The Red Badge of Courage (1951)

Who among us doesn't remember those mandatory readings of our high school literature class?!  Those required readings and our enjoyment of them---or lack thereof---may well have meant the difference between an "A" and a "C" in the class.  It was that way for me anyway. While The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter were breathtakingly wonderful reads for me and, thus, inspired passionate discussions and even more passionate essays, William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams had the very opposite effect. Every page---no, make that every word---was a struggle, and my resulting assignments were lifeless and dry. While I wouldn't put Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage in the same category as Williams and Shakespeare, it was definitely only middle of the road for me.  I made it through Mr. Crane's novel, but I was rather ambivalent about the thing, so for that reason, seeing the film version of his story has never been high on my list of things to do.  It is only because Audie Murphy portrays one of the lead characters in the 1951 film and because it is one of his few non-Western films that I bothered to give it the time of day.  Wow!  I am so glad I did, because I think it is brilliant!  It's easily a 5-star film---my 5th such "discovery" this year---and my third favorite of Mr. Murphy's works.

Directed by John Huston, The Red Badge of Courage is one of Audie Murphy's earliest works; in fact, it's his 7th film.  Also featuring Andy Devine, Royal Dano, Bill Mauldin, Douglas Dick, and John Dierkes, this film was considered to be a casting masterpiece.  "Hedda Hopper had told an MGM executive "...it would be nice seeing a real soldier playing the part of a screen soldier for a change.  With so many of our young men going to Korea, putting Audie in the picture would aid in boosting their morale."  [1]  Director Huston agreed and pushed for Audie when MGM officials wanted a more known star.  Another piece of casting genius was WWII cartoonist, Bill Mauldin.  Murphy and Mauldin, only a few years removed from the battlefield, obviously drew on their own real-life experiences, for they brought an incredible sense of realism to their portrayals.

As the American Civil War inches into its second year, a regiment of newly-trained Union soldiers is preparing for its first battle---there's the Cheery Soldier (Andy Devine), the Tattered Man (Royal Dano), the Loud Soldier (Bill Mauldin), the Lieutenant (Douglas Dick), the Tall Soldier (John Dierkes), and the Youth, Henry Fleming (Audie Murphy).  While the majority of the men seem excited and fearless about what is soon to come, the Youth is frightened and has extreme doubts about his ability to fight.

The next day, as the battle rages around him, the Youth's courage fails him and he runs away. After the fighting subsides, Henry, ashamed of his cowardice, wishes he had his own "red badge" (war wound), for it would signify that he had had the courage to fight.  Returning to his regiment and discovering that in the chaos of battle, no one knew he had run away, he lies that he was grazed by a bullet.  With his guilt and shame eating away at him, Henry seeks to make amends in the next battle.  He is determined to conquer his fear and not allow it to render him a coward again.





The Red Badge of Courage was a box-office disaster; however, Audie Murphy's acting received great reviews.  One magazine said, "Audie Murphy proves himself almost as good an actor as he is a soldier." [2]  For me, this is the best performance of Audie's entire career---he is absolutely sensational!  I could vividly see and feel every single emotion Henry experienced---the fear, the shame, the anxiety, and the victory.

Audie said, "There's a thin line between being a hero and a coward.  That's something the book tries to show and something I learned too." [1]  Basically, being courageous doesn't mean an absence of fear; rather, it means, as Audie exemplified in his own life, moving forward even in the midst of fear...defeating it and not allowing it to render you immobile or cowardly.  The young man who learned that lesson in this film is brought brilliantly to life by Mr. Murphy.

The film's lack of success wasn't due to the acting, direction, or cinematography.  All of those things are perfect.  In beautiful black and white, with appropriate dust and smoke, the film gives the appearance of being actual documentary footage of war---it's that realistic.  The downer for me is the use of a narrator (speaking Stephen Crane's penned words).  I didn't really find the narration necessary.  Also, the MGM brass cut 25 minutes of footage, resulting in a film barely over an hour long.  While we will never know the full film John Huston envisioned, I think this abbreviated version is terrific, realistic, and well worth viewing.

This is the first of two films Audie Murphy made with John Huston.  The two would work together again nine years later, in 1960's The Unforgiven.  Again, while the film was not a success, Mr. Murphy's work received much praise, proving that while many consider Murphy a sub-par actor, when under the direction of a gifted director, he was capable of not just a solid, believable performance, but of extremely wonderful work.

Out on DVD, The Red Badge of Courage should be fairly easy to track down.  I think it's not only a terrific Civil War film, but a terrific war film period.  It really evokes the emotion of the soldier.

Happy viewing!!

[1]  From American Hero, The Audie Murphy Story, by Peggy Caravantes, Avisson Press, Inc., 2004


[2]  From American Hero, The Life and Death of Audie Murphy, by Charles Whiting, Eskdale Publishing, 2000.

All photos in this article were obtained from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website  (HERE)