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Cast a Giant Shadow

Cast a Giant Shadow

War · Drama · 1966

An American Army officer is recruited by the yet to exist Israel to help them form an army. He is disturbed by this sudden appeal to his Jewish heritage. Each of Israel's Arab neighbors has vowed to invade the poorly prepared country as soon as partition is granted. He is made commander of the Israeli forces just before the war begins.

Movie details

Cast a Giant Shadow

“Outnumbered - unarmed - unprepared - they stunned the world with their incredible victory!”

1966 War · Drama 2h 26m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

6.3 / 10

4.3K votes

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

An American Army officer is recruited by the yet to exist Israel to help them form an army. He is disturbed by this sudden appeal to his Jewish heritage. Each of Israel's Arab neighbors has vowed to invade the poorly prepared country as soon as partition is granted. He is made commander of the Israeli forces just before the war begins.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Cast a Giant Shadow?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Melville Shavelson

Written by

Ted Berkman · Melville Shavelson

Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas

Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus

John Wayne

John Wayne

Gen. Mike Randolph

Senta Berger

Senta Berger

Magda Simon

Angie Dickinson

Angie Dickinson

Emma Marcus

James Donald

James Donald

Maj. Safir

Yul Brynner

Yul Brynner

Asher Gonen

Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra

Vince Talmadge

Court is in session

Put Cast a Giant Shadow on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.