Gritty account of boxing champ Barney Ross's battle with morphine addiction following WWII war wounds. Those battle scenes on Guadalcanal have to be the ugliest on record. There's enough mud and rain to sink the Titanic. The firefight may not be very realistic since no shot seems to miss an enemy-- plus, reality speaking, rifles don't work too well in heavy rain. Nonetheless, Hollywood sets don't come any uglier, making the battle scene about as onerous as possible.
Fortunately, Mitchell delivers as boxer, soldier, family man, and addict. As I recall, the actor moved up the Hollywood ladder as a result. As I also recall, dealing with drug addiction was still a touchy movie topic in 1957. But thanks to Man With A Golden Arm (1955), the topic was no longer taboo for popular commercial releases. In that regard, I expect the film had a desired effect on dangers of drugs. Heck--after suffering along with Ross, I'm even worried about taking my aspirin!
Anyway, the movie's pretty realistic where it counts, even though the car-less, people-less, city street at night fairly shouts studio backlot. The deserted street may be atmospheric and symbolic of Ross's mental state, but a contrivance like this can remind viewers that this is a movie, after all.
Overall, the topic of pain-relieving drug addiction may no longer be cutting edge, still the message remains worthwhile for all ages, especially now with the growing problem of opioid addiction as a quick pain reliever. So I guess the sneaky monkey can come in many forms.
