BATTLE OF THE BULGE

(December 1965, U.S.)

Discussing BATTLE OF THE BULGE feels a bit redundant. It's yet another World War II combat film and it also tells the story of the soldiers who fought the battle at Bastogne, as did the previous film BATTLEGROUND. So let me see if I can stay focussed on what's unique about this film.

Let's start with some interesting tidbits. The film had its world premiere on December 16, 1965, the 21st anniversary of the battle. Unlike most World War II epics, the film contains virtually no portrayals of actual senior Allied leaders, civilian or military. Though Allied forces ultimately won the battle, the fact that the initial Nazi counteroffensive caught them by surprise and caused high casualties was a major embarrassment to the U.S.-British high command. The Allied brass portrayed in the film are mostly composite or fictionalized American officers. Vignettes from the actual battle are included the film, including General McAuliffe's reply of "Nuts" to an offer of surrender at Bastogne. The combat is in rich color and concentrates mostly on tank battles. In fact, this film has the best tank battle sequences I've ever seen on screen. But I'd expect nothing less from director Ken Annakin, the same man who gave us THE LONGEST DAY, my all-time favorite war film (but we'll get to that much, much later).

The portrayel of American soldiers is different here, too. Many previous World War II propaganda films often portrayed the American soldiers as clowns. Here they are all quite dead serious and intense about their roles in this war. The closest exception to this is Sgt. Guffy (played by Telly Savalas) who is more of a loud-mouthed war profiteer than anything else. As with any other World War II film, the Americans are always victorious in the end, but not before they get their asses severely kicked by the Germans first. During this battle, many German soldiers were successfully deceiving our boys by wearing American uniforms and speaking perfect English.

Let's talk about actor Robert Shaw now (you'll probably know him best as Quint in JAWS). He plays the head Nazi villian Col. Hessler who is so in love with this war and his command that he will gladly see things go on indefinitely and send young German soldiers to their grave without any hope of victory just to stay inside his sacred uniform. Basically, a very, very sick guy! But damn it all if he wasn't meant to play a role like that! He was one of the finest and most intense British actors of the '60's and '70's who was taken from us much too soon. He died in 1978.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE is one of the most exciting color war films I've ever seen!

Favorite line or dialogue:

Cpl. Conrad: "The truth... is that I'm a fool. I believed in you, but all that you believe in, is the war. You have the war, you like the war. And all I have are my sons and I don't want to lose them!"
Col. Kessler: "I am not responsible for your children."
Conrad: "You are. You would make them soldiers."
Kessler: "Yes, and they will fight."
Conrad: "And they will die?"
Kessler: "If necessary."
Conrad: "Necessary for who? For you?"
Kessler: "You are not only a fool, you are a traitor."
Conrad: "And you are a murderer! You would murder my sons. You would murder my country. You would murder the whole world, to stay in that uniform!"