A possibly innocent military man facing treason and war crime charges, a devoted wife who finds herself drawn to a man who is not her husband, and a prosecutor who is beginning to doubt the conviction of a lifetime. I can honestly say that Sergeant Ryker piqued my interest with this dynamic. And for me what was the key component to my successful viewing of the film, Lee Marvin of The Dirty Dozen fame embodies Sergeant Paul Ryker, an American solder charged with treason for allegedly aiding the enemy following a failed raid during the Korean War. Bradford Dillman plays Captain Young, the JAG officer who prosecutes Ryker for treason, who comes to doubt the conviction that could launch his career. Then there is Vera Miles of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho fame as Sgt. Ryker’s neglected wife, who begins to have eyes for the young captain. What can I say, I dig the drama.
Traitor or hero? That is the main question and theme that is explored in the film. Was Sergeant Ryker really aiding the enemy? On the surface he appears guilty as sin, and it seems like a no-brainer that he will hang for his crimes. However, there are discrepancies when it comes to his defense. Enough so that Captain Young begins to question if the Sergeant received an adequate defense. Or is it Mrs. Ryker who brings him around to the way of thinking? It’s hard to say. There is clearly chemistry between the two, and it is evident from their first exchange that while they care for one another, Mr. and Mrs. Ryker are far from a picturesque married couple. When she comes to see him, he is cold and distant, but in the next minute he expresses tender need. It was a fine line to walk, but Lee Marvin did a fairly decent job walking it. In the case of Capt. Young and Mrs. Ryker, the two find themselves bonded when they risk life and limb to get to the truth of what happened during that failed raid.
Ryker isn’t much help as he tends to contradict his own defense. Mix that in with his occasional fit of temper, which only serve to cast doubt on his version of events. Though it all, Capt. Young goes above and beyond to assist with Ryker’s defense. But is it guilt that motivates him, or belief in the Sergeant? These motivations are continuously questioned as he begins to alienate everyone from his commanding officer to his best friend while pursuing this case. While I believe his ultimate motive was pretty clear, I admired the conviction that Billman brought to the character. Marvin was true to form in the anti-hero persona that he became well known for during his time.
Interestingly enough, this film shares a director, Buzz Kulik, with another film that I reviewed recently (Warning Shot). This was a detail that I didn’t recognize early on, but without this knowledge, I remember thinking as I watched it that the cinematic quality felt very familiar, which makes sense when you consider that Sergeant Ryker was made just a year after Warning Shot. Similar themes existed in both films, as they both feature a main character facing charges for something they the audience is left to wonder if they actually did. In the case of Sergeant Ryker, it is left more open to interpretation than in the previous film. In fact, Capt. Young’s final line actually laments this dilemma. I actually like this idea, as it shows in the fog of war how easy it is to go from war hero to traitor. It is a fine line indeed.
