Inchon (film)

Inchon

Movie poster for Inchon
Directed by Terence Young
Produced by Mitsuharu Ishii
Written by Robin Moore
Laird Koenig
Starring Laurence Olivier
Jacqueline Bisset
Ben Gazzara
Toshirō Mifune
Richard Roundtree
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography Bruce Surtees
Editing by John W. Holmes
Peter Taylor
Dallas Sunday Puett
Michael Sheridan
Distributed by MGM
Release date(s) September 17, 1982
Running time 105 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $46,000,000
Gross revenue $5,200,000[1]

Inchon (also called Inchon![2]) is a 1982 film directed by Terence Young about the Battle of Inchon during the Korean War. The protagonist of the film is General Douglas MacArthur (Laurence Olivier), who led the United States surprise amphibious landing at Incheon in 1950. Inchon begins with a depiction of North Korean soldiers moving past the 38th parallel north into South Korea in June 1950. Barbara Hallsworth (Jacqueline Bisset) heads for Seoul after hearing of the invasion. Her husband, U.S. Major Frank Hallsworth (Ben Gazzara), is involved in a love affair with a young Korean woman (Karen Kahn) in Seoul. Major Hallsworth learns of the North Korean invasion, and travels to locate his wife with the assistance of army sergeant August Henderson (Richard Roundtree). The U.S. succeeds in driving out the North Korean forces, and the last scene in the story shows MacArthur reciting the Lord's Prayer.

The film was financed by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and its producer was church member Mitsu Haru Ishii. Moon initially did not want the public to know that he was involved in the film's production. Ishii told the film's writer, Robin Moore, that he wanted Inchon to depict the hardship inflicted on the Korean people from the Korean War. Laurence Olivier was paid $1 million to depict General Douglas MacArthur in the film. Olivier researched the role by meeting with Alexander Haig, and studying MacArthur's voice affect. Shooting took place in California, Italy, Ireland, Japan and Korea. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Samuel Jaskilka served as the film's technical advisor, and the United States Department of Defense allowed 1,500 soldiers to be extras in the film.

In May 1981, Ishii confirmed that Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church provided the majority of funding for the film; this caused the U.S. Defense Department to request to be removed from the credits. The world premiere of the film was held in Washington, D.C. on May 4, 1981 at a special screening at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Protesters showed up outside the screening criticizing links between the production and the Unification Church. United States Congressman Dan Glickman left the screening because of the film's connections to Moon. Inchon was shown at the 35th Cannes film festival in May 1982 but failed to interest any buyers despite a $250,000 publicity campaign; it was picked up by MGM/UA in August 1982 for distribution in the U.S.

Inchon is considered the largest financial loss in film of 1982; earning less than $2 million in the U.S. and Canada against expenses of $46 million. Allmovie, Newsweek, TV Guide, and Canadian Press classed Inchon among the worst films of all time. Although even The Washington Times gave the film a negative review, the newspaper and its ties with Sun Myung Moon were criticized by The Washington Post. Inchon won Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Actor at the 3rd Golden Raspberry Awards.

Contents

Plot

A disclaimer appears at the beginning of the film, acknowledging that it is fiction: "This is not a documentary of the war in Korea, but a dramatized story of the effect of war on a group of people. All persons other than those whose real names are used in this film are fictitious and any similarity between them and any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Where dramatic license has been deemed necessary, the authors have taken advantage of this license to dramatize the subject."[3]

The film depicts the Battle of Inchon during the Korean War.[4] The protagonist of the film is General Douglas MacArthur (Laurence Olivier), who led the United States surprise amphibious landing at Incheon in 1950.[4][5] A sideplot in the film involves a married Korean couple who encounter difficulties in their relationship because of the ongoing war.[6][7]

Inchon begins with a depiction of North Korean soldiers moving past the 38th parallel north into South Korea in June 1950.[7][8] Residents of South Korea flee into the country's capital, Seoul.[7] A United States Major's wife Barbara Hallsworth (Jacqueline Bisset) resided in a village located at the 38th Parallel, where she was attempting to buy antique furniture and items for her business as an interior decorator.[7][8] She hears a bulletin over the radio "The Communists are coming", and decides to leave the village.[9] A limousine driven by a chauffeur takes her to Seoul.[7] She encounters a group of five Korean children, and after her chauffeur dies during the North Korean invasion, she drives them to a safe location called the "Inn of the Sixth Happiness".[7][10] Along the way, she kills a North Korean soldier by shooting him between the eyes.[9]

U.S. Major Frank Hallsworth (Ben Gazzara) is attempting to break off an affair with a young Korean woman (Karen Kahn).[7][8][10] The woman's father Saito-san (Toshirō Mifune) is aware of his daughter's affair with Hallsworth and does not disapprove of it.[7][11] Hallsworth receives word of the invasion by the North Koreans, and he travels North in an attempt to locate his wife with the assistance of army sergeant August Henderson (Richard Roundtree).[7][8] Henderson encounters the Hallsworth's wife and fixes her vehicle's battery, and then reunites her with her husband.[10]

David Feld Park (David Janssen), a journalist in Tokyo, is waiting with other reporters for a press conference to begin which will be held by General MacArthur.[7][12] Longfellow (Rex Reed), a second reporter awaiting the press conference, is generally a music critic but also reports on serious events developing in Tokyo.[7][12] General MacArthur is at his residence in Tokyo with his wife, and does not appear at the press conference.[7] He agrees with his wife that he is the only individual who can rescue South Korea from the communist invasion by the North Koreans.[7]

Major Hallsworth and his former lover succeed in turning on a lighthouse to signal 261 U.S. ships, and the Korean woman's father activates mines in the channel.[10] She dies during the ensuing battle.[9] The U.S. troops drive out the North Korean forces and restore President Syngman Rhee (Kwang Nam Yang) to power.[10] General MacArthur gives Rhee a hug, as people wave Korean and American flags.[10] The last scene that was shot for the film ended with the character of MacArthur saying the Lord's Prayer.[13] After this scene, an actual newsreel of the real Douglas MacArthur is displayed.[13]

Production

Financing

Inchon was financed by Sun Myung Moon and wealthy Japanese newspaper publisher Mitsu Haru Ishii.[5][14][15] Sun Myung Moon was involved with the film's production from the very beginning.[3] Mitsu Haru Ishii was a member of the Unification Church's branch in Japan, and a friend of Moon, and served as the film's producer.[3][9][16] Moon initially did not want the public to know that he was behind the financing of the film and its production.[14] Mitsu Haru Ishii said he was instructed by God to make the film.[9] Moon gave $30 million to Mitsu Haru Ishii's film production company One Way Productions.[9]

Ishii downplayed his membership in the Unification Church, saying "just like a Catholic is a member of the Catholic Church and I believe Rev. Moon is very sincere about doing the Lord's work".[3] In addition to being a member of the Unification Church, Ishii was also president of Sun Myung Moon's newspaper the World Daily News.[3] Lawrence H. Suid wrote in Guts and Glory: The Making of the American Military Image in Film, "Moreover, the name for his film company, One Way Productions, came from Moon's doctrine of one way to God."[3] Robert Standard, associate producer of Inchon, was a member of the Unification Church in the United States.[3]

Before deciding on the subject of the proposed film, Moon and Ishii considered the possibility of films on the life of Jesus or Elvis Presley.[14][15] In 1978, psychic Jeanne Dixon was consulted to communicate with the spirit of General MacArthur, and Dixon said that MacArthur's spirit endorsed the production of the film.[3][14][15] Dixon also helped choose Terence Young, who earlier directed the James Bond films Dr. No, Thunderball, and From Russia with Love, as the film's director.[14][15] Inchon cost $46 million to make.[1][17][18] Dixon stated she had asked Ishii specifically about Sun Myung Moon's role in the film's production.[3] Dixon said in an interview, "Ishii swore to me that there was not one dollar of Moon money in that film. It was represented to me as being all Ishii's money. I guess he lied to me, didn't he?".[3]

The film's producers encountered difficulty after attempts were made to raise funding for the film from banks in Japan, and so the entire project was funded from Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church.[13] Sun Myung Moon wanted his name to be displayed in the credits of the film, but was instructed by the film's director that doing so would not bode well for the success of the film.[13] Terry Coleman writes in Olivier that "Moon wanted his name on the list of credits and was told by the director, Terrence Young, that this would be the kiss of death, and that if he insisted on having his name on it he would have to take Young's off."[13] Moon received an above-the-title credit of "special advisor".[9] The screen credits referred to Moon as "Rev. Sun Myung Moon: Special Advisor on Korean Matters".[3][19]

Writing

Mitsu Haru Ishii had at first told the film's writer Robin Moore that he wanted to make a movie about Jesus Christ.[3] Ishii went to movie producers in Japan to promote this idea, but was unsuccessful.[3] He then saw a Korean-made film about the Korean War, and came to the decision that "he wanted to make a film about the Korean War, on an international basis."[3] He desired the film to be an "entertaining action film", but also said he was "very interested in depicting MacArthur as a human being and I want the world to know how miserable the war was for the Korean people."[3]

Moore commented on the writing process, "The theme I had to deal with in Inchon was too big for a movie that was less than two hours. When Toho was originally involved, they wanted a love story between an American boy and a Korean girl. My technique is to research and then fictionalize, a technique I used successfully in French Connection. But I had to fictionalize the real landing at Inchon, making it seem that a lighthouse was a pivotal factor when in fact it wasn't. I couldn't do that, which is why other writers were brought in."[20]

Ishii instructed Moore to include an emphasis on General MacArthur's spiritualism and faith in divine guidance.[3] He told Moore to include three separate love stories in the film, "one between two Americans, one between two Koreans, and one between an American and a Korean."[3] Moore explained that "the love stories were supposed to tell the story of the tragedy of Korea, the tragedy of the Korean War."[3] Ishii stated to Moore that he did not wish for the movie to turn into an "anti-Communist tract".[3]

Prior to the completion of the film's screenplay by Moore, the film's producers encountered difficulties obtaining an affiliation with a movie studio.[3] The movie's producer said that North Koreans placed pressure on Toho Studios through labor unions in Japan, requesting that the studio pull out of its affiliation with Inchon.[3] The labor unions criticized the film's production, saying that it was influenced by Sun Myung Moon and his Unification Church, in addition to the Korean CIA.[3] The labor unions asserted that the film was part of an effort to support the president of South Korea.[3] Because of this criticism, Toho Studios canceled its participation in the Inchon project.[3] During the writing phase of production, Ishii maintained denials that the film was a form of propaganda, and asserted that Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church were not involved in the funding or production of Inchon.[3]

Casting

Laurence Olivier was paid $1 million to depict the character of General Douglas MacArthur in the film.[14] He was contracted for six weeks of filming, and received a payment of $250,000 upon signing the contract and the remainder was given in four subsequent installments.[13] His salary came out to $50,000 per day.[20] In addition to this fee, Olivier also received $2,500 per week for his expenses.[13] Olivier was interviewed during the film's production and explained why he agreed to be part of its cast: "People ask me why I'm playing in this picture. The answer is simple. Money, dear boy. I'm like a vintage wine. You have to drink me quickly before I turn sour. I'm almost used up now and I can feel the end coming. That's why I'm taking money now. I've got nothing to leave my family but the money I can make from films. Nothing is beneath me if it pays well. I've earned the right to damn well grab whatever I can in the time I've got left."[5]

Olivier researched the role by traveling to Norfolk, Virginia to visit the MacArthur Museum, and speaking with Alexander Haig, who had served as aide-de-camp to MacArthur.[13] Haig told Olivier that MacArthur's voice sounded like W.C. Fields, and Olivier tried to imitate this.[15] He enjoyed working with accents, and obtained recordings of MacArthur's voice.[5] He was interested in various inconsistencies in these recordings, and especially in the difference in vowel sounds made by MacArthur.[5] During filming, the makeup process for Olivier took two and a half hours.[13] Olivier thought that after the makeup process was complete, he neither looked like himself nor like General MacArthur.[13]

Richard Roundtree, known for the title role in the film Shaft, portrayed the character of Staff Sgt. Henderson in the film.[16] At a screening of the film in May 1981, Roundtree told The Washington Post, "I never knew anything about the funding by the Unification Church until just prior to coming tonight."[16]

In total, $5 million was spent on the salaries of top cast members Olivier, Roundtree, Ben Gazzara, and Jacqueline Bisset.[3] Olivier, Roundtree, Gazzara and Bisset all stated that they were not informed of Sun Myung Moon's role in funding the film when they agreed to be a part of its cast.[3] "Up until the eighth week of filming neither the director, Terrence Young, nor the cast knew we were in the employ of Rev. Moon," said Gazzara to The Boston Globe.[3]

Actress Karen Kahn portrayed the young Korean lover of Major Frank Hallsworth in the film.[21] In a subsequent interview with The Press Democrat, Kahn said of the film, "It was supposed to be this 'Gone With the Wind'. And it was the worst movie. It's in some of those worst- films-of-all-time books."[21] She quit acting for a time after the film.[21] She said, "After that movie I quit. I just couldn't take L.A. I was really thin-skinned. So I just got out."[21]

Music

Inchon
Soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith
Released 1982
Genre Film
Length 37:51
Label Intrada Records
Professional reviews

Allmusic 3/5 stars[22]

Jerry Goldsmith wrote the score for the film.[23] The soundtrack to the film was released by the San Francisco-based movie sound track producing company, Intrada.[24] Desmond Ryan of The Philadelphia Inquirer reviewed Goldsmith's work on the film, "His score for Inchon reflects the level of inspiration to be found in the other elements of the movie, namely pretty dreadful."[23] An obituary for Goldsmith noted, "Goldsmith wrote stirring music for two good war movies ('Patton,' 'MacArthur') and music for a particularly bad one ('Inchon')."[25] Jason Ankeny reviewed the album for Allmusic, and gave it a rating of three out of five stars.[22] "Inchon falls somewhere into the secondary ranks of Jerry Goldsmith's myriad war scores, achieving neither the glory nor the intensity of classics like Patton," wrote Ankeny.[22] Intrada reissued a Special Collection of the 1982 score in 2006, which combined tracks from the initial album with those from the complete film.[22] All music composed by Jerry Goldsmith.

Filming

Shooting took place in Hollywood, California; Rome, Italy; Ireland; Tokyo, Japan; and Seoul, Korea.[3][5][26] During the filming of Inchon in 1979, the involvement of Sun Myung Moon was "adamantly denied".[5] Moon recommended editing and reshooting changes to the film's script.[3] In multiple instances, Moon recommended further shooting, and this "caused the production to return to Korea three times, Rome twice and Los Angeles twice".[5][27]

The film included multiple technical errors.[3] Cut-out cardboard pieces were used to depict military aircraft during battle scenes in the film, and one film critic said viewers were almost able to identify the threads attached to the cardboard cut-outs.[3] Footage of a digital watch was spliced into the film, though this technology would not be invented for twenty-five years after the time period of the film.[3] Inchon encountered multiple problems during filming.[15] Jacqueline Bisset developed laryngitis during the film's production.[15] A set-piece for the film included a re-created version of a lighthouse at Incheon, but this was obliterated by a typhoon.[28] The movie had to go through a reshooting process after one of the film's stars, David Janssen, died during production.[29] Janssen's scenes were cut from the final version of the film, as were those of Rex Reed.[11]

The production hired retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Samuel Jaskilka as technical advisor to the film.[16] A portion of the movie was filmed aboard the USS Cleveland, an Austin-class amphibious transport dock.[30] It was filmed during an amphibious operation off the coast of Korea in 1978.[30] The United States Department of Defense allowed 1,500 soldiers from the United States Army and United States Marines Corps to participate as extras in the film, and The Washington Post reported the film's producers were charged $77,000 for this service.[16][28] The U.S. Defense Department supported the film's production during its shooting in Korea.[3]

The dancing group founded by Sun Myung Moon, Little Angels, was featured in the film.[3] Many members of the crew of Inchon from Korea and Japan confirmed that they were members of the Unification Church.[3] Robert F. Kocourek, the auditor of Inchon, commented that the Unification Church influence on the film was "very definitely there on the making of the picture. The Japanese and Korean Unification Churches supplied lots of free labor and extras for the background scenes."[3]

Shooting was held in Rome, Italy in 1979.[13] Olivier had health problems, and after shooting had finished in Korea he had gone back to England.[5] He was told he was needed for one last shoot, but he did not wish to travel back to Korea.[5] Arrangements were made to film Olivier in Rome, where he portrayed MacArthur against a backdrop, reciting the Lord's Prayer.[5] The film's director Terrence Young was not happy with the completed version of the film, and said "the producers have turned Inchon into a Korean propaganda movie."[3]

Promotion

The Unification Church wanted to distribute the film on their own, but the director Terrence Young told them this would result in a "total disaster".[13] The Unification Church funded the $11 million promotion budget for the film.[11] One of the press kit releases was titled "The Korean War and Revelations", and it asserted that during the war, a B-29 pilot took a picture of "the face of Jesus Christ ... amidst the bombers", while flying in North Korea.[3] "While some called the occurrence a coincidence, many others agreed that it was only one of many incidences of God's guidance throughout General Douglas MacArthur's life," said the release.[3] The release went on to assert, "Jesus Christ has appeared at significant times throughout the 2,000 years of Christianity. It is common for Generals and those with the opportunity to change history to receive guidance through revelation."[3] The release put forth the notion that General MacArthur's "attempt to overcome communism was particularly significant, because the general embodied three qualities: love for God; love for mankind; and hatred for Communism."[3] According to the release, the art director for Inchon had taken a picture of the door of MacArthur's office in Tokyo, and the general's visage had appeared on the photograph.[3] The promotional Hollywood press kit for the film asserted that the deceased Douglas MacArthur supported the making of the film, and that the film was "guided by God".[4] The press kit stated that the dead MacArthur said, "I was very happy to see this picture made because it will express my heart during the Korean War. ... I will make more than 100% effort to support this movie."[4]

Amid rumors about the film's funding for over nine months, producer Ishii denied connections to Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church.[3] In May 1981, Ishiii confirmed that the majority of the funding for the film came from Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church.[3] The same month, a representative for the Unification Church told The Washington Post that the organization contributed "significant" amounts of money to the film's production.[16] The Washington Post reported that "The movie's producers claimed it to be the most expensive ever made in the free world."[16] Publicity for Inchon stated Moon "took an intense personal interest" in the film.[5][27]

The connections of Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church to the film triggered protests against the involvement of the United States Department of Defense in the film's production.[3] The U.S. Defense Department requested to the film's producers: "to avoid further misunderstandings on credits or DOD's relationship with the Unification Church, it is requested that screen credits for DOD and military assistance be deleted. We wish to reiterate the understanding that the public release of the film will not be used directly for fund-raising or church propaganda."[3] The closing credits of the film thank the U.S. Defense Department.[11]

Release

The world premiere of the film was held in Washington, D.C. on May 4, 1981 at a special screening at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[3][16] The screening was a benefit for retired United States Navy personnel.[31] This was the only time the film was screened in its 140-minute full version.[5] Between 25 and 100 protesters came to demonstrate outside the John F Kennedy Center event.[16][19][32] Placards displayed by the protesters included the message "Warning: You Have Been Duped By The Moonies".[16][19] Steven Hassan was among the protesters, and shouted to those entering the film screening: "Do you want to support a cult group? Go in and let them use you."[16] United States Congressman Dan Glickman chose not to see the movie and left the film screening because of its affiliation with the Unification Church.[16] Representative Glickman told The Washington Post, "I just thought I was going to see a movie. I didn't want to be part of anything sponsored by a group which has not exactly been supportive of young folks in America."[16]

United States Senator Alfonse D'Amato was the chairman of the benefit committee for Washington, D.C. premiere of the film.[3] The Washington Post reported that Senator D'Amato had planned to see the film, but did not attend the screening because he had been unaware the film was financed by the Unification Church and "felt he had been misled".[16] "We wish we had known from the start that the Unification Church was involved. The senator does not support any religious sect or cult," said D'Amato's representative Ed Martin.[32] After the film's premiere, Senator D'Amato told the Washington Star that he had been aware of Sun Myung Moon's role in the film's production from the beginning.[3] Twelve members of the United States Congress had agreed to have their names used as honorary members of the benefit committee for the film's Washington, D.C. premiere.[3] An additional forty-eight members of the U.S. Congress accepted tickets to the film's premiere.[3] Lawrence H. Suid wrote in Guts & Glory that "... no more than fifteen or sixteen were willing to brave the pickets outside the Kennedy Center protesting the Unification Church and its involvement with the movie."[3] The U.S. chief of naval operations and the Marine commandant chose not to go to the premiere of Inchon, because of the film's association with the Unification Church.[3] After the screening, Mitsu Haru Ishii said the film would not have difficulty acquiring a distributor.[16] "No problem. We have 20 nations who want this movie," said Ishii.[16]

On February 13, 1982, then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan screened the film and liked it.[4] Reagan said he thought the film was "brutal but gripping".[4] Reagan thought that the film was refreshing because the Americans in the film were depicted as the "good guys".[4]

Inchon was shown at the 35th Cannes film festival in May 1982 but failed to interest any buyers despite a $250,000 publicity campaign.[29][33][34] Part of the campaign included hiring the publicity firm Rogers and Cowan to arrange a large party and give out promotional Inchon jackets.[33] As of June 1982, Inchon did not have a film distributor in the United States.[29] In June 1982, the film's producer announced that he would be producing approximately 10-15 films based on stories from the Bible.[29] He said that the total budget for the project would be $1 billion, which would come from expected revenues of Inchon, as well as funding from Sun Myung Moon.[29]

In August 1982, MGM/UA contracted the distribution rights to the film.[31] One Way Productions came to an agreement with MGM that it would take care of the costs associated with advertising and distributing the film, if MGM agreed to distribute Inchon for a profit share of only 15 percent.[11] The normal fee for the film distributor was thirty percent of profits.[11] The film was released in the United States on the weekend of September 17, 1982.[9] It was cut from 140 minutes to 105 minutes for the U.S. release, by MGM/UA.[5] The film was shown in the United States and Canada.[5] It was never shown in Britain.[5][13] It took a total of five years from the preproduction period of the film to its release.[9][35] Inchon was swiftly pulled from theater distribution because of its poor performance at the box office.[35]

After the film's release, it was not again shown in theaters, and was not released on videocassette or DVD.[27][36] In the early 2000s, Inchon was shown on the U.S. cable television outlet Goodlife Television Network (now called ALN), at the time owned by the Unification Church.[7] Bootleg copies of the film circulated from individuals that had copied Inchon from these television broadcasts.[7]

Reception

Box office

Inchon made less than $2 million at the box office in movie theaters in the United States.[17][18] The film's total gross between the United States and Canada was $1.9 million.[5] It eventually took in $5.2 million at the box office.[1] Inchon lost over $44 million, and was the number one largest financial loss of 1982 films.[17][37] In 1989, a survey released by the entertainment research firm Baseline identified Inchon as "the biggest box-office fiasco of the 1980s".[17][38]

Inchon has been included on multiple lists of box office bombs.[39][40][41][42] In an article on box office bombs, Ted Mahar of The Oregonian wrote that Inchon "must be on any list of terrible films".[40] Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune placed Inchon as number six in a "list of Hollywood's 10 worst mega-flops".[43] Wilmington noted that Inchon displaced the 1980 film Heaven's Gate as "the bomb of the decade".[43] Ben Yagoda of Knight-Ridder Newspapers placed Inchon as number one on a list of top ten of "the biggest money-losers of all time".[41] Yagoda commented, "And the biggest flop of all time is ... Inchon. Ring a bell? This 1982 war film, featuring Laurence Olivier as Douglas MacArthur in a spectacular piece of miscasting, cost $46 million to make and raked in $1.9 million at the box office. The film was financed by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon; you have to sell a lot of roses to make up $44.1 million."[41] The Washington Post described Inchon as "one of the biggest commercial disasters in film history".[44] In 1995, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that The Guinness Book of World Records called Inchon "the biggest money-loser in film history".[39] Inchon was one of the "10 costliest movies", adjusted for inflation, at $173 million in 1997 dollars.[45] In 2001, The Northern Echo listed Inchon among "select band of disaster movies in the Hollywood Hall of Shame".[46] In a list of "The top 10 biggest box office failures", Kat Giantis of MSN Movies placed Inchon as tied with Battlefield Earth for number seven.[47]

Critical reception

Reviews

"Empty-headed Korean war epic produced by Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church."

 —Leonard Maltin[2]

Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film a rating of "BOMB".[2] Maltin commented: "Empty-headed Korean war epic produced by Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church. Olivier looks like a wax museum figure in his makeup as Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Laughable script punctuated by epic-scale battle scenes.[2] Terry Kelleher of The Miami Herald gave the film a rating of one star out of a possible four, and wrote "Inchon is only a war movie - one of the biggest, costliest and dumbest of all time."[9] Mark Deming reviewed the film for Allmovie, and gave it a rating of one and a half stars out of a possible five.[6] "This infamous Korean War drama is best known as the movie produced by Rev. Sung Myung Moon's Unification Church, though more people seem to have read stories about its troubled production or disastrous reception at the box office than to have actually seen it," wrote Deming.[6] A review of the film in The Boston Globe was negative, with Bruce McCabe writing "'Inchon' is far from a distinctive movie. What the audience consists of for a film like this I haven't the vaguest idea."[48]

Gary Arnold of The Washington Post concluded his review by asking "To the question, 'Is this ersatz war movie really worth a few laughs?,' the answer inevitably comes back a resounding negative."[8] In a separate review for The Washington Post, Rita Kempley was critical of Olivier's performance.[10] In a review for The New York Times, critic Vincent Canby commented, "'Inchon' is a hysterical historical epic, somewhat less offensive than 'The Green Berets' and far funnier. ... 'Inchon' looks like the most expensive B-movie ever made."[27] A review in Variety was critical of the screenplay, commenting that it "generally treats all others as one-dimensional buffoons, giving them lines that are unintentionally laughable".[49] Multiple reviews described Inchon as the worst film ever made, including The Washington Post,[50] Newsweek,[51] TV Guide,[15] and Canadian Press.[52] Inchon was later profiled in multiple books on worst in film, including The Hollywood Hall of Shame by Harry and Michael Medved,[53] and The Worst Movies of All Time by Michael Sauter.[54]

A review by Phil Hall for Film Threat was less negative, and he disagreed with the characterization of the film as the worst ever made, "I was genuinely surprised – this is hardly among the very worst films of all time. That's not to say it is a good film. It is a dull and forgettable movie, and I would never recommend it. However, its reputation for being among the bottom of the cinematic barrel is wholly undeserved."[7] Desmond Ryan of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "It has been proved repeatedly that movies made from postures of genuflection are usually rather awful, and Inchon is no exception."[11] In 2000, author Kenneth Lloyd Billingsley, writing in the libertarian magazine Reason referred to Inchon as a "bomb" and a "didactic dud".[55]

A review in Brassey's Guide to War Films by Alun Evans was critical, calling the film "Arguably the worst war picture made in the last quarter of the 20th century".[56] Robert Niemi commented in his book History in the Media: Film and Television, "Plagued with a terrible script, horrendous production problems, and shoddy performances all around, the resulting film, Inchon ... was bad beyond belief."[14] Niemi wrote that Olivier's performance "was a low point in an otherwise distinguished film career".[14] In his biography of the actor, Olivier, author Terry Coleman called the film "probably the worst he ever made and one of the best paid".[13] Author Lawrence H. Suid wrote in Guts and Glory: The Making of the American Military Image in Film that, "what combat the film portrayed lacked any believability or authenticity".[3] Suid noted "As a result, the movie met with almost unanimous critical disdain."[3] In his work The Biography Book, author Daniel S. Burt characterized the film as "a laughable heroic epic".[57] The book Sir John Gielgud: A Life in Letters described the film as "an unmitigated disaster".[26] Writing in his work Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America, J. Gordon Melton cited the film as an example when noting, "Moon has attempted to project his ideas into all areas of American society."[58]

The Washington Times

The Washington Times, a newspaper owned by Sun Myung Moon, gave the film a negative review.[3] "Puerile dialogue, perfunctory acting and haphazard construction doom from the start this visually impressive would-be epic about love and dead Reds in wartime Korea. Olivier (in a performance that is the nadir of his career) joshes, minces and rolls his eyes absurdly as Doug MacArthur. The script, by Robin Moore, is pure twaddle – a cross between South Pacific and The Green Berets," wrote the reviewer for The Washington Times.[59] Moore is the author of the novel The Green Berets.[53]

According to The Washington Post, a full-length two and a half page version of a film review of Inchon written by critic Scott Sublett that was originally planned for the September 16, 1982 issue of The Washington Times was killed by the newspaper's publisher and editor James Whelan.[19] Whelan told Sublett that The Washington Times had a conflict of interest with regard to reviewing Inchon, and would not print his review.[19] Instead, The Washington Times chose to print a one-paragraph critical synopsis of the film, also written by Sublett.[19] The synopsis appeared as the seventh entry in a column by Sublett of "Short Takes" on 11 different movies.[19] The synopsis by Sublett did not mention the connection of Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church to the film.[19]

James Whelan did not return calls for comment by The Washington Post.[60] The Washington Post contacted the executive editor of The Washington Times, Smith Hempstone, who stated "We don't discuss the internal functioning of our newspaper – do you?" [59] When informed that members of his newspaper were not pleased with the decision to kill the critical film review, Hempstone said "Thank you for the information," and hung up the phone on The Washington Post reporter.[59]

In response to the reporting on the decision by The Washington Times to kill the critical review of Inchon, the newspaper responded with the statement, "We are at least as independent of our corporate owners as any corporately owned newspaper in this or any other land."[61] The Washington Times called the reporting by The Washington Post on its decision to kill the critical review of Inchon "guttersnipe journalism", and recommended that The Washington Post "hire an expert in the social graces".[62]

In a September 29, 1982 article for The Washington Post, Robert J. McCloskey noted that Hempstone had asserted, "staffers should not write about matters affecting Rev. Moon or the church".[60] McCloskey pointed out that, "[Hempstone] failed to note that reporter John McKelway wrote The Times story July 1 on a mass wedding in New York presided over by Rev. Moon."[60] McCloskey wrote, "Because the film is backed by evangelist Sun Myung Moon – he's listed in the credits as "special adviser" – and Rev. Moon is the Unification Church, which, with its associated businesses, funds the Times, killing its review by Scott Sublett was seen by some Post editors as a contradiction of repeated statements about The Times' editorial independence, and thus legitimate news."[60]

Golden Raspberry Awards

Year Award Category Nominee Result[63]
1983 Golden Raspberry Award Razzie Award for Worst Picture Mitsu Haru Ishii Won
Razzie Award for Worst Director Terence Young Won
Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay Robin Moore and Laird Koenig Won
Razzie Award for Worst Actor Laurence Olivier Won
Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor Ben Gazzara Nominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Box Office Mojo staff (2009). "Inchon (1982)". Box Office Mojo. www.boxofficemojo.com. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=inchon.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-30. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Maltin, Leonard (2003). Leonard Maltin's 2004 Movie & Video Guide. Plume. p. 673. ISBN 0452284783. 
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 3.45 3.46 3.47 3.48 3.49 3.50 3.51 3.52 3.53 3.54 3.55 3.56 Suid, Lawrence H. (2002). Guts & Glory: The Making of the American Military Image in Film. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 395–401, 720. ISBN 0813190185. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Gorenfeld, John (2008). Bad Moon Rising. PoliPointPress. p. 128. ISBN 0979482232. 
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 Vermilye, Jerry (1992). The Complete Films Of Laurence Olivier. Citadel Press. pp. 214–216. ISBN 0806513020. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Deming, Mark (2009). "Inchon - Overview". Allmovie. Macrovision Corporation. http://www.allmovie.com/work/inchon-96502. Retrieved 2009-10-30. 
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 Hall, Phil (February 20, 2009). "The Bootleg Files: Inchon". Film Threat. www.filmthreat.com. http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=features&Id=2300. Retrieved 2009-10-30. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Arnold, Gary (September 17, 1982). "'Inchon': An Epic Bungle". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. D1. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 Kelleher, Terry (September 20, 1982). "'Inchon reflects only the cult of bad moviemaking". The Miami Herald: p. 5C. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Kempley, Rita (September 17, 1982). "Mooning Over MacArthur". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. Weekend At The Movies; Pg. 13. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Ryan, Desmond (September 20, 1982). "Review - MacArthur as a soldier of Christ". The Philadelphia Inquirer: p. D01. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Variety staff (2009). "Inchon". Variety (www.variety.com). http://www.variety.com/profiles/Film/main/71095/Inchon.html?dataSet=1&query=inchon. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  13. ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 Coleman, Terry (2005). Olivier. Macmillan. p. 423. ISBN 0805081364. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 Niemi, Robert (2006). History in the Media: Film and Television. ABC-CLIO. p. 151. ISBN 978-1576079522. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 TV Guide staff. "Inchon review". TV Guide (movies.tvguide.com). http://movies.tvguide.com/inchon/review/102041. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  16. ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15 Allen, Henry (May 5, 1981). "Pickets & Politics at the Second Battle of 'Inchon'". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. B1. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Associated Press (November 29, 1989). "'Inchon' Tops List of '80s Flops". San Francisco Chronicle: p. E1. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Rickey, Carrie (Knight-Ridder Tribune News Service) (December 28, 1989). "$44.1 million loss earns 'Inchon' dubious honor". Austin American-Statesman: p. G3. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 Romano, Lois (September 18, 1982). "Review is Killed". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. C1. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 McCabe, Bruce (September 17, 1982). "Movies Bruce McCabe - Moon and Inchon". Boston Globe (Globe Newspaper Company). 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Garcia, Chris (October 30, 1994). "Windsor mom gets break in 'Village'". The Press Democrat: p. Q5. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Ankeny, Jason (2009). "Inchon, Jerry Goldsmith - Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:a9fyxqegldse. Retrieved 2009-12-13. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Ryan, Desmond (September 19, 1982). "On movies - For the moviemakers, it was a billion-dollar summer". The Philadelphia Inquirer: p. I03. 
  24. ↑ Stanley, John (August 1, 1993). "Intrada Carves Its CD Niche - S.F.'s Sound Track Musclemen". San Francisco Chronicle: p. 41. 
  25. ↑ Bennington Banner staff (July 29, 2004). "Remembering Jerry Goldsmith". Bennington Banner. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Gielgud, John; Richard Mangan (2004). Sir John Gielgud: A Life in Letters. Arcade Publishing. p. 426. ISBN 1559707291. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Canby, Vincent (September 17, 1982). "'Inchon,' at last". The New York Times (The New York Times Company): p. C9. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A03E0D8123BF934A2575AC0A964948260. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Schlueter, Roger (May 22, 2006). "Answer Man". Belleville News-Democrat: p. 1C. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 Ryan, Desmond (June 6, 1982). "On movies: Bond is booming, but 'Inchon' may be a very costly bomb". The Philadelphia Inquirer: p. L03. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Kinney, C.H. (March 1, 1979). "OPNAV REPORT 5750-1". USS Cleveland (LPD-7). www.history.navy.mil. http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/c/lpd-7/1978.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-30. 
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Pond, Steve (August 12, 1982). "Epic deals". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. E7. 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Washington Star (May 5, 1981). "Critics carry warning signs: It's Moon". Boston Globe (Globe Newspaper Company). 
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Goldfarb, Michael (May 23, 1982). "Notes From All Over". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. E3. 
  34. ↑ United Press International (May 18, 1982). "Disputed Korean Film Creating Stir at Cannes". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/18/movies/disputed-korean-film-creating-stir-at-cannes.html. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 King, Susan (Los Angeles Times) (August 20, 2002). "Film flops: Even Hollywood greats trip up - Murphy's 'Nash' may earn him a spot in the hall of shame". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: p. 06. 
  36. ↑ Weinberg, Marc (May 1982). "Money for Nothing". Orange Coast Magazine (Emmis Communications ISSN 0279-0483): p. 104. 
  37. ↑ Hadleigh, Boze (2001). The Lavender Screen. Citadel. p. 195. ISBN 0806521996. 
  38. ↑ Aucoin, Don (November 19, 1989). "Really gross earnings". Boston Globe (Globe Newspaper Company): p. 12. 
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Guthmann, Edward (July 23, 1995). "Big-Bucks Bombs That Hit Hollywood". San Francisco Chronicle: p. 27. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1995/07/23/PK38286.DTL. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Mahar, Ted (December 30, 1987). "Some B-A-D movies bomb at box offices, then damage careers". The Oregonian (Oregonian Publishing Co.): p. C06. 
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Yagoda, Ben (Knight-Ridder Newspapers) (June 18, 1988). "Is Lucas' 'Willow' really a turkey?". The Dallas Morning News (The Dallas Morning News Company): p. 1c. 
  42. ↑ Tugend, Tom (December 7, 1989). "Biggest Bombs". The Jerusalem Post: p. 06. 
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Wilmington, Michael (April 14, 1996). "Films that went splat - From 'Intolerance' to 'Cutthroat Island.' 10 of Hollywood's messiest box-office disasters". Chicago Tribune: p. 5. 
  44. ↑ The Washington Post staff (September 9, 1994). "Terrence Young dies - Directed Bond movies". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. B6. 
  45. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (December 14, 1997). "The costliest". Chicago Tribune: p. 1. 
  46. ↑ The Northern Echo staff (June 29, 2001). "Sit back and enjoy the biggest film flop". The Northern Echo. 
  47. ↑ Giantis, Kat (2006). "Bombs Away! - The top 10 biggest box office failures". MSN Movies (movies.msn.com). http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=131054. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  48. ↑ McCabe, Bruce (September 18, 1982). "Korean War as pop cartoon". The Boston Globe. 
  49. ↑ Variety staff (January 1, 1981). "Inchon Review". Variety (www.variety.com). http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117791922.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=inchon. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  50. ↑ Mayo, Mike (April 13, 1997). "Hollywood's untaped resources - worthwhile movies don't always make it to video". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. G7. 
  51. ↑ Boedeker, Hal (July 21, 1989). "The Magic of Olivier his film legacy sets standard for all actors". The Miami Herald: p. 36G. "The worst of his choices was probably taking on the role of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1982's Inchon. Newsweek called Inchon 'the worst movie ever made, a turkey the size of Godzilla.'" 
  52. ↑ McKay, John (Canadian Press) (March 23, 2004). "Welch fleshes out worst in film". The Record (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada): p. E4. 
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 Medved, Harry; Michael Medved (1984). The Hollywood Hall of Shame: The Most Expensive Flops in Movie History. New York, NY: Perigee Books. pp. 189–197. ISBN 0399510605. 
  54. ↑ Sauter, Michael (1999). The Worst Movies of All Time: Or, What Were They Thinking?. Citadel Press. p. 197. ISBN 0806520787. 
  55. ↑ Billingsley, Kenneth Lloyd (July 22, 2007). "Hollywood's Missing Movies". Reason. http://reason.com/archives/2000/06/01/hollywoods-missing-movies/print. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  56. ↑ Evans, Alun (2000). Brassey's Guide to War Films. Potomac Books Inc.. p. 103. ISBN 1574882635. 
  57. ↑ Burt, Daniel S. (2001). The Biography Book: A Reader's Guide To Nonfiction, Fictional, and Film Biographies of More Than 500 of the Most Fascinating Individuals of all Time. Greenwood. p. 262. ISBN 1573562564. 
  58. ↑ Melton, J. Gordon (1992). Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America. Routledge. p. 298. ISBN 0815311400. 
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 59.2 Associated Press (September 19, 1982). "Did D.C. Times kill critical review of movie?". The Miami Herald: p. 19A. 
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 60.3 McCloskey, Robert J. (September 29, 1982). "A Newspaper Flap". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. A22. 
  61. ↑ Cromley, Allan (September 26, 1982). "D.C. Abuzz As Paper Hits Racks". The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma Publishing Company). 
  62. ↑ Maeder, Jay (September 23, 1982). "Blowing the lid off this town". The Miami Herald: p. 2A. 
  63. ↑ Wilson, John (2005). The Official Razzie Movie Guide. Warner Books. p. 344. OCLC 56033390. ISBN 0446693340. 

Further reading

External links

Awards
Preceded by
Mommie Dearest		 Razzie Award for Worst Picture
3rd Golden Raspberry Awards		 Succeeded by
The Lonely Lady
The films of Terence Young
1940s
Theirs is the Glory • Corridor of Mirrors • One Night with You • Woman Hater
1950s
They Were Not Divided • Valley of Eagles • The Tall Headlines • The Red Beret • That Lady • Storm Over the Nile (with Zoltan Korda) • Safari • Zarak • Action of the Tiger • No Time to Die • Serious Charge
1960s
Black Tights • Too Hot to Handle • Duel of Champions • Dr. No • From Russia with Love • The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders • The Dirty Game (with Christian-Jacque, Werner Klingler, and Carlo Lizzani) • Thunderball • The Poppy Is Also a Flower • Triple Cross • The Rover • Wait Until Dark • Mayerling • The Christmas Tree
1970s
Cold Sweat • Red Sun • The Valachi Papers • The Amazons • The Klansman • Foxbat (with Po-Chih Leong) • Bloodline
1980s
Inchon • The Jigsaw Man • Run for Your Life
Screen-
plays
On the Night of the Fire (with Brian Desmond Hurst and Patrick Kirwan) (1939) • Dangerous Moonlight (1941) • Secret Mission (with Basil Bartlett and Anatole de Grunwald) (1942) • On Approval (with Clive Brook) (1944) • Hungry Hill (with Daphne Du Maurier) (1947) • The Bad Lord Byron (with Paul Holt, Laurence Kitchin, Peter Quennell and Anthony Thorne) (1949) • Atout coeur à Tokyo pour OSS 117 (with Pierre Foucaud) (1966)
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture
1980-1989

Can't Stop the Music (1980) · Mommie Dearest (1981) · Inchon (1982) · The Lonely Lady (1983) · Bolero (1984) · Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) · Howard the Duck / Under the Cherry Moon (1986) · Leonard Part 6 (1987) · Cocktail (1988) · Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
1990-1999

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane / Ghosts Can't Do It (1990) · Hudson Hawk (1991) · Shining Through (1992) · Indecent Proposal (1993) · Color of Night (1994) · Showgirls (1995) · Striptease (1996) · The Postman (1997) · An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998) · Wild Wild West (1999)
2000-present

Battlefield Earth (2000) · Freddy Got Fingered (2001) · Swept Away (2002) · Gigli (2003) · Catwoman (2004) · Dirty Love (2005) · Basic Instinct 2 (2006) · I Know Who Killed Me (2007) · The Love Guru (2008) · Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Wikimedia Commons · Wikiquote
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay
1980-1989

Can't Stop the Music (1980) · Mommie Dearest (1981) · Inchon (1982) · The Lonely Lady (1983) · Bolero (1984) · Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) · Howard the Duck (1986) · Leonard Part 6 (1987) · Cocktail (1988) · Harlem Nights (1989)
1990-1999

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990) · Hudson Hawk (1991) · Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) · Indecent Proposal (1993) · The Flintstones (1994) · Showgirls (1995) · Striptease (1996) · The Postman (1997) · An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998) · Wild Wild West (1999)
2000-present

Battlefield Earth (2000) · Freddy Got Fingered (2001) · Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) · Gigli (2003) · Catwoman (2004) · Dirty Love (2005) · Basic Instinct 2 (2006) · I Know Who Killed Me (2007) · The Love Guru (2008) · Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Wikimedia Commons · Wikiquote