Battleground

Rating:
Summary: As good as it gets
Review: If you like war movies for more than just shoot em up, special effects, and theater command decisions, then this is the movie for you. This is the soldiers tale of the Seige of Bastogne. Unlike other well made WWII movies, Battleground focuses on on platton in the 101st Airborne, or the screaming eagles. From Rodriquez cheering joyfully at his first experience with snow to Holly and his encounters with a young french woman, this it what the war was like to the everyday soldier. They didn't know what was going on, where there were headed or, whether or not they would be alive the next day. This is one of the greatest war movies of all time because it makes you feel like just one of the buck privates fighting for freedom. You know how much you care for them when at the end, the sun comes out, and you are right there cheering on the much needed air support. "Hey, how've you been!!!!"

Rating:
Summary: One missing item
Review: It may not portray war as realistically as we do in 2004. It covers everything soldiers went through except the most private functions (there is nothing private in the Army). That is the way it was; if only you could feel how cold it was! I'm sorry that you could not put out a DVD of the colorized version because it was well-done. That is the missing item. Colorized I would give it 5 stars. You need to see this movie because it is the true story of any number of GIs in the 101st. Go Airborne!

Rating:
Summary: Great, now where's the DVD?
Review: It's amazing that this one hasn't seen a DVD release yet because it's a really fine classic war film. Don't be put off by the fact it came out in 1950: yes, there's no blood and gore, so you can easily argue it's unrealistic from that angle. There are hardly even any combat scenes. But like all the best war films, this one concentrates not on combat but on the psychology and morality of the men caught up in war.

Battleground follows a squad through the nightmare of Bastogne, showing the everyday misery they had to put up with and the grim humor and camaraderie that helped them get through it. For a film of its day, this is one is surpisingly even-handed, even a bit dark and cynical. You won't find a bunch of John Wayne heroics here, but rather a bunch of sick, tired, demoralized men doing their best to stay alive. This is a great companion piece to the Bastogne episode of the superb Band of Brothers miniseries. Also consider checking out Wellman's other classic WWII film, The Story of G.I. Joe.

Now, where's the DVD release??

Rating:
Summary: The cinematography is very graphic much like old WWII newsrl
Review: Just for the record, "Kenny" was not portrayed by Spencer Tracey but by James Whitmore. This is the first of the best of the WWII moves to follow the war itself. The characters are believable and the overall look of the movie itself, thanks to Vogels great BxW cinematography, helps the viewer believe that it was actually filmed on location rather than on a fog-filled sound stage.

Rating:
Summary: Mama! Mama!
Review: Mama! Mama!

Those words were heard in Saving Private Ryan as medic Wade lay dying (after that disastrous raid on the machinegun nest that everyone, except Capt Miller, thought was a bad idea). But they were heard first in Battleground. It's probably safe to say this movie was one of the inspirations of Spielberg.

The movie doesn't pull punches, it shows men losing their nerve, fumbling and running about confused as well as it shows them brave and resolute at their finest hour.

And of course, there is the retelling of the defiant, four letter (NUTS) response that the American commander gave to the Germans after they demanded surrender. Freeze that moment. That was the 101st Airborne.

Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding Movie
Review: Most American movies made during the 1940's about World War II tend to overplay patrioism ( fighting for Mom, Apple Pie, etc ), while neglecting technical and historical fact. Battleground stands apart from the average period movie in that it was obviously researched and made use of military advisors who served in and around Bastogne. The characters are real. No heroics. Just guys that want to make it home. One character in fact comments sarcastically on the whole " Mom, Apple Pie" propaganda being fed to the folks at home. A movie like this would probably not have been made during the war, and it says something for the makers of Battleground that, only four years after the end of the conflict, they chose to break the mold. Apart from minor technical details ( Glider troops with the Airborne tab above the Screaming Eagle ), and historical ones ( the American uniformed "Grief" commandos operated well to the northeast of Bastogne in the St.Vith-Malmedy area), this movie represents, in my opinion, about the best the 1940's has to offer.

Rating:
Summary: Best War Film From the G.I. Perspective.
Review: Of all the films to emerge from World War II, "Battleground" best portrays basic survival from an infantryman's perspective. Even the battle scenes illustrate the closed-in battlefield and confusion experienced by the individual G.I. For example, the scene of the pre-dawn attack by German infantry when the American private takes the initiative to fire his M-1 rifle into the darkness at sounds rather than a visible target, thus spurring the other men in his squad to begin firing accurately portrays the confusion and fear oftentimes emminating from the foxhole. Several times in the film, the theme of officers and NCOs removing badges of rank in order to not expose themselves to enemy snipers is not often shown in other films of this genre. Even Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) in "Saving Private Ryan" boldly wore his Captain's bars on his helmet throughout the entire film (as did also his platoon Sergeant wear his stripes on the outside of his combat jacket). The ethnic and social make-up of the squad is another significant theme in the movie. The hillbilly from Appalacia, the Spanish-American from L.A., the intellectual journalist, the city boy, farm hand, or the all-star collegiate quarterback, all accurately displays the "citizen soldier" that traces its American military heritage back to colonial militia of the pre-revolutionary war era. All in all, this movie is not about the "Battered Bastards of Bastogne." Rather, it is about the common G.I. who fought in Europe in WWII. The themes throughout this film could represent any unit in any of the battles the encompassed the struggle in the ETO. It is for these reasons, this film has withstood the test of time and deserves to be called a classic.

Rating:
Summary: The Original Band of Brothers
Review: Of the dozen or so films that use the Battle of the Bulge as a backdrop, BATTLEGROUND stands out as one of the best. Starring Van Johnson and John Hodiac, look for other young and upcoming stars of screen and television tube such as Marshall Thompson, Ricardo Montalban, James Arness and Richard Jaeckel. The date is December 1944. The place is Bastogne, Belgium. The Germans have just unleashed their last major offensive in the west and the US 101st Airborne is rushed in to stem the tide. The film focuses on one platoon of airborne troopers and their actions outside of Bastogne. If you thought the Bastogne sets for HBO'S BAND OF BROTHER'S were fantastic, get a glimpse of the equally fantastic sets for BATTLEGROUND. The story is presented from the GI point of view, so there are few opportunities to see the German soldiers up close. Talk about historical accuracy, BATTLEGROUND was so well researched that even the weather conditions are matched with historical fact -- specifically that it did not start snowing until the 21st of December. This film was a bit of gamble by MGM in 1949. In the post World War II and pre Korean War years, audiences were generally tired of war films. Additionally, BATTLEGROUND was not a showcase for clean-shaven football hero-type soldiers. The characters in this story are a collection of brave, tired, freezing cold, grimy and hungry soldiers just trying to survive. Apparently the formula worked because the film was nominated for six Oscars and won two (Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography). Captured on black and white film stock, the picture is occasionally intercut with real combat footage. Alongside films like THE LONGEST DAY, this film is one of the best about GIs during World War Two. There are some old "colorized" versions floating around out there. Try to avoid those in preference for the original high-contrast black and white version.

Rating:
Summary: Best small unit movie about WWII.
Review: One of the few WWII genre movies that stays clear of the "Big Picture," "Ensemble Cast" typical of so many movies of that time. This film takes a close look at the daily wartime life of soldiers at the squad and platoon level, that in and of itself is unique. You won't find any hell bent for leather John Wayne heroes here, only those every day, "take care of my buddy types." Van Johnson typifies the citizen soldier, only trying to do the best for his buddies and his squad. Never is there mention of sacrifice for nation, only sacrifice for friend, which is usually the cause for heroism in combat. The film does take for granted that the audience is knowledgeable on the history surrounding the Battle of the Bulge, which is the setting of the film. This does not detract from the ability of the picture to make its point, but does prevent those ignorant of history from enjoying all its subtlies. Highly recommended, a Van Johnson classic, and Ricardo Mantalbom (SP?) is great also.

Rating:
Summary: ABOVE AVERAGE WWII ACTION FILM
Review: ONE OF THE MORE REALISTIC WWII FILMS TO COME OUT OF HOLLYWOOD. THE OSCAR WINNING SCRIPT ACCURATELY PORTRAYS THE TRIBULATIONS OF A COMPANY OF GRUNTS DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. MEMORABLE SCENE: A NEWLY ARRIVED PRIVATE RUNS OVER TO A NEARBY COMPANY TO FIND A FRIEND IN THE OUTFIT. HE IS TOLD THE MAN WAS KILLED THE PREVIOUS EVENING DURING ENEMY SHELLING BUT IS THANKED FOR PROVIDING A NAME SO THE SGT CAN COMPLETE HIS REPORT. DEJECTEDLY HE WALKS AWAY SAYING "YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HIS NAME." TO WHICH THE THE SGT REPLIES,"WE DIDN'T EVEN FIND HIS DOG TAGS! EVEN THOUGH HIS BACK IS TO THE CAMERA, THE PRIVATE'S REACTION IS MEMORABLE. STEVEN SPIELBERG CITED THIS MOVIE AS ONE OF HIS INSPIRATIONS FOR SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. KUDOS TO A GREAT CAST AND ANOTHER GREAT FILM DIRECTED BY "WILD BILL"WELLMAN.