Inchon

1981 · United States · 140 min

Director: Terence Young
Screenplay: Laird Koenig, Robin Moore
Producer: Sun Myung Moon, Mitsuharu Ishii
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography: Bruce Surtees

Awards: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor; Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director; Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay; Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture · 5 nominations

What the critics say

0 % Rotten Tomatoes positive reviews

Cast

Sabine Sun

James T. Callahan

What it is about

In June 1950, North Korean troops cross the 38th parallel and the Korean War abruptly reaches the lives of people living near the border. Barbara Hallsworth, the wife of a U.S. Army major, flees toward Seoul with several South Korean children after losing her driver. Meanwhile, her husband Frank tries to end an affair with a young Seoul woman, and Sergeant August Henderson works to find the couple. Alongside them, journalists and military officers follow General Douglas MacArthur, whose plan to land at Incheon looks like a daring gamble. The film mixes military action with the personal drama of its civilian characters.

How it was made

The project grew out of the Unification Church. Sun Myung Moon financed it, contributing around 30 million dollars through One Way Productions, while Japanese publisher Mitsuharu Ishii, a fellow movement member, served as producer. According to accounts, the MacArthur film was chosen after biopics of Jesus or Elvis Presley were considered, and psychic Jeane Dixon helped select Terence Young, known for several James Bond films, as director. Laird Koenig and Robin Moore wrote the script, inspired by a South Korean dramatization of the war. The budget rose from an initial 18 million to about 46 million. Filming took place in South Korea, California, Italy, Ireland and Japan, and faced setbacks including a typhoon and the death of David Janssen during production. Laurence Olivier played MacArthur, alongside Toshiro Mifune and Jacqueline Bisset. Jerry Goldsmith composed the score and Bruce Surtees shot the film.

Reception and legacy

The film premiered in May 1981 but did not reach U.S. and Canadian theaters until September 1982, when it was quickly withdrawn after failing with critics and at the box office. It reportedly earned less than 2 million dollars against its budget, one of the largest financial losses for a 1982 release. Contemporary reviews were largely negative, and outlets including Newsweek, TV Guide and The Canadian Press have since listed it among the worst films ever made. It never received a home video release, though it has occasionally aired on television. It won several Razzie awards, including worst picture and worst director.