Set in 1950's, A Korean War veteran Raymond Shaw(Harvey) returns home to a medal of honor for rescuing his POW platoon from behind Chinese lines and back to safety. John Frankenheimer's surrealistic direction and George Axelrod's adaptation of the 1959 book by the same name offer Laurence Harvey a career defining role. Reviewed by teren 9 / 10 A political and social thriller/drama ahead of its time. When Marco learns that others in his Korean War unit have had nightmares similar to his own, he realizes that something happened to all of them in Korea and that Raymond. Senator John Iselin (James Gregory), who is intent on seeking higher office. Raymond hates her, not only for how she's treated him but equally because of his step-father, the ineffectual U.S. She is a red-baiter, accusing anyone who disagrees with her right-wing reactionary views of being a Communist. Shaw for his part has established himself well, despite the misgivings of his domineering mother, Mrs. He's put on indefinite sick leave and visits Shaw in New York. Marco has a major problem however: he has a recurring nightmare, one where two members of his squad are killed by Shaw. He served valiantly as a captain in the Korean war and his Sergeant, Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), even won the Medal of Honor. Major Ben Marco (Frank Sinatra) is an intelligence officer in the U.S.