col. Kwan: Off?
Major Baldwin: Well, I-I, I need them stopped for about ten minutes. Can you do it?
Col. Kwan: How?
Major Baldwin: Well, uh, how 'bout, uh, how 'bout if we get a couple of empty gasoline drums, put 'em on either side of the road, stretch a rope across.
Col. Kwan: They'd go under the rope.
Major Baldwin: Well, then we get some Chinese soldiers to explain to them, explain to them that we're cutting the road. How 'bout that?
Col. Kwan: The soldiers will want to get through themselves.
Major Baldwin: Well, could we give them something?
Col. Kwan: What?
Major Baldwin: Well, money?
Col. Kwan: They cannot spend money here.
Major Baldwin: Well, food. How 'bout food? We got 'K' rations, cigarettes. How about cigarettes? What'll they take for the job?
[Kwan Says something in Chinese]
Major Baldwin: [Angrily] I don't speak Chinese, Colonel.
Col. Kwan: There is no way.

Connections
Featured in Hollywood Chinese (2007)

User reviews31

Featured review

7/10

Human drama in slowing the enemy during WW II in China

"The Mountain Road" is a different and interesting war film. Set in China in 1944, it is about a U.S. Army demolition team doing what it can to stop the Japanese advance as the Chinese and American forces withdraw. It is based on a novel of the same title by noted author Theodore H. White. White said that his story was inspired by an interview he had with a former OSS Major Frank Gleason Jr. who had headed just such a demolition crew. Gleason was later hired as a technical consultant for the film, although he is not listed in the credits. According to one source, Gleason headed a demolition group that blew up more than 150 bridges and destroyed more than 50,000 tons of munitions in Dushan.

The film shows the challenges of military command and conflicts that the lead character, Major Baldwin has. James Stewart plays that part very well. His conflicts are different in that most of his decisions about blowing up bridges, roads and even buildings in villages affect hundreds of civilians.

All of the cast are very good in their roles. Among the most prominent are Lisa Lu who plays Madame Sue-Mei Hung, Harry Morgan who plays Staff Sgt. Mike Michaelson and Glenn Corbett who plays Collins.

An interesting aspect of this film is that there are no Japanese soldiers. The Americans never encounter the enemy. The film depicts some of the aspects of the Chinese culture that Major Baldwin had not yet learned. The terrain looked like it could have been filmed in China, but was mostly rugged hilly country and mountains in Arizona.

The film has some impressive scenes of explosions. Some consider it an anti-war film, and it fits that mold of most war movies that show the horrors, death, destruction and insanity of war.

It's a good film, but not great. War film buffs and those who enjoy history should enjoy it. Others, especially modern audiences used to fast and furious entertainment, may find it hard to sit through.

The best line in the film is from Alan Baxter who plays Gen. Loomis. After Stewart's character tells him that he had asked for the command, Loomis says, "You know what command is, major?" Maj. Baldwin replies, "Well, sir, the book says... " And Gen. Loomis says, "Command is power. Pure, simple, unlimited."