When a movie is based on a novel, I judge the movie in its accuracy of portraying the intention of the novel's author. By far, this 1974 version was much closer to the events found in the text by Stephen Crane. The 1951 version changed the main focus -- the red badge -- into a yellow one. Also, the portrayal of events and the character depiction I feel were more in the tone that Stephen Crane intended in the 1974 (made for TV) version. I teach the novel on the high school level and have to make many more exceptions to the 1951 version than I do the 1974 version when I use the video versions.
I must note that the leads in both versions (Murphy and Thomas) did excellent jobs in their portrayal of the main character Fleming. However, the other characters in the 1951 version did not come close to the ensemble group in the 1974 version. As a whole, the 1974 version did a better job in the creation of the mood and situation these men found themselves in the battlefields of the Civil War.
I must note that the leads in both versions (Murphy and Thomas) did excellent jobs in their portrayal of the main character Fleming. However, the other characters in the 1951 version did not come close to the ensemble group in the 1974 version. As a whole, the 1974 version did a better job in the creation of the mood and situation these men found themselves in the battlefields of the Civil War.