Inchon (1982)

Inchon (also called Inchon!) is a 1981 South Korean–American war film about the Battle of Inchon, considered to be the turning point of the Korean War. The film was directed by Terence Young and financed by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon. It stars Laurence Olivier as General Douglas MacArthur, who led the United States surprise amphibious landing at Incheon, South Korea in 1950. Also featured are Jacqueline Bisset, Ben Gazzara, Toshiro Mifune, and Richard Roundtree. It was filmed in California, Italy, Ireland, Japan and South Korea.

Inchon‍ '​s plot includes both military action and human drama. Characters face danger and are involved in various personal and dramatic situations. The film concludes with the American victory over North Korean forces in the Battle of Inchon, which is considered to have saved South Korea. The film cost $46 million to produce and encountered many problems during production, including a typhoon and the death of a cast member. Both the Unification Church and the United States military provided personnel as extras during the filming.

Inchon was released to theaters in the United States and Canada in September 1982 and then quickly withdrawn because of its poor performance at the box office. It has never been released on home video, although it has sometimes been broadcast on television. It was the largest financial loss in film of 1982, earning less than $2 million. Reviewers at the time gave it consistently bad reviews and later commentators including Newsweek, TV Guide and Canadian Press have classed Inchon among the worst films of all time.

Synopsis

The film depicts the Battle of Inchon during the Korean War, which took place September 15–19, 1950 and is considered the turning point of the war. The protagonist of the film is General Douglas MacArthur (Laurence Olivier), who led the United States surprise amphibious landing at Incheon in 1950. A subplot in the film involves an American couple who encounter difficulties in their relationship because of the ongoing war.

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