Saints and Soldiers (2003)
Country: US
Technical: col/scope 90m
Director: Ryan Little
Cast: Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Kirby Heyborne, Lawrence Bagby, Peter Holden
Synopsis:
During the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, four American soldiers escape the massacre of Malmedy and happen upon a British pilot, shot down and in possession of information vital to the maintenance of the Allied advance.
Review:
A sort of low-budget Saving Private Ryan, though this is in no way to diminish the achievement of a smart little war film set during an episode familiar from other films. The ragtag band is a collection of war movie clichés - avuncular Sarge, traumatised, morally conscious soldier, overweight greenhorn, cynical Brooklyn MO - but it is fair to say the performances transcend these limitations and only one or two scenes strike one as schematised or contrived (though the British accent of the pilot is awfully bad). Outstandingly shot in wintry conditions with, apparently, real German hardware, and - a rarity these days - nice and short.
Country: US
Technical: col/scope 90m
Director: Ryan Little
Cast: Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Kirby Heyborne, Lawrence Bagby, Peter Holden
Synopsis:
During the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, four American soldiers escape the massacre of Malmedy and happen upon a British pilot, shot down and in possession of information vital to the maintenance of the Allied advance.
Review:
A sort of low-budget Saving Private Ryan, though this is in no way to diminish the achievement of a smart little war film set during an episode familiar from other films. The ragtag band is a collection of war movie clichés - avuncular Sarge, traumatised, morally conscious soldier, overweight greenhorn, cynical Brooklyn MO - but it is fair to say the performances transcend these limitations and only one or two scenes strike one as schematised or contrived (though the British accent of the pilot is awfully bad). Outstandingly shot in wintry conditions with, apparently, real German hardware, and - a rarity these days - nice and short.
Country: US
Technical: col/scope 90m
Director: Ryan Little
Cast: Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Kirby Heyborne, Lawrence Bagby, Peter Holden
Synopsis:
During the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, four American soldiers escape the massacre of Malmedy and happen upon a British pilot, shot down and in possession of information vital to the maintenance of the Allied advance.
Review:
A sort of low-budget Saving Private Ryan, though this is in no way to diminish the achievement of a smart little war film set during an episode familiar from other films. The ragtag band is a collection of war movie clichés - avuncular Sarge, traumatised, morally conscious soldier, overweight greenhorn, cynical Brooklyn MO - but it is fair to say the performances transcend these limitations and only one or two scenes strike one as schematised or contrived (though the British accent of the pilot is awfully bad). Outstandingly shot in wintry conditions with, apparently, real German hardware, and - a rarity these days - nice and short.