| PRODUCT DETAILS | | The Hunters |  | |
The Hunters
With its electrifying flight sequences and high-powered cast, The Hunters is a mesmerizing film based on the best-selling novel by veteran fighter pilot James Salter. Set during the height of the Korean War, the story centers on Major Cleve Saville (Robert Mitchum), a master of the newly operational F-86 Sabre fighter jets. But adept as he is at flying, Saville¹s personal life takes a nosedive when he falls in love with his wingman¹s (Lee Philips) beautiful wife (May Britt). To make matters worse, Saville must cope with a loud-mouthed rookie (Robert Wagner) in a daring rescue mission that threatens all their lives in this well-crafted war drama.
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
Price: $7.20
 The Hunters
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| User Reviews |  | Romance Lacks, Flight Scenes Worthwhile
rating: 4
Major Cleve Saville (Robert Mitchum) seems to have been made for war. Just as some men are good at sales or good at sports, he is good at killing. He has been hardened over the years over WWII and is a good commander. During the Korean War, he is assigned two young men to fly as his wingmen: Lt. Ed Pell (Robert Wagner) and Lt. Carl Abbott (Lee Philips). Pell is talkative and friendly while Abbott is a tremendously headstrong drunk. Unfortunately, Saville falls in love with Abbott's wife Kristina (May Britt). The two are suddenly conflicted and find it difficult to work together. Then tragedy strikes and the war becomes all the more personal.
Mitchum is a good man for the job in his masculine and somewhat mysterious role. Britt's acting is tremendously wooden; she seems more concerned with getting the words out than emoting. Thanks to Mitchum's professionalism, he is able to fudge the love scenes well enough, but this isn't a romance you're likely to remember. Wagner makes a good impression in a somewhat small role and Philips has several good scenes.
Director Dick Powell had a love for flying and it absolutely comes through in this film. If you're not interested in airplanes, you might get a little bored, but he keeps the visuals interesting enough to keep even the average citizen's interest.
There are some very violent scenes in this film, one in particular. It foreshadows the brutal war films that would be made decades later and makes a powerful statement about the Korean military.
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Korea, Hollywood style
rating: 4
This is one of the rare times where I liked the movie better than the book. The book does more character development but has a surreal ending being told by the pilot AFTER he is dead. The F86's have correct markings, and using F84F's as Mig 15's was a good a choice as you could expect when this movie was made. They were similar in appearance although the F84F came after the Korean war was over. The movie has more action than the book, but alas, also had to have the required "love plot". Mitchum, a.k.a. 'Mister Thunder Road', will always personify cool. Enjoy the movie for what it is, late '50's Hollywood.
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RECALLS THE KOREAN WAR-ALMOST A TOTALLY FORGOTTEN WAR TODAY
rating: 5
Though I was not yet a teenager, I recall aspects of the Korean "War". Recall the A-Bomb drills we had in elementary school and the bomb shelters some people were building. But most of all I remember the F-86 Sabre jets, and though our capabilities were directly attributable to the work the Germans had done in WWII with jet aircraft, the swept wing F-86 was some piece of work. To see one today one must generally go to a museum or watch a movie such as THE HUNTERS. Just as the Grumman Panther can only be seen in a movie such as THE BRIDGES OF TOKI RI (another Korean era film) F-86s only come alive through the filming of THE HUNTERS.
I first saw this movie when it came out to movie theatres, and though I did not serve in the Air Force, it caused me by 1961 to serve in the military. We were a patriotic group back then, and many of us wanted to serve, with films such as this egging us on. Down through the years this particular film has remained one of my favorites and now with the DVD I can take it out to watch whenever.
If you enjoy "war classics" as they are now called, then this movie with its plot and subplots may bring you enjoyment. Even in my mid-60s it still remains for me quite a film. And as I say, the F86s are worth watching all in themselves.
Semper Fi.
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the hunters
rating: 5
outstanding Korean war jet fighter action. the combat scenes are very exciting and staged between F-86 Sabre jets and realistic mock-ups of Mig 15s using F-84 Thunderjets. the story line is easy to digest and definately romanticizes jet warfare. Robert Mitchum is a great anchor to the story, but the corny almost-love affair with one of his fliers wives could have been left out. Robert Wagner is a young brash beat-nick pilot who grows up quick after being shot down and evading capture. the movie is fun, realistic, and has some good action in it.
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A visual jet powered treat
rating: 5
This 1958 film stars Robert Mitchum and Robert Wagner as F-86 fighter pilots during the Korean War. The air sequences are stunning and the photography is beautiful (the crisp blue skies are faithful to author James Salter's descriptions). Excellent combat shots and low level high speed sequences, not seen in other films, including modern works where so much action is "faked".
The story is engaging enough, but in a typical '50's fashion, things are a bit too neat . . . whether war or extra-marital affairs. Robert Mitchum is Robert Mitchum. The young Robert Wagner turns in a good performance as a rather unlikeable know-it-all. The unknown May Britt is an 8 on the 0-10 "hot scale".
A fun film, and probably a must for jet fighter buffs. By the way, if you are a reader, do not let watching this film (even if the story disappoints you) discourage you from reading Salter's quasi-autobiographical novel, The Hunters. Set in the same place and with generally the same characters, the story runs differently and the ending is COMPLETELY different. The little known James Salter is arguably one of the best novelists of the 20th century.
5 stars for the uniquely stunning aerial sequences. Recommended (both the film and the book).
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The Hunters
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