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 (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Original Language); German (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 118 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-05-03
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 67521
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- Van 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 Rating: NR Age: 012569675216 UPC: 012569675216 Manufacturer No: 67521
Movie Reviews of Battleground
Movie Review: an unforgettable movie with lots of brilliant acting
Summary: 5 Stars
Battleground remains one of the best films to deal with The Battles of The Bulge near the end of World War Two; it depicts the struggles of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division when they are surrounded by German forces in the French town of Bastogne. The plot moves along at a very good pace and there's lots of time spent on character development which I really like a lot. The actors also trained under some mighty tough conditions so that even a top ranking Army official couldn't tell the actors from the actual enlisted men--that's how far MGM went to make this actors look as realistic as possible for their scenes! In addition, the cinematography is terrific and the choreography works well during fight scenes and the scenes in which the soldiers relax in the home of a young French woman who just wants to dance with them for a reprieve from the stress of war.
When the action begins, we are quickly introduced to World War Two soldiers who, as it rather quickly turns out, mistakenly believe that they will be spending Christmas, 1944 in Paris to have some fun. However, fate intervenes and they must "move up" to combat German military forces. Thus begins the horrors of the war which we see here; there may not be too much blood but there are a number of deaths. We also get graphic reminders of just how much soldiers had to suffer in pain when there was no morphine left to give to them.
In addition, we see just how tough it was for these men. With the thick fog covering their area in The Battle of The Bulge, American planes were simply unable to fly overhead to drop supplies and regain air control; they are running incredibly low on ammunition--and the Germans even send a couple of messengers to tell them that they should surrender or else they will "kill many Americans." The Germans also encourage them to surrender by dropping leaflets written in English that the Americans have no hope and their only option is to surrender, something that the 101st is not about to do! The men are trapped and surrounded by German in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg. The American men are also exhausted, demoralized by the stress of the fight under poor weather conditions and the loss of some of their buddies--and they are desperately trying to survive on very little food. Clearly their situation is very bleak.
Look also for fine performances in particular by Van Johnson as Holley; John Hodiak as Jarvess; a young Ricardo Montalban as Roderigues; George Murphy as 'Pop' Stazak; Bruce Cowling as Wolowicz; and Leon Ames as The Chaplin who makes quite a statement about World War Two near the ending of the film.
Battleground is a must-have for any fan of World War Two pictures; it's an excellent film that easily stands the test of time. Although there is violence the focus remains on the American military men and their situation although there are a few archival clips from the ending of The Battle of The Bulge that lend a little extra bit of authenticity to the story near the end of the film. People who are fans of the actors in this film will also want to add this to their DVD collections.
Summary of Battleground
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