You might not have heard of this obscure war picture, The Mountain Road, but if you're a James Stewart fan you'll definitely want to check it out. He has a complicated character to portray, sometimes completely being the hero and sometimes acting like the villain. It's 1944 and he takes an undesirable commission in China for the sake of being in charge while he still can. He freely admits this, and there are times when he orders his men around and you can feel how much he loves having power. His assignment: demolition.
As he and his unit travel down the mountain road to reach the destination with all the American equipment and ammunition, they have lots of challenges. It's not just a simple drive - there are Chinese bandits, arguments among the men, and also a woman tagging along for the ride while endangering her own safety. She's a war widow with tons of wisdom and strength. Perhaps her perspective might be enough to soften Jimmy's edges, or at least help him figure out his purpose. In my favorite scene, he breaks down and cries, wondering why he's even bothering with the mission. One of his men was tragically killed, and he thinks it's all pointless.
In that scene, and in others, you'll see a very impressive performance from Lisa Lu in her first movie. There were many Asian actresses emerging right around that time, and unfortunately Lisa didn't become a big name. She certainly had the talent, though. You'll also see a very solid performance from James Stewart, and you'll hear a beautiful theme from Jerome Moross. Even though it sounds like outtakes from The Big Country, it's still lovely to listen to.
As he and his unit travel down the mountain road to reach the destination with all the American equipment and ammunition, they have lots of challenges. It's not just a simple drive - there are Chinese bandits, arguments among the men, and also a woman tagging along for the ride while endangering her own safety. She's a war widow with tons of wisdom and strength. Perhaps her perspective might be enough to soften Jimmy's edges, or at least help him figure out his purpose. In my favorite scene, he breaks down and cries, wondering why he's even bothering with the mission. One of his men was tragically killed, and he thinks it's all pointless.
In that scene, and in others, you'll see a very impressive performance from Lisa Lu in her first movie. There were many Asian actresses emerging right around that time, and unfortunately Lisa didn't become a big name. She certainly had the talent, though. You'll also see a very solid performance from James Stewart, and you'll hear a beautiful theme from Jerome Moross. Even though it sounds like outtakes from The Big Country, it's still lovely to listen to.