Battleground
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Movie Reviews of Battleground
Movie Review: one of the best depictions of what it was like during the Battle of the Bulge from the American point of view
Summary: 5 Stars
What I really liked was the acting by the veteran actors (meaning experienced in the acting, not necessarily in the military sense). My favorite was James Whitmore as the tobacco chewing, gritty sergeant who kept going although his feet were frozen. Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban, Jim Arness, Richard Jaekel and others were fantastic in their memorable roles. I will always remember Van Johnson's character with the raw eggs dripping off his steel pot. That scene where the GI is blowing smoke rings in the face of the German soldier while negotiations were going on with General McAuliffe (who answered the Germans with "Nuts!) showed the termity and stubborness of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne. I remembered those scenes when I saw it back in the 1950's as a kid. They always will be with me. They showed how human the GI was.
Technically, it is not at the same level as Saving Private Ryan, but at that time the expertise. This was before Stephen Ambrose got veterans involved in telling their stories and in the making of movies. Sure I would have liked to see more of the German soldiers and tanks, but the movie reflected the times.
Movie Review: "Why am I always volunteering for patrols?"
Summary: 5 Stars
There were lots of war movies made during and after WWII, and many of them starred Van Johnson. Most of them chose to look at the heroic side of battle or the lives of the people at home supporting the troops. Battleground is different. It examines the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge, a group of men fighting to stay alive and in good humor amid death, destruction, and fear. This is a grim story and much more realistic than the typical MGM film.
The all star cast includes Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Herbert Anderson, Scotty Beckett, and more. These men do a terrific job of bring a real incident to life. It is peppered with moments of humor like Johnson's bit with the eggs and moments of intense emotion. This collection of scenes makes for a powerful movie that is very telling of human nature in times of crisis.
Movie Review: OMG! My dad is portrayed in this movie. Is yours?
Summary: 5 Stars
My father, Everest R. Kenne, died in the 1970's. I knew he'd served in the battle of the Bulge and had frozen feet in the process. He was made acting sergeant at the time and remained on the front lines despite his painful condition until he was made a cook. Can you imagine my surprise recently discovering he'd been portrayed by James Whitmore in this 1950 movie? Admittedly, he is depicted as a bit rougher character than the man I knew, and never chewed tobacco as depicted in the movie. His name is misspelled as well, in the credits as "Kinnie".
I watched the film last night and though it doesn't compare to Band of Brothers, which more fully depicts men enduring the harshness and desperation of the same battle, Battleground is a worthy offering and stands the test of time.
Movie Review: We just don't make it like this one...
Summary: 5 Stars
I gave 'Patton' five stars and I give this one five too boot. But movies like 'Patton' deserve Ten stars and this one should be given seven. That's why I couldn't give it four stars since the scale in way too off.
Great story and great cast. Them hollyweird types dolled up this tale with one of the weaker episodes out of 'Band of Brothers' and this one still stands mountains above it without the emo-rific nature from hanks' take.
I don't watch WWII movies for the body parts a flying, I watch it for the characters acted! Boy do those guys act circles around the weeds sprouting out these days.
Movie Review: A film to know Van Johnson
Summary: 5 Stars
When I heard of Van Johnson's passing, I immediately recalled seeing this film on TCM a couple of times. This was a great war film and a very fine performance for Van Johnson. He was an actor who was hard for me to pin down and he suffered from some poor films, but he always conveyed the look of a person whom you would be glad to know. This is true for this film too. The other cast members were also effective. This is a story that does not try to make false heroes. I got the feeling that the emotions were true for someone caught in this type of extreme stress. For many reasons, this is a film worth keeping.