A Place in Hell

A PLACE IN HELL is a fun-but-forgotten Italian WW2 flick set in the Pacific theatre for a change (most of these films seem to be desert-set productions in my experience). It's business as usual for the scriptwriter, who concocts a storyline about a group of soldiers who have to undertake a deadly mission to blow up a Japanese base on one of the Pacific islands before escaping to the docks to make their getaway.

The film is surprisingly well made for its budget and genre, with atmospheric jungle locations and some top action to recommend it. The cast is merely average, with dependable leading man of Italian action cinema Guy Madison leading the way, but Giuseppe Vari's direction is better than average.

There's an excellent set-piece at the climax involving a deserted beach and village which is the perfect exercise in setting up tension before letting loose with a rousing climax. There are some thoughtful reflections on the nature of warfare here, which you aren't expecting in the dubbed English dialogue, along with location photography in the Philippines which adds to the authenticity.