Home of the Brave Reviews

Set against the backdrop of the war in the Pacific, this provocative (for its time) Stanley Kramer-produced message film deals with a black GI's psychosomatic paralysis. Moss (James Edwards) and four white comrades--including his boyhood friend (Lloyd Bridges) and a bigoted corporal (Steve Brodie)--are sent on a reconnaissance mission to a Japanese-held island. In the wake of a terrifying experience on the island and in response to prejudice he has encountered throughout his life, Moss becomes paralyzed from the waist down and is sent to a hospital where a psychiatrist (Jeff Corey) helps him get to the root of his pain. Originally produced on Broadway as an exploration of anti-Semitism, HOME OF THE BRAVE is commendable for its examination of the WW II experience of a black soldier at a time when Hollywood was steadfastly ignoring the concerns of African-Americans. Edwards gives a sensitive performance, and Mark Robson's direction never condescends or makes him an object of bleeding-heart pity.