The Forgotten (2003 film)
Encyclopedia
The Forgotten is a 2003
American
Korean War movie film
, directed
by Vincente Stasolla and starring Randy Ryan. The majority of the movie was filmed in Pennsylvania
.
The movie chronicles the story of two tanks that get lost behind enemy lines in the beginning of the Korean War
. Facing the crew is an inexperienced commander, the mounting tension between a motley assortment of soldiers, and the general confusion of the "forgotten war" itself.
,
"Grand Jury Selection," and "Best Narrative Feature" at the Artfest Film Festival.
Stasolla had a personal connection with the war, as his uncle had served. And, he was influenced by seminal filmmakers like Samuel Fuller
(The Steel Helmet
and Fixed Bayonets), who was well-known for making limited budget war movies. David Lean
(The Bridge Over the River Kwai) and Terrence Malick
(The Thin Red Line
) also influenced Stasolla.
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
Korean War movie film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Vincente Stasolla and starring Randy Ryan. The majority of the movie was filmed in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
The movie chronicles the story of two tanks that get lost behind enemy lines in the beginning 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...
. Facing the crew is an inexperienced commander, the mounting tension between a motley assortment of soldiers, and the general confusion of the "forgotten war" itself.
Plot
In October 1950, during a decimating North Korean Army assault, a U.S. Army tank platoon retreats. The remaining two tanks become lost behind enemy lines. Corporal William Byrne, an idealistic, God-fearing young enlistee, becomes the platoon commander after the platoon sergeant dies. Fighting against the unseen enemy and waning esprit de corps, the tanks crisscross the unfamiliar Korean landscape. Death, dissension, and a wounded North Korean PoW test the wills of Cpl. Byrne and crews. Meanwhile, struggling to maintain his faith, Cpl. Byrne escapes the war by remembering his wife and the delusions of his morphine-medicated mind.Cast
- Randy Ryan – Corp. William Byrne
- David McMahan – Pv. Jake O'Brian
- Salim Rahman – Pvt. Philip Cook
- Stephen Kilcullen – Pvt. George Packs
- Malcolm BarrettMalcolm Barrett (actor)Malcolm Barrett is an American actor.He was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. He has appeared as a series regular on Fox's The Sketch Show and Luis....
– Pvt. Michael Anderson - B. Ouyang – Jong Soo Kim
- Janan Raouf – Mrs. Elizabeth Byrne
- Christopher Benson Reed – Sgt. Moore
Awards
The Forgotten received several awards, namely "Best Feature" at the Sedona Film FestivalSedona Film Festival
The Sedona International Film Festival founded in 1994 is held in Sedona, Arizona, USA each year. A workshop also accompanies the event.The Sedona Film Festival is a five-day festival that features more than 125 films, including features, documentaries, foreign films, shorts, animation and student...
,
"Grand Jury Selection," and "Best Narrative Feature" at the Artfest Film Festival.
Filmmaker's Influences
Writer/Producer Vincente Stasolla has stated that there were several reasons for making the film The Forgotten. One was the importance of shedding light on the Korean War itself. Though historians consider this particular war less understood and less well-remembered than other wars, its cost in human terms is undisputed:About a million South Korean civilians were killed, and several million were made homeless. More than 560,000 United Nations and South Korean troops and about 1,600,000 communist troops were killed or wounded or were reported missing.
Stasolla had a personal connection with the war, as his uncle had served. And, he was influenced by seminal filmmakers like Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller
Samuel Michael Fuller was an American screenwriter, novelist, and film director known for low-budget genre movies with controversial themes.-Personal life:...
(The Steel Helmet
The Steel Helmet
The Steel Helmet is a war film directed by Samuel Fuller and produced by Lippert Studios during the Korean War. It was the first film about the war, and the first of several war films by producer-director-writer Fuller.-Plot:...
and Fixed Bayonets), who was well-known for making limited budget war movies. David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
(The Bridge Over the River Kwai) and Terrence Malick
Terrence Malick
Terrence Frederick Malick is a U.S. film director, screenwriter, and producer. In a career spanning almost four decades, Malick has directed five feature films....
(The Thin Red Line
The Thin Red Line (1998 film)
The Thin Red Line is a 1998 American war film which tells a fictional story of United States forces during the Battle of Mount Austen in World War II. It portrays men in: C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division; in particular those soldiers played by Sean Penn, Jim...
) also influenced Stasolla.