From a purely historical point of view, I was unaware that napalm was a major tool of battle. There was a scorched earth policy when it came to the land and the people designated as the enemy - "Burn 'em out! Cook 'em!". As in Ford's features, what is of interest is the male comradery, and the function of doing a job, no matter the meaning of that job. Politics aside, what Ford and his camera crew do well is to shoot film alongside men who are shooting guns in the bitter cold of a Korean winter. Nor does Ford shy away from showing the casualties of war, at least in a form palatable for moviegoers in 1951. Ford isn't afraid to do a bit of showboating with a credit to himself as a retired Navy Rear Admiral, but agree or disagree with his view of the world, John Ford always remained true to his convictions.

John Huston narrated his documentary, San Pietro but otherwise had chosen to step back in his observations of this battle in Italy. Credits inform the audience that parts of the film include dramatic recreations. The most striking images are of the barren trees of what were wine and olive vineyards. Both Huston and Ford show the human cost of war in shots of the graveyards where soldiers were buried, but Huston also filmed the men digging the plots, and one anonymous soldier's wrapped body laid to rest. Huston, like Ford, also seemed unable to resist the easy sentimentality of filming children at play in the most miserable of conditions. Reportedly, the version available is heavily edited due to concerns from the Army that Huston's original film was too "anti-war". Huston could have made a film of more slanted intent as in Across the Pacific, but real life war had the effect of tempering the more boisterous side of John Huston with a larger degree of introspection.