Good but not great sequel to the much slicker and more entertaining "Battle of Neretva". This one has fewer international stars, just Richard Burton as Tito (!), Irene Papas in a throwaway role, and a few recognizable German actors like Gunter Meissner and Anton Diffring. The bulk of the cast are Yugoslavian actors, many of whom were also in Neretva but I assume played different characters (one guy got shot at least 5 times by a Chetnik in Neretva but here he seems just fine). It's not exactly a sequel, but presents the logical next big event after the Neretva battle, and the cinematographer and military supervisors are the same.
The Pro's: Lots of breathtaking scenery in the high-altitude national parks of the Balkans (which are historically where a lot of the battle really took place). The music by Mikis Theodorakis (Serpico) is excellent. There are numerous battle scenes with lots of pyrotechnics... around a dozen German planes flying in formation (the air attacks are the high points) and 3 mock-up Tiger tanks (though obviously T-34s underneath). Good, sincere performances on the part of most of the actors.
The Con's: Burton seems to sleepwalk through his performance it's so congratulatory to the glory of Tito (who was still alive at the time this movie was made) that it's dull-as-dishwater to watch. He has no personality or character beyond an obsession for taking care of the wounded. The directing is barely adequate with a lot of the dialog flatly staged and uninteresting. The scope is a lot less comprehensive; the Italians and NDH are barely alluded to. The final battle is a ridiculous steamroll over the evil (but inept) Germans.
Here comes to one of my pet peeves in war movies: idiotic portrayal of the German army. They are more like zombies than soldiers, marching forward firing 'Revolutionary War'-style with no semblance of tactics involved. And when their comrades die the other soldiers continue walking like nothing happened, and their "strong points" don't seem too terribly well (or enthusiastically) defended. Although the officers are played by Germans, the bulk of the enlistees look very Slavic, and it's hard to forget that you're watching Yugoslavians play Germans.
The English version curiously has the Germans speaking (dubbed) German but not subtitled... which nearly spoils possibly the best scene in the movie where the Germans kill a Partisan's son (he lost all 4 of his others previously in the fighting). One soldier raises his MP40 to kill the father, but then his sly-looking NCO holds him back and says something to the fact like "let him live, it's worse punishment for him". That scene, for me, made it all worthwhile. However, the English version is missing the scene where the Germans massacre the 6,000 (mostly wounded) Partisans that Tito left behind.
Would be a nice DVD to pick up, but only if uncut and widescreen.
The Pro's: Lots of breathtaking scenery in the high-altitude national parks of the Balkans (which are historically where a lot of the battle really took place). The music by Mikis Theodorakis (Serpico) is excellent. There are numerous battle scenes with lots of pyrotechnics... around a dozen German planes flying in formation (the air attacks are the high points) and 3 mock-up Tiger tanks (though obviously T-34s underneath). Good, sincere performances on the part of most of the actors.
The Con's: Burton seems to sleepwalk through his performance it's so congratulatory to the glory of Tito (who was still alive at the time this movie was made) that it's dull-as-dishwater to watch. He has no personality or character beyond an obsession for taking care of the wounded. The directing is barely adequate with a lot of the dialog flatly staged and uninteresting. The scope is a lot less comprehensive; the Italians and NDH are barely alluded to. The final battle is a ridiculous steamroll over the evil (but inept) Germans.
Here comes to one of my pet peeves in war movies: idiotic portrayal of the German army. They are more like zombies than soldiers, marching forward firing 'Revolutionary War'-style with no semblance of tactics involved. And when their comrades die the other soldiers continue walking like nothing happened, and their "strong points" don't seem too terribly well (or enthusiastically) defended. Although the officers are played by Germans, the bulk of the enlistees look very Slavic, and it's hard to forget that you're watching Yugoslavians play Germans.
The English version curiously has the Germans speaking (dubbed) German but not subtitled... which nearly spoils possibly the best scene in the movie where the Germans kill a Partisan's son (he lost all 4 of his others previously in the fighting). One soldier raises his MP40 to kill the father, but then his sly-looking NCO holds him back and says something to the fact like "let him live, it's worse punishment for him". That scene, for me, made it all worthwhile. However, the English version is missing the scene where the Germans massacre the 6,000 (mostly wounded) Partisans that Tito left behind.
Would be a nice DVD to pick up, but only if uncut and widescreen.