Battleground
by William A. Wellman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: George Murphy, John Hodiak, Marshall Thompson, Ricardo Montalban, Van JohnsonDirector: William A. Wellman
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); French (Original Language); German (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 118 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-05-03
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of Battleground
Movie Review: What They Did to Win the War
Summary: 4 Stars
This film used members of the 101st Airborne Division as movie extras (the drill team). [The song "Sound Off" became a popular hit.] This story tells about the US soldiers who held the town of Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. An alarm wakes the men, they will be sent up to plug the gap made by the German advance. They are warned to dress warm: two pairs of pants, etc. The soldiers are quartered in civilian homes. Then they are ordered to move up to the front lines, and clear out the woods. They dig foxholes for protection, then are told to move out. Those on guard duty are warned against German infiltrators.
The sudden death of a new recruit provides a somber tone. They are warned against German paratroopers in the nearby woods. The patrol finds some and there are shots and action. Enemy tanks are spotted. A wounded soldier froze to death. The thick fog restricts air support. Only the wounded are considered casualties, those with frozen feet and fever must remain on the line. Then they learn they are surrounded. There is danger from the extreme cold: rifle bolts and ammunition belts get frozen. There is more action and they capture some prisoners. Bastogne is important because it controls seven highways and prevents the German advance. The Germans ask for their surrender. "Nuts!". That is strongly negative. "Was this trip necessary?" The chaplain explains why America must prevent another such war. The Germans bomb and shell Bastogne. All available troops, even the walking wounded, are summoned for the defense. The weather breaks, there is sunshine and air support. Supplies are dropped by parachute to the troops. The platoon is relieved by fresh troops and sent to the rear.
This story and screenplay were written by Robert Pirosh, a veteran of the Bastogne battle. It won two Academy Awards, one for the screenplay. You can compare the talk in this film to the earlier films about the war. How was the enemy portrayed in this film? This sanitized version of warfare met the needs of that time. Actions are often implicit (the soldier who gathers propaganda leaflets and walks away), as well as the lessons (don't leave a wounded soldier behind).
Summary of Battleground
Director William Wellman (The Big Heat) offered up this 1949 treatment of the Battle of the Bulge, which won Oscars for best screenplay and best cinematography. The film concentrates on the camaraderie and the divisions between the troops as they ready for the big offensive. Told in a taut narrative, the men of the 101st, led by Van Johnson, wait out the winter in the Ardennes forest to confront the German army in what would be the last major offensive of World War II. The men are demoralized and trapped, with no hope of support from the Allies as they are forced to band together and defend their position. A classically assembled war drama that nevertheless manages to be both engrossing and entertaining, Battleground is a mainstay of the genre. --Robert LaneVan Johnson Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy star in this remarkable war film nominated for six Oscars(R) (including Best Picture) about courageous American G.I.s caught up in the battle at Bastogne. Year: 1949Running Time: 118 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/MILITARY & WAR UPC: 012569675216
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