Samuel Fuller (the movie’s director, writer and producer) was a veteran of World War 2 (he would later make a World War 2 film that was essentially autobiographical called The Big Red One). He felt previous war movies were often dishonest and naïve about what soldier’s went through, and that the full brutality of war had never yet been depicted on screen. Since this film was made on a rather small budget of $100,000, this brutality was not shown through excessive violence or massive battle sequences (in fact there were only 25 extras (all students from UCLA) and they played both American and Korean soldiers), but rather through the characters’ psyche. The characters were filled with thoughts of hopelessness and desperation. To show soldiers at war as this beaten mentally was something that had not been seen in almost all previous war movies.
The film was not only shot on a low budget but in only ten days of shooting. This may have helped create the real, gritty, and natural feeling of this film that is so different from any big budget Hollywood studio film from this era. This is not an action movie by any means, nor is it an inspiring story of how the U.S. army can defeat powers of pure evil leaving good victorious. Rather it is a film about the mental hardships that those who fight in wars face every day. This film leaves me with more respect for those soldiers fighting overseas for my country. What they have gone through is something I could never imagine, and the mental pain they push themselves through is incredible. I am not a veteran, so I cannot say how real this film represents that mental torture, but I can say to me it feels unbelievably real.
This movie was a center of great controversy when released. It was considered by many to be anti-American. This was because throughout this movie the characters were always unsure exactly what they were fighting for or even who their enemy was. The main cast included a black soldier (James Edwards) and a Japanese-American soldier (Richard Loo). A prisoner of war tests their allegiance by bringing up Jim Crow laws and Japanese internment camps. There was also an American soldier (Steve Brodie) who was a clear racist. This sat uneasy with some who felt Fuller was trying to make America look like a racist country. Fuller denied this saying he was just trying to be brutally honest about history and what happened in war. All the decisions that created this controversy help make the film even more powerful and shocking to audiences then and now. The movie has a feeling of brutal honesty that few movies can capture so well.
A review in Variety stated "Lippert Pictures has what would seem a sure money film in 'The Steel Helmet.'" (To read the whole review click here.) This turned out to be true as the film earned over $2 million at the box office and made big studios take notice of the film's director.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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