Based on Norman Mailer's acclaimed and best-selling novel about World War II, The Naked and the Dead is a sympathetic portrayal of an army platoon behind enemy lines in Japan, depicting the stresses of war and the tensions that exist between officers and enlisted men. The film is an excellent example of director Raoul Walsh's ability to construct believable combat scenes, and it features his trademark impressive action sequences as well as spectacular jungle scenery. Raymond Massey gives a memorable performance as an obsessively militaristic general.