Tarawa Beachhead Reviews

A study in how far a serviceman must respect his commanding officer. Mathews is a Marine through and through, but sees his commander, Danton, kill another soldier during combat. Mathews keeps silent, knowing the higher-ups would probably believe the word of a superior officer. The tension builds as the two are paired together time and time again, in the service and in their private lives. The lives become more intertwined when Mathews falls for Adams, who is the murdered man's widow, and Danton weds Adams' sister. At the end, Mathews is ready to file charges against Danton. But Danton dies what appears to be a hero's death. The last scene has a general asking Mathews all about Danton because he wants to get Danton the Medal of Honor; Mathews tells him: "Nobody knows anybody . . . That's a fact." This is a fine story with excellent character development, a sharp turn from most WW II films.