Recommended Viewing: The Steel Helmet (1951)

It's been a while since I've seen this, but I originally checked it out because it's referred to in Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom, and wound up really liking it.

I remember it as being a friendship story between a U.S. soldier and young boy (dubbed "Short Round", just like the Temple Of Doom character) during the Korean War. It's directed by Sam Fuller, who's made other vivid films like Shock Corridor and The Big Red One. His films can be brash and lurid, but I like the grit of his war pictures - I think his own experiences as a war correspondent gives them a verisimilitude that most contemporary takes lack.

Unfortunately, it's not available on DVD yet - it's out there on VHS, so hopefully you can see it on cable, or rent it at a really good video store (you know the kind - the ones that have sections of titles sorted by director). It's worth the effort!