This glossy, star-laden Korean War movie manages to be both superbly entertaining and extremely moving, thanks to the solid direction of the underrated Mark Robson. The source material is from prolific novelist James A Michener, and his view of the futility of the war in Korea is given expert emphasis by the fine performances of William Holden as a reserve officer recalled to service and Fredric March as a gruff admiral. Grace Kelly is simply luminous as Holden's navy wife, and the movie won an Oscar for its special effects.

A U.S. Navy pilot and his squad are assigned to bomb a group of heavily defended bridges deep behind enemy lines during the Korean War.