From Here to Eternity (1953)
Now, the Liberal Hero of this film, is Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, played by Montgomery Cliff. There is almost something "Fruedian" about this name, when you consider the story of the real Robert E. Lee, and how he was actually opposed to slavery and "the cause" for which he was committed to fight for. In this story, Prewitt is a boxer who has 'retired' after blinding an opponent. His captain, Cpt. Holmes, learns of his boxing prowess and tires to convince him to represent the company in the upcoming trophy event, which incidentally, never happens due to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Prewitt refuses to fight. This theme continues through most of the movie, the mean and violent righties all conspiring to try and force the liberal hero into battle against his will. The underlying subtext is the hazing and harassment of Prewitt, and this speaks, perhaps, to homosexuals being bullied in society. Prewitt isn't portrayed as a homosexual, but the 'conditional' set-up seems dubious. His character is 'expected' to fight, but he refuses.
Cpt. Holmes tries to enlist the help of Sgt. Warden (Burt Lancaster), to cajole Prewitt into boxing by threatening to courtmartial him on some trumped up charges, but Warden suggests they just keep hazing him and maybe he will crack. Meanwhile, Warden starts having an affair with the captain's wife.... but that's okay, you see, because Holmes is a real dick. He's the epitome of "the right" in every aspect here, so it's perfectly acceptable to bang his wife! The Liberal cultural subtext is obvious, it's okay to cheat on your spouse if your spouse is a dick. It's okay to have an adulterous affair with a married woman, as long as she is married to a dick.
Prewitt's best bud in the film, is Frank Sinatra as Maggio. Now we all know, Sinatra is just 'too cool' to be in the Army, so he ends up in the stockades eventually, being abused and beaten literally to death, by the redenck racist Ernest Borgnine as Sgt. "Fatso" Judson, who he has altercation with a few times in the course of the movie. Prewitt avenges his buddy's death by killing Judson, but then all hell breaks loose as Pearl Harbor is attacked. Of course, this story arc is seemingly about civil rights, which was the expected liberal theme in the 50s and 60s. Truman had desegregted the military, and this was a societal topic of the day, so it was fitting and appropriate to pay homage here. Judson's character is made to be loathed and hated, and exaggerated Borgnine character, ugly and mean, so then, it's justifiable for the 'liberal' hero to forsake his principles about harming others with fighting, in order to stab the racist scumbag who beat his 'buddy' to death. Again we have the subtext of a 'homosexual' relationship, Sinatra and Prewitt are very close.
Prewitt is ironically killed by friendly fire during the Pearl Harbor attack, what a fitting and proper way for the liberal hero to go, right? We have to take the slap at the military, a Liberal epic wouldn't be complete without it. And the final scene is the clincher, when Prewitt's whore girlfriend meets Holmes' whore wife for the first time on the boat headed for the mainland after Pearl Harbor. It is then revealed the Army has covered up the 'friendly fire' incident, with a fake story of Prewitt's death, piloting a B-17 and earning the Silver Star. Again, a very anti-military point is being made, they lie to you and tell you how your son died a hero, but the real truth is something else.