A surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of Japanese soldiers in this anti-war movie directed by Frank Sinatra. The story revolves around two similarly matched contingents of Japanese and American soldiers who become stranded on a remote Pacific island. To survive they are forced to co-operate, while their respective commanding officers - Lieutenan Kuroki (Tatsuya Mihashi) and Captain Dennis Bourke (Clint Walker) - develop a friendship as they struggle to maintain discipline. In addition to playing a drunken medic Sinatra also directs, which he does with a reasonably steady hand despite the odd clunky and contrived moment. The sentiments of the film are delivered in a slightly heavy-handed manner but that doesn't distract from the humanising of the enemy intent behind the narrative. In this regard Tatsuya Mihashi delivers an excellent performance, that is both poignant and doomed. On the other end of the spectrum is Tommy Sands who delivers an outrageously awful performance as a green lieutenant itching to see combat. ( )