The Lost Battalion

Rating:
Summary: Extremely realistic
Review: This video is about the best that I have seen portraying a little known but important event towards the end of World War I. It is full of action but at the same time, unlike Black Hawk Down, has a story value of the lead individuals who fought this battle in the Argonne. The video is based upon a true story and at the same time, everything is authentic right down to the weaponry and style of fighting. Interesting enough, there are no women or romance scenes to suffer through. Highly recommended for those interesting in historical war stories.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie!
Review: I thought I was taking a risk purchasing this movie because I wasn't sure Rick Schroeder could pull off the role, but he's excellent in it.
The movie portrays very well the horror of WW I combat, although not as good as Saving Private Ryan does for WW II. Other than the B&W version of All Quiet on the Western Front I'd never seen a WW I movie and even with that movie it's hard to visualize the horror of combat. This movie does well to let one gain a perspective.
It also portrays very well the really unfeeling attitude that higher officers had for the men in the field. An attitude that resulted in casualties that make the mind boggle at places such as the Somme and Verdun. In contrast to that however were the officers in the field, portrayed excellently by Schroeder, that did care for their men and knew when they were being ordered to slaughter and tried their best to prevent it if there was a way.

Rating:
Summary: The Great War
Review: Don't doubt the quality of this movie. IF you usually shy away from movies because of the Hollywood spin put onto them in order to entertain first and inform/educate second; DO NOT do so with this one. This movie shows among other things how our men were not trained as one unit and how ill equipped our men were. This movie deals with all issues from the tactial level engaging the enemy at close range to C2, to mis-information from higher, as well as not having effective logistics; subsequently degrading the force. Gents, get this one you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Makes the agony of WWI come alive
Review: I was fascinated by the detail of WWI trench and forest warfare as shown in this movie. The set detail was great, the acting was fine, and it was good to see a movie about WWI that was in color. The confusion and agony of humanity lost stayed with me for days after I saw this film. War can be righteous, but the millions of individual sacrifices made, in situations that often are arbitrary and without immediate meaning, remind one that war is also hell.
I think I can understand better why the trauma of war continually re-traumatizes its survivors.
By the way, there is a memorial to the men of the Lost Battalion (I think it's for the men of the 307th, in particular) in New York City's Central Park, near the bandshell. It's supposed to be a grove of trees with stone monuments and plaques. It is sadly neglected - it needs much loving care.

Rating:
Summary: Very good slice of The Great War
Review: I thought this was pretty good, especially given that there isn't much literature or cinematography on WWI from the point of the average foot soldier. I would hold off on buying this one; it comes on A&E quote often. I saw it listed on cable 3 times within the month of purchase. :(

Rating:
Summary: A keeper!
Review: This DVD WILL share a place in my DVD collection. Excellent movie!

Rating:
Summary: An amazing film
Review: The Lost Battalion does something to war films that is rarely seen; it shows the absolute and terrifying brutallity of war. Every moment leaves you wondering who will die, how they will survive and if any of them will make it out alive, just as one would in war. Rick Schroder does an excellant job portraying their commanding officer. Like many officers of the time, he looks like he was pulled straight from college and sent into the infantry. As the film progresses, you can almost see in his eyes the the beginnings of shell shock and depression that plagued the real man that he portrays. For all it's terrible details about the war, there was one thing that struck me as both very true, and rarely seen in most modern films. When the Germans are bringing back a captured soldier from the battalion he turns to one of them, shakes his hand, and says, "See you around pal," in a genuine manner. Even more surprising the German replies "Aufveidersehen meine commaraden," basically, the same thing, but in German. This stuck with me for weeks after seeing the film, that two men who are sworn enemies treated one another with such honor and respect. Not like how you see in WWII film, where the Germans are always shown as being "Nazi's", even if they were standard intfantry with no political ties. Just for that simple detail I would highly suggest this film.

Rating:
Summary: A World War 1, story.........
Review: It's based on a true story, it is very interesting how the trench warfare was faught, many men were lost, giving their life for their country. It's hard to say or experience what those men went through, but this movie puts the base and the actual experience of what they had to go through. It has a little bit of everything, from airplanes, artillary, machine guns, sniper action. It's a movie that is recommended to everyone who likes war movies. Although it cannot be compared to Saving Private Ryan or any recent war based movie. It is a well done movie.

Rating:
Summary: Heroism of the fist magnitude...
Review: "The Lost Battalion" eclipses anything done for TV having to do with war. War should not be made to look glorious. "The Lost Battalion" does not. It shows combat with an honesty that is rarely seen on any large screen, much less on television. Rick Schroder continues to impress as he enlarges his arsenal of acting skills as Major Charles Whittlesey. He actually makes his boyish looks heighten the heroism of his character by utterly ignoring them as he fills in all the textures of this whip-smart lawyer with a backbone of steel. The ensemble cast is a perfect compliment to Schroder. Still, the real star of this movie is, and should be, the incredible stand these battered but brave men made against truly impossible odds. It's a story long overdue in the telling and A&E tells it without flinching or softening. This is one of the finest war films ever made -- for ANY medium.

Rating:
Summary: American Courage
Review: An intense view of WWI, this time focusing not on the trenches, but in the forest, this was a brutally realistic depiction. From the opening scene, the horrors of war are graphically depicted, first in the trenches, then in the forest as the battalion advances.
Based on a true story, the movie although gruesome, leaves the viewer with the feeling of patriotism, in a war where some European forces actually refused to fight. The courage these American men found is beyond our comprehension.