Attack

A cynical and grim account of war, this film is set in the latter stages of World War II and tells the story of a front-line combat unit led by a cowardly captain clearly out of his depth, as well as a tougher subordinate and an executive officer who both threaten to do away with him. Lt. Joe Costa (Jack Palance) is a part of the Fragile Fox Company, a U.S. National Guard unit sent to a Belgian town. Costa harbors some serious doubts about the leadership abilities of Captain Cooney (Eddie Albert), a coward who only secured his position because of his ties to Lt. Col. Bartlett (Lee Marvin). Cooney's inexperience and his open contempt for Costa threaten the lives of his men as they draw closer to Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945).