Wildly overrated at the time of its release, THE PURPLE HEART has not aged well, and viewers today may have trouble with its leering racism, overwrought patriotic speechifying, and terribly bombastic musical score. The story concerns two bomber crews captured by the Japanese after the 1942
air raid against Tokyo. Capt. Harvey Ross (Dana Andrews) is the ranking American officer of the eight bomber crew members who are imprisoned in Japan and brought to trial, not as prisoners of war, but as war criminals. The false charge against them is that they purposely dropped bombs on schools,
hospitals, and other nonmilitary targets. When none of the Americans will admit to s...
Released:
1944
Rated:
NR
Length:
99 mins