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Aldo Ray, Cliff Robertson, Raymond Massey, Lili St. Cyr, Barbara Nichols. Up against impossible odds, men at war must decide whether to perish for their mission or abandon the task and save themselves. But what kind of commanding officer orders his men to die? This is the question The Naked and the Dead presents. Set in the Pacific Theater in the height of World War II, it follows the story of Lieutenant Hearn, an idealistic officer who believes he can lead his soldiers with compassion and respect. When a cruel, fanatical sergeant in his platoon tricks Hearn into carrying out an intelligence mission despite an overwhelming Japanese force in the area, the platoon suffers terrible casualties. Hearn retreats to save the lives of his men, but his sergeant presses forward with anyone he can find, determined to follow through on their orders at all costs in this darkly epic war drama. Director Raoul Walsh commanded a veritable platoon of great actors of the era to create this classic, which takes a uniquely sober and realistic look at the fortunes and costs of serving one’s country. Based on the novel by Norman Mailer. 1958/color/131 min/NR/widescreen.