简介：Thisisnotalargescalemulti-milliondollarepicofWorldWarTwo.Nothousandsofextras,nowidepanoramicsweepofbattlescenes.ThissaysmoreaboutTheBattleoftheBulgethanthemovieofthesamename.ItsjustanordinaryblackandwhiteM.G.M.production.Whatitlacksinsizeandscopeitmakesupforinimpact.Asimplestoryverywelltold,ofasquadofGIsofthe101stAirborneDivision,thrownintothemaelstromthatwastheGermanoffensiveintheArdennesinDecemberof1944againsttheAlliedgroundforces.Itshardtobelievethatthisfilmwasnotshotonlocation;butonaMetrosoundstage.AndMetrosCulverCitywasturnedintotheonlyoutdoorlocationforthesnow-covered,rubble-strewntownofBastogneundersiege,whichwastenaciouslyheldbythe101st,underthecommandofBrig.GeneralAnthonyMcAuliffe.WiththeexceptionofVanJohnsonasPvt.HollywhowashighprofileontheMetrolotinhistime,andGeorgeMurphyasPvt.Stazak,therestofthecastwerecharacter-typeactorswhofilledtheirrolesperfectly.JamesWhitmoreasSgt.Kinnieisdrillingthesquadintheopeningscenes.ThesquadmemberstalkofanenjoyablefurloughinPariswhichissuddenlycutshortbytheGermanbreakthroughintheArdenne.Ptv.Stazakhopesofgoinghomearedashedbecausehisauthoriseddocumentshavenotcomethroughbeforethesquadmovesupfront.DouglasFowleyasPvt.Kipptonseemstobethebestinthesquadatbellyaching.Maybeitshisdenturesthatmakehimasourpuss.ButFowleysdenturesturnintoaclassact;clickingawaytotheoldsong,ISurrenderDear,throughthecourtesyofaGermanpropagandabroadcastheardovertheradioinaShermantank.DeniseDarcelcomesasawelcomereliefoffemininepleasure;notoutofplaceinthetownofBastogneitself.Inanindoorscene,Pvt.Hollyseyeballsgointoleft-to-rightoverdriveashestaresatDenisesbuxomrearenddescendingaflightofstairs.ThentheresHollyagain,nursingstolennewly-laideggs,asvaluableasgoldnuggets.Hesabouttoscramblethemoverafirewhenthesquadistoldtosaddleupandmoveout.NotforthefirsttimedoesJohnson(Pvt.Holly)yell,ohno!Aexpressionhesusedinpastmoviesalso.Thebrokeneggsinhisupturnedhelmetarenowaproblem.Intheenditsdisaster.TheGermanartilleryscrambletheeggsforHolly.Problemsolved!Onathreemanpatrol,Holly,HodiakasJanness,MontalbanasRodriguez,interceptandforceajeepcarryingaMajorandtwosergeantstostopandidentifythemselves.TheknowledgethatGermansareinfiltratinginGIuniformshasmadethepatrolsuspicioussotheMajorisaskedhowtheDodgersmadeoutin1944.TheMajorhesitates,buttheSergeantintherearseatasksHollywhoBettyGrableismarriedto.Montalbanshoutsback,CesarRomero.TheMajorsaysRomeroisout.BettyGrableismarriedtoHarryJames.Thetenseatmosphererelaxes.Thepatrolisconvincedtheyrefriendly.Whatisdisplayedauthenticallyonthisstudiosoundstageistheicy,bone-chillingatmosphereofthebattlefield.Themenhunkereddown;thedeeperthebetter,intheirfoxholes.Throughoutnearlyallthismoviethereistheconstantriseandfallinthebackgroundofcontinuousartilleryfire,likearollingthunder.Itneverseemstocease.Sometimesitsclose,sometimesdistant.That,alongwiththefreezingfoghanginglikeathickwhitish-greyblanketintheair,envelopingeverything,givesoffanatmosphereofcrisis;afeelingoffearfultension.Themenendeavourtodispelthefearwithhumour.Waitingandwonderingwhentheenemywillappearghost-likeoutofthemist-shroudedforest.Neartheendofthemovie,LeonAmesgivesagoodperformanceasaArmyChaplain.TryingtoexplainthereasonforthisnecessarytriptoEurope,tokilloffamurderouspoliticalsystemthathasalreadykilledoffmillions.Beforetheend,thetablesturnintheAlliesfavour.SergeantKinnienoticeshisshadowagainstthesnow.Thesunisbreakingthroughandthemistrises.Alliedtacticalairpowerisbackinbusinessagainwithavengeance.VeterandirectorWilliamWellmanwasnotfoundwantingwhenhedirectedthismovie.Hehadalreadyprovedhimselfwith,TheStoryofGIJoe,in1945.Antiwarfilm?Anywarfilmwellmadeandconvincingcanbeantiwar,andyoudonotneedbloodalloverthesilverscreentoproveit.Antiwarornot,WorldWarTwowasapopularwar.Thereasonsstuckoutamile.TheArmyChaplainsaidsoinsomanywords.TheArdennesoffensivecaughttheAlliesunawares.Bylate1944,batteredtheGermanforcesmayhavebeen.ButtheystillhadafewnastyshotsintheirlockertoscarethelivingdaylightsoutoftheAlliedCommand.WethoughttheGermanshadrunoutoffightingsteam,butoldFieldMarshalGerdVonRundstedtthoughtdifferent.
