Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Pluskylang Great Film overall

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

jacobs-greenwood Directed by William Wellman, and written by Robert Pirosh, this essential war film details the plight of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division, trapped in the Ardennes Forest near Bastogne, Belgium during the "Battle of the Bulge", created by the Germans last ditch Panzer tank advance during World War II. Pirosh (who wrote from his own experiences) received a Best Writing Oscar for his Story & Screenplay; Paul Vogel's B&W Cinematography also won an Academy Award. The film, director Wellman, John Dunning's Editing, and Supporting Actor James Whitmore were also nominated.This "soldier's story" begins by establishing the relationships between the veteran Army personnel whose job is nearly done, such that they are about to venture to Paris for some rest and relaxation before going home, that have just been joined by some of their replacements. Under Sergeant Walowicz's (Bruce Cowling) and Sergeant Kinnie's (Whitmore) command are Pfc. Holley (Van Johnson), and Privates Jarvess (John Hodiak), Roderigues (Ricardo Montalban), Stazak (George Murphy), Spudler (Jerome Courtland), Standiferd (Don Taylor), Kippton (Douglas Fowley), Hansan (Herbert Anderson), Bettis (Richard Jaeckel), and Garby (James Arness). Privates Layton (Marshall Thompson) and Hooper (Scotty Beckett) represent the replacements, the latter joining another company in which he is killed shortly after the action begins. Thompson's character serves as the narrative voice, the story being told through his eyes. Layton is at first the innocent, optimistic rookie who's looking forward to the experience, which inevitably changes him into a cigarette smoking, cynical veteran.Though there is the requisite amount of action in this war movie, it's the human stories of the men themselves, and their relationships to one another, which gives this film its strength, and has an impact on the viewer. Each of the soldiers have their distinguishing characteristics: Whitmore's tobacco spitting Sergeant is hobbled by frozen feet; Johnson's Holley tries to enjoy the moment as much as possible and eventually finds himself promoted when Walowicz is injured; Jarvess is annoyed by those who don't take everything as seriously as he, including his foxhole mate; Roderigues is the ethnic character from Los Angeles who's never seen snow until it covers their encampment; Kippton has false teeth which he clicks, clacks, and even "loses" on occasion, conveniently; Hansan initiates their defense in a foggy battle during which he is injured and then taken to a supply-less medical facility in the city; the ever present war film actor Jaeckel has a minor role as the Company's cook; and Pop Stazak finds himself surrounded in the forest as he receives his paperwork to confirming his civilian status. Leon Ames plays a brief, but memorable role as the Chaplin who gives the men their Christmas prayer amidst the conflict, during a time when their plight seems hopeless.The Germans are shown rather briefly, and primarily as English speaking soldiers posing as Americans to infiltrate the Allied lines. After they've surrounded the 101st Airborne Division, some German Officers carrying a white flag are shown to be confused after receiving the U.S. Army Commander's message of "nuts!" to their request for his surrender.Knowing what happens in the end is to know your history.

hangten1066 The black and white photography, simplicity, cast, acting and writing make this one of my favorite war films. It's the little things that make this film great. Screenwriter Robert Pirosh based this story on his experiences as an infantryman during the Battle of the Bulge. As a Vietnam War veteran, this film captures World War II and the era in a realistic manner. I have rarely seen a film where every actor was good as in Battleground. The standout performance, though all were outstanding, was James Whitmore, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Battleground was nominated for Best Picture of 1950 and could very well have won if it were not for "All the Kings Men," regarded by some as one of the best films ever made. William Wellman's direction was superb and he was an Oscar nominee. Battleground has a rare quality of being a well written drama made into a great film. Pirosh won an Oscar for Best Screen Play. Interestingly, another of my top 10 war films, "Twelve O'Clock High" with Gregory Peck was also nominated in 1950 for Best Picture of the Year. Peck's performance was Oscar worthy but Best Actor went to Broderick Crawford in "All the King's Men". 1950 was quite a year for outstanding war films as John Wayne was nominated for Best Actor for "Sands of Iwo Jima."

wes-connors In the waning months of World War II, a group of war-weary American soldiers fight off The Third Reich's second wind. "Battleground" suffered from a lot of backstage studio machinations, but rose to become one of the most critical and popular success stories of the era. It starts with a fine script from Robert Pirosh, who manages to make the otherwise stereotypical characters human. Drawing on his own experiences, Mr. Pirosh is able to covey the soldiers' reluctance, determination, love and sacrifice. The fighting men seem theatrical, but real. And, war veterans William Wellman (director) and Paul Vogel (cinematographer) know how to put over Pirosh's thesis. Their final argument is superfluous, but does not undermine anything - the trip was necessary, as was entering this war.********* Battleground (11/9/49) William A. Wellman ~ Van Johnson, John Hodiak, James Whitmore, Marshall Thompson

Spikeopath Dedicated to the battered bastards of Bastogne, this major player in the war film genre is directed by William Wellman & tells the story of a U.S. Army division involved in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. The terrific cast features George Murphy, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, Van Johnson and James Whitmore. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and won two: one for Robert Pirosh's bold and fluctuating screenplay and one for Paul Vogel's realism inducing black-and-white cinematography.Battleground is an important war film in many ways. Coming as it did at the tail end of the 40s, it was not required to be a flag waving morale booster for a country at war. Free of this burden, Wellman & Pirosh {an actual veteran of the Bastogne engagement}, crafted a grunts eye view of the war. Forcing us the viewers to spend the whole of the movie with one army squad {the 101st Airborne Divsion}, we get to know them, their fears & peccadilloes etc. Pirosh cleverly telling it as it was, scared men doing their duty. It's that we have been with them as their persona's have been laid bare, that makes the battle sequences even more potent. The jokes have stopped, the camaraderie and harmless rivalries replaced by men crying for their mothers or in some mud hole fighting for their lives. This snow covered, and fog shrouded part of Belgium a bleak canvas for the harshness of war {amazingly shot on the lot}. It's a stunningly structured film, one that doesn't resort to type, it subverts the many war film plot developments that are rife in genre pieces that both preceded and came post its release.The cast are uniformly strong, and all get get ample time to impact on the narrative. Something that isn't always the case with ensemble pieces. Somebody else was strong too, Producer Dore Schary, who had to fight an unconvinced Louis B. Mayer {MGM head man} to get the film made. Schary's faith in the piece was rewarded as the film became a critical darling and a box office winner. It's not hard to see why for this is a realistic and gritty look at the hardships of war and those that fought in it. Influencing many that followed it by entertaining without gusto histrionics, Battleground is still very much a template war film. 8.5/10