Inchon (film)
Encyclopedia
Inchon is a 1982 war film
about the Battle of Inchon
, considered to be the turning point of the Korean War
. The film was directed by Terence Young and financed by Unification Church
founder Sun Myung Moon
. It stars Laurence Olivier
as General Douglas MacArthur
, who led the United States
surprise amphibious landing
at Incheon
, South Korea
in 1950. Also featured are Jacqueline Bisset
, Ben Gazzara
, Toshirō Mifune
, and Richard Roundtree
. It was filmed in California
, Italy
, Ireland
, Japan
and South Korea.
Inchon's plot includes both military action and human drama. Characters face danger and are involved in various personal and dramatic situations. The film concludes with the American victory over North Korean forces in the Battle of Inchon, which is considered to have saved South Korea. The film cost $46 million to produce and encountered many problems during production, including a typhoon and the death of a cast member. Both the Unification Church and the United States military provided personnel as extras
during the filming.
Inchon was released to theaters in the United States and Canada in September 1982 and then quickly withdrawn because of its poor performance at the box office. It has never been released on video or DVD, although it has sometimes been broadcast on television. It was the largest financial loss in film of 1982, earning less than $2 million. Reviewers at the time gave it consistently bad reviews and later commentators including Newsweek
, TV Guide
, and Canadian Press have classed Inchon among the worst films of all time.
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."
The film depicts the Battle of Inchon
during the Korean War
, which took place September 15-19, 1950 and is considered to the turning point of the war. The protagonist of the film is General Douglas MacArthur
(Laurence Olivier
), who led the United States
surprise amphibious landing
at Incheon
in 1950. A sideplot in the film involves a married South Korean couple who encounter difficulties in their relationship because of the ongoing war.
Inchon begins with a depiction of North Korea
n soldiers moving past the 38th parallel north
into South Korea
in June 1950. People flee into the country's capital, Seoul
. A United States Army major
's wife Barbara Hallsworth (Jacqueline Bisset
) live 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. She hears a bulletin over the radio "The communists are coming", and decides to leave the village. A limousine driven by a chauffeur takes her to Seoul. She encounters a group of five South Korean children, and after her chauffeur is killed, she drives them to a safe location called the "Inn of the Sixth Happiness". Along the way, she kills a North Korean soldier by shooting him between the eyes.
U.S. Major Frank Hallsworth (Ben Gazzara
) is attempting to break off an affair with a young South Korean woman (Karen Kahn). Her father (Toshirō Mifune
) is aware of his daughter's affair with Hallsworth and does not disapprove of it. 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
). Henderson encounters Hallsworth's wife and fixes her vehicle's battery, and then reunites her with her husband.
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 MacArthur. Longfellow (Rex Reed
), a second reporter awaiting the press conference, is generally a music critic but also reports on serious events developing in Tokyo. MacArthur is at his residence in Tokyo with his wife, and does not appear at the press conference. He agrees with his wife that he is the only person who can rescue South Korea from the invasion by the North Koreans.
Hallsworth and his former lover succeed in turning on a lighthouse
to signal 261 U.S. ships, and the South Korean woman's father activates mines in the channel. She dies during the ensuing battle. The U.S. troops drive out the North Korean forces and restore President Syngman Rhee
(Kwang Nam Yang) to power. MacArthur gives Rhee a hug, as people wave South Korean and American flags. The last scene shows MacArthur saying the Lord's Prayer
. After this scene, an actual newsreel
of MacArthur is shown.
in Japan, and a friend of Moon, and served as the film's producer. Moon initially did not want the public to know that he was behind the financing of the film and its production.Ishii said he was instructed by God to make the film. Moon gave $30 million to Ishii's film production company One Way Productions.
Ishii said he was a member of the Unification Church "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". Ishii was president of Moon's Japanese newspaper the World Daily News,which is published by his media conglomerate News World Communications
which also published other newspapers, including The Washington Times
in the United States. 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." Robert Standard, associate producer of Inchon, was a member of the Unification Church of the United States
.
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
. 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. 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.
Inchon cost $46 million to produce. 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 Moon and the Unification Church. The screen credits credited Moon as "Rev. Sun Myung Moon: Special Advisor on Korean Matters".
In his book Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America, author and scholar of religion J. Gordon Melton
cites Inchon as an example when noting, "Moon has attempted to project his ideas into all areas of American society." Melton adds, "He has courted the scientific and scholarly world and organized numerous conferences, a peace academy, and a Washington think tank." Moon later said in a talk to church members: "Why did we put so much effort into the movie Inchon? No matter what the result the motivation was for people to understand about MacArthur. I wanted to show how MacArthur loved God and loved people. MacArthur came to Japan after World War II and put the nation back together. He really respected and loved the people. He also loved God very much and fought with great strength against tyranny and communism. That is what I want the people to understand."
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."
Ishii instructed Moore to include an emphasis on General MacArthur's spiritualism and faith in divine guidance. 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." Moore explained that "the love stories were supposed to tell the story of the tragedy of Korea, the tragedy of the Korean War." Ishii stated to Moore that he did not wish for the movie to turn into an "anti-Communist tract".
Prior to the completion of the film's screenplay
, the film's producers encountered difficulties obtaining an affiliation with a movie studio. The movie's producer said that North Korea
ns placed pressure on Toho Studios through labor unions in Japan
, requesting that the studio pull out of its affiliation with Inchon. The labor unions criticized the film's production, saying that it was influenced by Moon and his Unification Church, in addition to the Korean CIA and was part of an effort to support the president of South Korea
. Because of this criticism, Toho Studios canceled its participation in the Inchon project.
was paid $1 million to depict the character of General Douglas MacArthur
in the film. 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. His salary came out to $50,000 per day. In addition to this fee, Olivier also received $2,500 per week for his expenses. 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."
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. Haig told Olivier that MacArthur's voice sounded like W. C. Fields
, and Olivier tried to imitate this. He enjoyed working with accents, and obtained recordings of MacArthur's voice. He was interested in various inconsistencies in these recordings, and especially in the difference in vowel sounds made by MacArthur. During filming, the makeup process for Olivier took two and a half hours, but after it was complete, he thought he neither looked like himself nor like General MacArthur.
Richard Roundtree
, known for the title role in the film Shaft
, portrayed the character of Staff Sgt. Henderson in the film. David Janssen, known for his role in the TV series The Fugitive
, accepted a part as a journalist to work with Sir Laurence Olivier. Actress Karen Kahn portrayed the young Korean lover of Major Frank Hallsworth in the film. 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. After that movie I quit. I just couldn't take L.A. I was really thin-skinned. So I just got out."
, prominent and multi-award winning film and TV composer, wrote the score for the film.
; Rome
, Italy
; Ireland
; Tokyo
, Japan
; and Seoul
, South Korea
. During the filming of Inchon in 1979, the involvement of Moon was "adamantly denied". Moon recommended editing and reshooting changes to the film's script. In multiple instances, Moon recommended further shooting, and this "caused the production to return to South Korea three times, Rome twice and Los Angeles twice".
The film included multiple technical errors. 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. Footage of a digital watch was spliced into the film, though this technology would not be invented for twenty-five years after the film's time period. Inchon encountered multiple problems during filming. Jacqueline Bisset developed laryngitis
during the film's production. A set-piece for the film included a re-created version of a lighthouse
at Incheon, but this was obliterated by a typhoon. The movie had to go through a reshooting process after one of the film's stars, David Janssen
, died during production. Janssen's scenes were cut from the final version of the film, as were those of Rex Reed
.
The production hired Samuel Jaskilka
, a retired Marine Corps
Lieutenant General
who took part in the Battle of Inchon as a company commander, as technical advisor to the film. A portion of the movie was filmed aboard the USS Cleveland
, an Austin-class
amphibious transport dock
during an amphibious operation off the coast of South Korea in 1978. 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, at a cost of $77,000.
The Little Angels Children’s Folk Ballet of Korea, founded by Moon in 1962, were featured in the film. Many members of the crew of Inchon from South Korea and Japan confirmed that they were members of the Unification Church. 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." Shooting was held in Rome
, Italy
in 1979. Olivier had health problems, and after shooting had finished in South Korea he had gone back to England
. He was told he was needed for one last shoot, but he did not wish to travel back to South Korea. Arrangements were made to film Olivier in Rome, where he portrayed MacArthur against a backdrop, reciting the Lord's Prayer. 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." Ishii said the film would not have difficulty acquiring a distributor. "No problem. We have 20 nations who want this movie," he said.
on May 4, 1981 at a special screening at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
, as a benefit for retired United States Navy
personnel. This was the only time the film was screened in its 140-minute full version. Between 25 and 100 protesters came to demonstrate outside the John F Kennedy Center event.
United States Senator
Alfonse D'Amato was the chairman of the benefit committee for Washington, D.C. premiere of the film. 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. An additional forty-eight members of the U.S. Congress accepted tickets to the film's premiere. 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."
On February 13, 1982, President Ronald Reagan
, himself a former film actor and president of the Screen Actors Guild
, screened the film in the White House
. He noted in his diary
: "Ran Inchon -- it is a brutal but gripping picture about the Korean War and for once we're the good guys and the Communists are the villains. The producer was Japanese or Korean which probably explains the preceding sentence."
Inchon was shown at the 35th Cannes film festival
in May 1982 but failed to interest any buyers despite a $250,000 publicity campaign, which included hiring the publicity firm Rogers and Cowan to arrange a large party and give out promotional Inchon jackets.
In August 1982, MGM/UA contracted the distribution rights to the film. 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. The normal fee for the film distributor was thirty percent of profits. The film was released in the United States on the weekend of September 17, 1982. It was cut from 140 minutes to 105 minutes for the U.S. release. The film was shown in the United States and Canada
. It was never shown in the United Kingdom
. It took a total of five years from the preproduction period of the film to its release. Inchon was swiftly pulled from theater distribution because of its poor performance at the box office.
After the film's release, it was not again shown in theaters, and was not released on videocassette or DVD
. 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. Bootleg
copies of the film circulated from individuals that had copied Inchon from these television broadcasts.
Inchon has been included on multiple lists of box office bomb
s. Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune
placed Inchon as number six in a "list of Hollywood's 10 worst mega-flops". Wilmington noted that Inchon displaced the 1980 film Heaven's Gate
as "the bomb of the decade". The Washington Post
described Inchon as "one of the biggest commercial disasters in film history". In 1995, the San Francisco Chronicle
reported that The Guinness Book of World Records called Inchon "the biggest money-loser in film history". Inchon was one of the "10 costliest movies", adjusted for inflation
, at $173 million in 1997 dollars. In a 2006 list of "The top 10 biggest box office failures", Kat Giantis of MSN Movies
placed Inchon as tied with Battlefield Earth
for number seven.
, the The Philadelphia Inquirer
, The Miami Herald
, and The Washington Post
. In 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." A review in the influential entertainment-trade magazine Variety
commented, "Olivier is convincing in his role throughout most of the saga, the only member of the cast to achieve that status. Screenplay generally treats all others as one-dimensional buffoons, giving them lines that are unintentionally laughable. One reason is that all plot digressions are simply window dressing to the film's focus on the brutally invading North Koreans and the big-scale counterattack by the good guys. No speaking roles are given the Communists, for example."
Moon founded The Washington Times
in Washington D.C. as a part of his international media conglomerate News World Communications
in the same year Inchon was released. According to The Times rival 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 Times was killed by the newspaper's publisher and editor James R. Whelan
. Whelan told Sublett that The Times had a conflict of interest
with regard to reviewing Inchon, and would not print his review. Instead, The Times printed a one-paragraph critical synopsis of the film, also written by Sublett, which said in full: "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." Moore is the author of the novel The Green Berets
, upon which the 1968 movie
was based. On Monday the 21st The Times ran The New York Times review of the film.
, TV Guide
, and the Canadian Press. Inchon was later profiled in multiple books on worst in film, including The Hollywood Hall of Shame
by Harry and Michael Medved
, and The Worst Movies of All Time by Michael Sauter. In 2000, Kenneth Lloyd Billingsley, writing in the libertarian
magazine Reason
, said about a proposed film on Stalinism
, " A film like this could easily have turned out as big a didactic dud as the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's 1982 bomb, Inchon, with Laurence Olivier as Gen. Douglas MacArthur." A 2009 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."
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". 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." Niemi wrote that Olivier's performance "was a low point in an otherwise distinguished film career". 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". 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... As a result, the movie met with almost unanimous critical disdain." Moon's 2009 autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, does not mention Inchon, nor did he or the Unification Church ever produce another major commercial motion picture.
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
about the Battle of Inchon
Battle of Inchon
The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations . The operation involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels, and led to the recapture of the South Korean capital Seoul two...
, considered to be the turning point of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. The film was directed by Terence Young and financed by Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
founder Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
. It stars Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
as General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, who led the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
surprise amphibious landing
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
at Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in 1950. Also featured are Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset is an English actress. She has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award. She is known for her roles in the films Bullitt , Airport , The Deep , Class , and the TV series Nip/Tuck in 2006...
, Ben Gazzara
Ben Gazzara
-Early life:Gazzara was born Biagio Anthony Gazzara in New York City, the son of Italian immigrants Angelina and Antonio Gazzara, who was a laborer and carpenter. Gazzara grew up on New York's tough Lower East Side. He actually lived on E. 29th Street and participated in the drama program at...
, Toshirō Mifune
Toshiro Mifune
Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, from 1948 to 1965, in works such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo...
, and Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...
. It was filmed in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Korea.
Inchon's plot includes both military action and human drama. Characters face danger and are involved in various personal and dramatic situations. The film concludes with the American victory over North Korean forces in the Battle of Inchon, which is considered to have saved South Korea. The film cost $46 million to produce and encountered many problems during production, including a typhoon and the death of a cast member. Both the Unification Church and the United States military provided personnel as extras
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
during the filming.
Inchon was released to theaters in the United States and Canada in September 1982 and then quickly withdrawn because of its poor performance at the box office. It has never been released on video or DVD, although it has sometimes been broadcast on television. It was the largest financial loss in film of 1982, earning less than $2 million. Reviewers at the time gave it consistently bad reviews and later commentators including Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, and Canadian Press have classed Inchon among the worst films of all time.
Plot
Inchon begins with this disclaimer: "This is not a documentaryDocumentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
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."
The film depicts the Battle of Inchon
Battle of Inchon
The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations . The operation involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels, and led to the recapture of the South Korean capital Seoul two...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, which took place September 15-19, 1950 and is considered to the turning point of the war. The protagonist of the film is General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
(Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
), who led the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
surprise amphibious landing
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
at Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
in 1950. A sideplot in the film involves a married South Korean couple who encounter difficulties in their relationship because of the ongoing war.
Inchon begins with a depiction of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n soldiers moving past the 38th parallel north
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
into South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in June 1950. People flee into the country's capital, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. A United States Army major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
's wife Barbara Hallsworth (Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset is an English actress. She has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award. She is known for her roles in the films Bullitt , Airport , The Deep , Class , and the TV series Nip/Tuck in 2006...
) live 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. She hears a bulletin over the radio "The communists are coming", and decides to leave the village. A limousine driven by a chauffeur takes her to Seoul. She encounters a group of five South Korean children, and after her chauffeur is killed, she drives them to a safe location called the "Inn of the Sixth Happiness". Along the way, she kills a North Korean soldier by shooting him between the eyes.
U.S. Major Frank Hallsworth (Ben Gazzara
Ben Gazzara
-Early life:Gazzara was born Biagio Anthony Gazzara in New York City, the son of Italian immigrants Angelina and Antonio Gazzara, who was a laborer and carpenter. Gazzara grew up on New York's tough Lower East Side. He actually lived on E. 29th Street and participated in the drama program at...
) is attempting to break off an affair with a young South Korean woman (Karen Kahn). Her father (Toshirō Mifune
Toshiro Mifune
Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, from 1948 to 1965, in works such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo...
) is aware of his daughter's affair with Hallsworth and does not disapprove of it. 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
Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...
). Henderson encounters Hallsworth's wife and fixes her vehicle's battery, and then reunites her with her husband.
David Feld Park (David Janssen
David Janssen
David Janssen was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive , the starring role in the 1950s hit detective series Richard Diamond, Private Detective , and as Harry Orwell on Harry O.In 1996 TV Guide...
), a journalist in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, is waiting with other reporters for a press conference to begin which will be held by MacArthur. Longfellow (Rex Reed
Rex Reed
Rex Taylor Reed is an American film critic and former co-host of the syndicated television show At the Movies. He currently writes the column "On the Town with Rex Reed" for The New York Observer.-Life and career:...
), a second reporter awaiting the press conference, is generally a music critic but also reports on serious events developing in Tokyo. MacArthur is at his residence in Tokyo with his wife, and does not appear at the press conference. He agrees with his wife that he is the only person who can rescue South Korea from the invasion by the North Koreans.
Hallsworth and his former lover succeed in turning on a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
to signal 261 U.S. ships, and the South Korean woman's father activates mines in the channel. She dies during the ensuing battle. The U.S. troops drive out the North Korean forces and restore President Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...
(Kwang Nam Yang) to power. MacArthur gives Rhee a hug, as people wave South Korean and American flags. The last scene shows MacArthur saying the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
. After this scene, an actual newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
of MacArthur is shown.
Financing
Inchon was financed by Sun Myung Moon and wealthy Japanese newspaper publisher Mitsu Haru Ishii. Moon was involved with the film's production from the very beginning. Ishii was a member of the Unification ChurchUnification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
in Japan, and a friend of Moon, and served as the film's producer. Moon initially did not want the public to know that he was behind the financing of the film and its production.Ishii said he was instructed by God to make the film. Moon gave $30 million to Ishii's film production company One Way Productions.
Ishii said he was a member of the Unification Church "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". Ishii was president of Moon's Japanese newspaper the World Daily News,which is published by his media conglomerate News World Communications
News World Communications
News World Communications, Inc., is an international news media corporation. It was founded in New York City, in 1976, by Unification Church founder and leader, Sun Myung Moon. Its first two newspapers, The News World and the Spanish-language Noticias del Mundo, were published in New York from...
which also published other newspapers, including The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
in the United States. 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." Robert Standard, associate producer of Inchon, was a member of the Unification Church of the United States
Unification Church of the United States
The Unification Church of the United States is a new religious movement in the United States of America. It began in the 1950s and 1960s when missionaries from Japan and South Korea were sent to the United States by the international Unification Church's founder and leader Sun Myung Moon...
.
Before deciding on the subject of the proposed film, Moon and Ishii considered the possibility of films on the life of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
or Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. In 1978, psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
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. Dixon also helped choose Terence Young, who earlier directed the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
films Dr. No
Dr. No (film)
Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
, Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
, and From Russia with Love
From Russia with Love (film)
From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
, as the film's director.
Inchon cost $46 million to produce. The film's producers encountered difficulty after attempts were made to raise funding for the film from banks in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and so the entire project was funded from Moon and the Unification Church. The screen credits credited Moon as "Rev. Sun Myung Moon: Special Advisor on Korean Matters".
In his book Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America, author and scholar of religion J. Gordon Melton
J. Gordon Melton
John Gordon Melton is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently a research specialist in religion and New Religious Movements with the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara...
cites Inchon as an example when noting, "Moon has attempted to project his ideas into all areas of American society." Melton adds, "He has courted the scientific and scholarly world and organized numerous conferences, a peace academy, and a Washington think tank." Moon later said in a talk to church members: "Why did we put so much effort into the movie Inchon? No matter what the result the motivation was for people to understand about MacArthur. I wanted to show how MacArthur loved God and loved people. MacArthur came to Japan after World War II and put the nation back together. He really respected and loved the people. He also loved God very much and fought with great strength against tyranny and communism. That is what I want the people to understand."
Writing
Ishii saw a South 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." 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."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
French Connection
The French Connection was a scheme through which heroin was smuggled from Turkey to France and then to the United States. The operation reached its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it provided the vast majority of the illicit heroin used in the United States...
. 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."
Ishii instructed Moore to include an emphasis on General MacArthur's spiritualism and faith in divine guidance. 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." Moore explained that "the love stories were supposed to tell the story of the tragedy of Korea, the tragedy of the Korean War." Ishii stated to Moore that he did not wish for the movie to turn into an "anti-Communist tract".
Prior to the completion of the film's screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
, the film's producers encountered difficulties obtaining an affiliation with a movie studio. The movie's producer said that North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
ns placed pressure on Toho Studios through labor unions in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, requesting that the studio pull out of its affiliation with Inchon. The labor unions criticized the film's production, saying that it was influenced by Moon and his Unification Church, in addition to the Korean CIA and was part of an effort to support the president of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Because of this criticism, Toho Studios canceled its participation in the Inchon project.
Casting
Laurence OlivierLaurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
was paid $1 million to depict the character of General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
in the film. 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. His salary came out to $50,000 per day. In addition to this fee, Olivier also received $2,500 per week for his expenses. 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."
Olivier researched the role by traveling to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
to visit the MacArthur Museum, and speaking with Alexander Haig
Alexander Haig
Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr. was a United States Army general who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
, who had served as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to MacArthur. Haig told Olivier that MacArthur's voice sounded like W. C. Fields
W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
, and Olivier tried to imitate this. He enjoyed working with accents, and obtained recordings of MacArthur's voice. He was interested in various inconsistencies in these recordings, and especially in the difference in vowel sounds made by MacArthur. During filming, the makeup process for Olivier took two and a half hours, but after it was complete, he thought he neither looked like himself nor like General MacArthur.
Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...
, known for the title role in the film Shaft
Shaft (1971 film)
Shaft is a 1971 American blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Parks, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. An action film with elements of film noir, Shaft tells the story of a black private detective, John Shaft, who travels through Harlem and to the Italian mob neighborhoods in order to find the...
, portrayed the character of Staff Sgt. Henderson in the film. David Janssen, known for his role in the TV series The Fugitive
The Fugitive (TV series)
The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
, accepted a part as a journalist to work with Sir Laurence Olivier. Actress Karen Kahn portrayed the young Korean lover of Major Frank Hallsworth in the film. In a subsequent interview with The Press Democrat, Kahn said of the film, "It was supposed to be this 'Gone With the Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
'. And it was the worst movie. It's in some of those worst- films-of-all-time books. After that movie I quit. I just couldn't take L.A. I was really thin-skinned. So I just got out."
Music
Jerry GoldsmithJerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
, prominent and multi-award winning film and TV composer, wrote the score for the film.
Filming
Shooting took place in Hollywood, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
; Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. During the filming of Inchon in 1979, the involvement of Moon was "adamantly denied". Moon recommended editing and reshooting changes to the film's script. In multiple instances, Moon recommended further shooting, and this "caused the production to return to South Korea three times, Rome twice and Los Angeles twice".
The film included multiple technical errors. 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. Footage of a digital watch was spliced into the film, though this technology would not be invented for twenty-five years after the film's time period. Inchon encountered multiple problems during filming. Jacqueline Bisset developed laryngitis
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds . Dysphonia is the medical term for a vocal disorder, of which laryngitis is one cause....
during the film's production. A set-piece for the film included a re-created version of a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
at Incheon, but this was obliterated by a typhoon. The movie had to go through a reshooting process after one of the film's stars, David Janssen
David Janssen
David Janssen was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive , the starring role in the 1950s hit detective series Richard Diamond, Private Detective , and as Harry Orwell on Harry O.In 1996 TV Guide...
, died during production. Janssen's scenes were cut from the final version of the film, as were those of Rex Reed
Rex Reed
Rex Taylor Reed is an American film critic and former co-host of the syndicated television show At the Movies. He currently writes the column "On the Town with Rex Reed" for The New York Observer.-Life and career:...
.
The production hired Samuel Jaskilka
Samuel Jaskilka
Samuel Jaskilka is a retired four-star general whose last assignment was Assistant Commandant of the United States Marine Corps . General Jaskilka is a highly decorated veteran of the Korean War, having led the landing at Inchon as a company commander with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines...
, a retired Marine Corps
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
who took part in the Battle of Inchon as a company commander, as technical advisor to the film. A portion of the movie was filmed aboard the USS Cleveland
USS Cleveland (LPD-7)
USS Cleveland , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city in Ohio. Her keel was laid down at Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was launched on 7 May 1966, and was commissioned on 21 April 1967 at Norfolk,...
, an Austin-class
Austin class amphibious transport dock
The Austin class of amphibious transport dock followed theRaleigh class and was followed by the San Antonio classes. Note that some sources consider Cleveland and Trenton ships to be a part of the Austin class, but the Naval Vessel Registry lists them as a separate class.- Ships :-Cleveland...
amphibious transport dock
Amphibious transport dock
An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform/dock , is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operate this kind of ship...
during an amphibious operation off the coast of South Korea in 1978. The United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
allowed 1,500 soldiers from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and United States Marines Corps to participate as extras in the film, at a cost of $77,000.
The Little Angels Children’s Folk Ballet of Korea, founded by Moon in 1962, were featured in the film. Many members of the crew of Inchon from South Korea and Japan confirmed that they were members of the Unification Church. 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." Shooting was held in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1979. Olivier had health problems, and after shooting had finished in South Korea he had gone back to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was told he was needed for one last shoot, but he did not wish to travel back to South Korea. Arrangements were made to film Olivier in Rome, where he portrayed MacArthur against a backdrop, reciting the Lord's Prayer. 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." Ishii said the film would not have difficulty acquiring a distributor. "No problem. We have 20 nations who want this movie," he said.
Promotion
The Unification Church wanted to distribute the film on their own, but Young told them this would result in a "total disaster". The Unification Church funded the $11 million promotion budget. One of the press kit releases was titled "The Korean War and Revelations", and it said that during the Korean War, a B-29 pilot took a picture of "the face of Jesus Christ ... amidst the bombers. 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. 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." It added that 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." It also said that the art director for Inchon had taken a picture of the door of MacArthur's office in Tokyo, and the general's face had appeared on the photograph. The press kit for the film stated that the deceased MacArthur had 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."Release
The world premiere of the film was held in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on May 4, 1981 at a special screening at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
, as a benefit for retired United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
personnel. This was the only time the film was screened in its 140-minute full version. Between 25 and 100 protesters came to demonstrate outside the John F Kennedy Center event.
United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Alfonse D'Amato was the chairman of the benefit committee for Washington, D.C. premiere of the film. Twelve members of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
had agreed to have their names used as honorary members of the benefit committee for the film's Washington, D.C. premiere. An additional forty-eight members of the U.S. Congress accepted tickets to the film's premiere. 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."
On February 13, 1982, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, himself a former film actor and president of the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
, screened the film in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. He noted in his diary
The Reagan Diaries
The Reagan Diaries is an edited version of diaries written by President Ronald Reagan while in the White House. The book is edited by Douglas Brinkley, while the full, unedited diaries were published in 2009...
: "Ran Inchon -- it is a brutal but gripping picture about the Korean War and for once we're the good guys and the Communists are the villains. The producer was Japanese or Korean which probably explains the preceding sentence."
Inchon was shown at the 35th Cannes film festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in May 1982 but failed to interest any buyers despite a $250,000 publicity campaign, which included hiring the publicity firm Rogers and Cowan to arrange a large party and give out promotional Inchon jackets.
In August 1982, MGM/UA contracted the distribution rights to the film. 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. The normal fee for the film distributor was thirty percent of profits. The film was released in the United States on the weekend of September 17, 1982. It was cut from 140 minutes to 105 minutes for the U.S. release. The film was shown in the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was never shown in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It took a total of five years from the preproduction period of the film to its release. Inchon was swiftly pulled from theater distribution because of its poor performance at the box office.
After the film's release, it was not again shown in theaters, and was not released on videocassette or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. 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. Bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
copies of the film circulated from individuals that had copied Inchon from these television broadcasts.
Box office
Inchon made less than $2 million at the box office in movie theaters in the United States. The film's total gross between the United States and Canada was $1.9 million. It eventually took in $5.2 million at the box office. Inchon lost over $44 million, and was the number one largest financial loss of 1982 films. In 1989, a survey released by the entertainment research firm Baseline identified Inchon as "the biggest box-office fiasco of the 1980s".Inchon has been included on multiple lists of box office bomb
Box office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
s. Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
placed Inchon as number six in a "list of Hollywood's 10 worst mega-flops". Wilmington noted that Inchon displaced the 1980 film Heaven's Gate
Heaven's Gate (film)
Heaven's Gate is a 1980 American epic Western film based on the Johnson County War, a dispute between land barons and European immigrants in Wyoming in the 1890s...
as "the bomb of the decade". The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
described Inchon as "one of the biggest commercial disasters in film history". In 1995, the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
reported that The Guinness Book of World Records called Inchon "the biggest money-loser in film history". Inchon was one of the "10 costliest movies", adjusted for inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
, at $173 million in 1997 dollars. In a 2006 list of "The top 10 biggest box office failures", Kat Giantis of MSN Movies
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
placed Inchon as tied with Battlefield Earth
Battlefield Earth (film)
Battlefield Earth is a 2000 American science fiction film adapted from L. Ron Hubbard's novel of the same name. It was directed by Roger Christian, and stars John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, and Barry Pepper...
for number seven.
Reviews
Most newspaper reviewers gave Inchon negative reviews; among them were the The Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, the The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
, and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. In The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, critic Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
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." A review in the influential entertainment-trade magazine Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
commented, "Olivier is convincing in his role throughout most of the saga, the only member of the cast to achieve that status. Screenplay generally treats all others as one-dimensional buffoons, giving them lines that are unintentionally laughable. One reason is that all plot digressions are simply window dressing to the film's focus on the brutally invading North Koreans and the big-scale counterattack by the good guys. No speaking roles are given the Communists, for example."
Moon founded The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
in Washington D.C. as a part of his international media conglomerate News World Communications
News World Communications
News World Communications, Inc., is an international news media corporation. It was founded in New York City, in 1976, by Unification Church founder and leader, Sun Myung Moon. Its first two newspapers, The News World and the Spanish-language Noticias del Mundo, were published in New York from...
in the same year Inchon was released. According to The Times rival The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, 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 Times was killed by the newspaper's publisher and editor James R. Whelan
James R. Whelan
James R. Whelan is a journalist and historian who served as the first editor-in-chief of The Washington Times, holding the position from 1982 to 1984...
. Whelan told Sublett that The Times had a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
with regard to reviewing Inchon, and would not print his review. Instead, The Times printed a one-paragraph critical synopsis of the film, also written by Sublett, which said in full: "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." Moore is the author of the novel The Green Berets
The Green Berets (book)
The Green Berets is a book written by Robin Moore about the Green Berets during the Vietnam War. First published in 1965, it became a best-selling paperback in 1966. The latest edition was published in 2007.-Background:...
, upon which the 1968 movie
The Green Berets (film)
The Green Berets is a 1968 war film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, though the screenplay has little relation to the book....
was based. On Monday the 21st The Times ran The New York Times review of the film.
Later commentary
Multiple commentators have described Inchon as the worst film ever made, including The Washington Post, NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, and the Canadian Press. Inchon was later profiled in multiple books on worst in film, including The Hollywood Hall of Shame
The Hollywood Hall of Shame
The Hollywood Hall of Shame is a 1984 book by brothers Harry Medved and Michael Medved. The authors had previously written or been involved in the creation of similar books exploring "bad movies" or "cinematic mistakes": The Fifty Worst Films of All Time, and The Golden Turkey Awards.While those...
by Harry and Michael Medved
Michael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
, and The Worst Movies of All Time by Michael Sauter. In 2000, Kenneth Lloyd Billingsley, writing in the libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
magazine Reason
Reason (magazine)
Reason is a libertarian monthly magazine published by the Reason Foundation. The magazine has a circulation of around 60,000 and was named one of the 50 best magazines in 2003 and 2004 by the Chicago Tribune.- History :...
, said about a proposed film on Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
, " A film like this could easily have turned out as big a didactic dud as the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's 1982 bomb, Inchon, with Laurence Olivier as Gen. Douglas MacArthur." A 2009 review by Phil Hall for Film Threat
Film Threat
Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
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."
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". 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." Niemi wrote that Olivier's performance "was a low point in an otherwise distinguished film career". 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". 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... As a result, the movie met with almost unanimous critical disdain." Moon's 2009 autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, does not mention Inchon, nor did he or the Unification Church ever produce another major commercial motion picture.
Golden Raspberry Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Golden Raspberry Award | Razzie Award for Worst Picture Razzie Award for Worst Picture The Razzie Award for Worst Picture is an award given out at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst film of the past year. Following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, including each film's distribution company and producer.-1980s:... |
Mitsu Haru Ishii | Won |
| Razzie Award for Worst Director Razzie Award for Worst Director The Razzie Award for Worst Director is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst director of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated.... |
Terence Young | Won | ||
| Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay The Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst film screenplay of the past year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, including each screenplay's author... |
Robin Moore Robin Moore Robert Lowell "Robin" Moore, Jr. was an American writer who is most known for his books The Green Berets, The French Connection: A True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy and, with Xaviera Hollander and Yvonne Dunleavy, The Happy Hooker: My Own Story.Moore also co-authored... and Laird Koenig Laird Koenig Laird Koenig is an American author. His best-known work is The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, a novel published in 1974. The novel was adapted into a movie starring Jodie Foster. He also wrote a play based on the novel.-References:... |
Won | ||
| Razzie Award for Worst Actor Razzie Award for Worst Actor The Razzie Award for Worst Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated.... |
Laurence Olivier Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright... |
Won | ||
| Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor The Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst supporting actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated. Brooke Shields is the... |
Ben Gazzara Ben Gazzara -Early life:Gazzara was born Biagio Anthony Gazzara in New York City, the son of Italian immigrants Angelina and Antonio Gazzara, who was a laborer and carpenter. Gazzara grew up on New York's tough Lower East Side. He actually lived on E. 29th Street and participated in the drama program at... |
Nominated |
See also
- 3rd Golden Raspberry Awards
- Box-office bomb
- List of films considered the worst