Review of The Red Badge of Courage

The casting of war hero Audie Murphy, and cartoonist Bill Mauldin clearly shows the outlook of the creators of this film., It must have seemed fitting to pay tribute to the servicemen of America's earlier wars, but the Civil War wasn't WWII. This production lies somewhere between a Western, and a generic war film: little of it is distinctively Crane, or 19th century. The film was obviously shot in California, and the Union kepis resemble tourist souvenirs (same wrong insignia). I can understand viewers having a sentimental attachment to this movie, but this deserves no badge.