Rack, The

Wounded and weakened in Korean prison camps, GIs descend from the plane that returned them to U.S. soil. It is a time of tearful family reunions. A time of uncertainty about how to help traumatized men. And a time of reckoning: Capt. Edward W. Hall Jr., a silver-star hero and ex-POW, faces trial for collaboration with the enemy. Paul Newman’s richly complex portrayal of Hall sets the tone of acting excellence found throughout The Rack. How much can a POW be expected to endure before breaking? Should his own past and emotional vulnerabilities be weighed against the miltary’s policy of name, rank and serial number? The issues remain timelessly relevant in this probing courtroom drama adapted from a Rod Serling teleplay.