Time Limit 1957

Army Colonel William Edwards Richard Widmark is drawn into a tense, morally charged case when Major Harry Cargill Richard Basehart is accused of collaborating with the enemy after their North Korean prisoner-of-war ordeal. Cargill openly admits guilt and presents what appears to be damning evidence: a signed germ-warfare confession and radio broadcasts that attack American efforts, seemingly proving treason.

Yet the case refuses to stay one-sided. Cargill refuses to defend himself, a quiet move that clouds the obvious conclusions. The tension thickens as two soldiers die and the unit’s survivors recite a nearly identical, rehearsed account of those deaths, sowing doubt about the truth behind the accusations. Edwards’s commander, General Connors Carl Benton Reid, has a deeply personal stake in the outcome—his own son, Captain Joe Connors Yale Wexler, was among the fallen—pushing him to demand a court-martial. But Edwards chooses to look beyond surface appearances and asks tougher questions, resisting the ready-made explanations.

As the investigation deepens, a disturbing revelation shifts the entire case. Lieutenant George Miller Rip Torn discloses that after Lieutenant Harvey’s death during an escape attempt, Captain Connors betrayed the group under torture. To save the dwindling number of his men, they decided to execute Connors, with Miller drawing the short straw. Their captor, Colonel Kim Khigh Dhiegh, had warned Cargill that obedience would come at the cost of his men’s lives if he refused.

The drama intensifies as General Connors condemns his son as a traitor, while Cargill argues that heroism cannot be measured by endless sacrifice and that the Uniform Code of Military Justice asks too much of soldiers in the heat of fear and desperation. Yet the elder Connors reminds him of the grim calculus faced by leaders whose orders affect the lives and families of many, not just a single man.

In the end, Edwards aligns with Connors on a nuanced reading of Cargill’s actions: they were born of humane motives but carried a flawed judgment. He recommends that all charges be dropped, even as he warns that a court-martial may still be on the horizon. And so Edwards announces that he will step forward to defend Cargill, acknowledging that there may not be perfect answers, but that “they’ll know we asked the questions.”

they’ll know we asked the questions