When Trumpets Fade
by John Irvin
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Devon Gummersall, Dylan Bruno, Frank Whaley, Ron Eldard, Zak OrthDirector: John Irvin
Cinematographer: Thomas Burstyn
Editor: Ian Crafford
Producer: David R. Ginsburg
Producer: Gavin Polone
Producer: John Kemeny
Producer: Judy Hofflund
Writer: W.W. Vought
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: Pan & Scan, 1.33:1
Running Time: 95 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1998-11-10
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Movie Reviews of When Trumpets Fade
Movie Review: Welcom to the Death Factory
Summary: 4 Stars
I picked this movie up years ago because it dealt with something I've had an interest in; the battles that took place in the Hurtgen Forest. My fascination with the Hurtgen Forest derives from the absoluteness of the conditions and how men continued their struggles in a battle that never should have taken place. Rather than the mobile warfare so typified in other WWII battles, the battles in the Hurtgen Forest were typified by relatively static warfare in terrible terrain that was reminiscent of the Civil War struggle in the Wilderness.
Rating wise this ones a solid 4 star movie. The acting is solid, especially given how young/green the actors were. All of the actors did an excellent job capturing the behavior and look of the troops who'd fought in the Hurtgen Forest (especially around 7 November 1944 when the movie takes places). The terrain is between accurate and very accurate depending on the parts you're looking for (the woods and the mud are very accurate; the bridge over the Kall stream and the terrain around the Kall trail were inaccurate). Historically the director and the writers did a good job telling of the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th ID (the 112th was the regiment from the 28th ID assigned to capture Schmidt and Kommerscheidt) and showing the losses the division sustained (the Hurtgen Forest were nicknamed the Death Factory by American troops. I've read of American losses being between 24,000 and 30,000 with German losses being similar. Matter of fact, one battalion went in with 900 men, received 100 reinforcements, and walked out with 50 men of whom half were sent to hospital). The weak point in the movie was showing the area around the Kall Trail and showing them attacking the guns (sorry, they would have been the responsibility of another battalion or the 109th Regiment). This is significant because viewer not familiar with the battlefield could be mislead about conditions (having said that though, they did a great job showing what the battlefield conditions were like though). I recommend this one for lovers of history or those interested in seeing the realities of what war is like. If you're interested in learning more about the battlefield I recommend that you read Follow Me And Die or look on my Listmania for other books on the Hurtgen Forest.
Summary of When Trumpets Fade
It is the fall of 1944 as the american army advances on germany. Attempting to secure a bridge flanked by enemy tanks death comes from all sides as shells rain on the men. In the midst of this madness four renegade soldiers share one desperate aim: to stay alive. Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 08/30/2005 Starring: Ron Eldard Martin Donovan Run time: 92 minutes Rating: R Director: John IrvinFirst broadcast on HBO in June of 1998--shortly before the theatrical release of Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan--this World War II drama offers an equally intimate and devastating study of combat and its tragic aftermath. Set in Germany during the closing days of the war, the film uses a little-known episode of U.S. military history--the bloody battle of the Hurtigen Forest--as the backdrop for the story of a battle-weary private (Ron Eldard) who is the only surviving member of his platoon. Despite his request for dismissal on the grounds of mental disability and shell-shock, he is considered a promising soldier by his superiors, promoted to sergeant, and assigned to command a fresh platoon of young, inexperienced soldiers. The cycle of war continues, and the film ends as it began--with one soldier carrying a mortally wounded comrade from a scene of devastating loss. A veteran of several war films, director John Irvin emphasizes the gritty, physically exhausting realities of combat with keen attention to detail on location in Hungary. This film is decidedly downbeat (don't look for any Spielbergian uplift here), but its depiction of warfare is undeniably powerful, earning praise for Irvin and HBO for tackling such an uncompromising project. --Jeff Shannon
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