American Sergeant Zack (Gene Evans), a characteristically individualistic and cynical Fuller protagonist, is spared during a P.O.W. massacre and eventually meets up with other U.S. soldiers separated from their platoons. As the men try to survive the dangers of the early days of the Korean War, the film creates an unglamorous portrait of the madness and chaos of war, effectively relaying its harsh realities through realistic battle sequences. In its complex morality, Steel Helmet reveals writer-director Fuller’s modern view of warfare.