(1945)
2
Craig Butler
Although it could be considered a wartime propaganda film, Counter-Attack has higher dramatic goals in its sites than that would suggest. Indeed, Attack's characters are drawn with les defined good guy-bad guy lines than was typical of the period; after all, the leading good guy Russian is prepared to shoot the bad guy German without any compunction. Attack is also unusual for being a war film that, despite its title, actually has very little action in it. Indeed, Attack is a very, very talky film. It wants to present and examine some complicated moral issues in what it hopes is a tense and involving situation, but it misses its goal. Very clearly derived from s one-set stage play, Attack ends up making for a rather dull film, as it has not been sufficiently reconceived in cinematic terms and the dialogue too often comes across as artificial. Attack does boast another of Paul Muni's absorbing performances. While the stilted dialogue is an obstacle, Muni's ability to get under the skin of his character comes through quite well, and his commanding performance holds the film together. Also of value is Marguerite Chapman, whose performance is even more impressive given the unevenness with which the role is written.
cast-crew for Counter Attack on AllMovie
Counter Attack (1945)
