THE ELITE EIGHT!

A BRIDGE TOO FAR (5) vs. CROSS OF IRON (7)

REALISM:

         “A Bridge Too Far” is the true story of the ill-fated Operation Market Garden. The movie focuses on the command level and is based on a well-researched book by Cornelius Ryan. The movie gives balanced coverage to the opposing sides. It is very realistic in portraying how plans do not survive the initiation of battle. It also does a good job of depicting that the worst case scenario will often trump wishful thinking. On an historical note, the movie proves that Montgomery was very unrealistic when he assumed a British armored unit could bash its way to Arnhem over one road.

          “Cross of Iron” attempts to portray combat on the Eastern Front during the period when things were collapsing for the Wehrmacht. The nature of the combat is realistically portrayed. It is desperate and nightmarish. The main characters are stock, but they did exist in the German army. The movie does include a highly unrealistic (although entertaining) scene involving Russian women soldiers. Steiner’s unit treats them as respected enemies when in reality the German army was particularly vile towards female combatants. The ending confrontation between Steiner and Stransky is also unrealistic.

FIRST QUARTER SCORE:
Bridge 10
Cross    7

DIALOGUE:

          Much of the dialogue in “Bridge” is straight from the book. This means it is true to what the historical persons said. William Goldman, an Academy Award winning screenwriter adapted the book. The dialogue is not pompous although much of it comes from the mouths of generals. Best line: “Ah, I suppose you're wondering why I called you here. I want to tell you that I've decided to cross the river like George Washington; standing in the prow of the boat.” (Maj. Cook (Robert Redford) before the river crossing)

         “Cross” had three screenwriters. The dialogue takes a back seat to the action, but the verbal confrontations between the main characters are well done. Steiner has some cynical gems, Stransky gets to be upper class snobbish, and Kiesel is wearily realistic about the war. Best line: “I believe God is a sadist, but probably doesn't even know it.” (Steiner)

FIRST HALF SCORE:
Bridge      18
Cross        15

SOLDIER BEHAVIOR:

         “Bridge” does not have a lot of soldier behavior. If you are looking for how generals behave, this is the movie for you. The only notable enlisted man is Sgt. Eddie Dohun (James Caan). Supposedly director Richard Attenborough put the extras through the first pre-war movie boot camp and it shows as the actions by the soldiers is a big improvement over Old School movies. Although mostly anonymous, the soldiers act like soldiers in battle

         “Cross” is a small unit movie and quite a bit of time is spent with German grunts. It turns out they are pretty much like regular soldiers in any army in WWII (well, maybe not the Japanese). Their interaction in their dugout rings true. They love each other (except for the Nazi stoolie). They do their duty resignedly and are fighting for each other, not for Hitler. Steiner makes a point of saying he hates all officers.

THIRD QUARTER SCORE:
Bridge       25
Cross         23

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE:

         “Bridge” is an epic war movie about one of the most fascinating campaigns of WWII. It has an all-star cast and the acting is very good. There are big, well-staged battle scenes and if you don’t already know the story, some suspense. The only drawback is that it does cover a loss which means there is no happy ending. If you are not a war movie fan or admire historical accuracy, the movie could leave you cold.

        “Cross” is a very different movie than “Bridge”. It is not as clinical. It is grimy and gritty like war can be. It is also packed with amazingly visceral combat and a great central character. Steiner is one of war movies’ best anti-heroes. The problem is that you have to be into Peckinpah style violence. The movie is certainly not aimed at females.

FINAL SCORE:
A BRIDGE TOO FAR         32
CROSS OF IRON                31

COLOR ANALYSIS:

          Very interesting match-up between two very different movies. Basically “Bridge” won because it was slightly better at being an epic battle reenactment than “Cross” is at being a combat film. If you like both films, you are a true war movie lover.

 

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1) vs. MERRILL’S MARAUDERS (13)

REALISM:

          “Saving Private Ryan” was lauded as the most realistic combat film ever made. The opening scene on Omaha Beach is truly the closest audiences have come to the realities of an amphibious assault. Actual amputees were used for the numerous dismemberments. The closing scene is similar in its attempts to put you in the middle of combat and although it has some flaws (the tanks not using their machine guns, for instance), it is also better than any previous cinematic combat. The FUBAR nature of the mission certainly rings true. The movie has some problems with plausibility (e.g., the recurring German).

          “Merrill’s Marauders” is actually pretty realistic for a 1962 Old School movie. The soldiers are sweaty, grimy, and exhausted (although not enough). However, the deaths are silly and the combat is tactically unsound.

FIRST QUARTER SCORE:
Saving Private Ryan         9
Merrill’s Marauders        7

DIALOGUE:

          “Saving Private Ryan” is not remembered for its dialogue. In fact, in one of the most powerful scenes (when Mrs. Ryan is notified about her sons’ deaths), there is not a spoken word. The movie does have some nice dialogue. Robert Rodat’s script was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Much of the dialogue is terse and the most famous line is simply: “Earn this.” The monologues are well done, especially when Wade describes pretending to be asleep when his mother would come home and when Miller finally reveals his previous life. Best line: “This Ryan better be worth it. He'd better go home and cure some disease or invent a longer-lasting lightbulb or something. 'Cause the truth is, I wouldn't trade 10 Ryans for one Vecchio or one Caparzo.” (Miller)

          “Merrill’s Marauders” is average in dialogue. Although Samuel Fuller wrote some of it, it is not as gritty as you would hope. In fact, some of it is pretty trite. The movie closes with the doctor saying: “What sort of men are these? How can they do it? But they did it”. Gag! The soldier chatter is particularly lame, but thankfully sparse. The most memorable line is Merrill’s inspirational: “When you’re at the end of your rope all you have to do is have one foot step out in front of the other.”

FIRST HALF SCORE:
Saving Private Ryan      18
Merrill’s Marauders      14

SOLDIER BEHAVIOR:

          SPR is famous for the boot camp the actors were put through by Dale Dye in preparation for their roles. Matt Damon (Ryan) was purposely left out so he would be treated subconsciously as an outsider. For a movie that attempts to be as close to reality as possible, the actors do not come off as like they are playing army men. They gripe a lot and question the mission. They do not want to accept the new guy (Upham) and never really bond with him. They respect Capt. Miller, but only grudgingly follow him when he issues questionable orders.

         MM also highlights the typical soldier grousing. Both films include the realistic “why us again?” whining. The best scene is when Lt. Stockton reveals to his platoon that they are not going on R&R and instead have a long slog ahead of them. The men wander off dejectedly. Their interaction has some forced dysfunctionality involving a jerk named “Chowhound”. The lack of noise discipline is a disconcerting behavior.

THIRD QUARTER SCORE:
Saving Private Ryan      26
Merrill’s Marauders      20

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE:

         SPR was a huge success. It was the highest grossing domestic film of the year. It’s appeal cut across many demographic groups. Although there are no female characters, many women enjoyed the movie. Although some have complained about plot contrivances, there is no debate that Spielberg is a master at manipulating the emotions of his audiences. Unlike many of his later efforts, SPR is fairly constrained in this aspect. The blend of intense combat with a human interest story was masterful.

         MM is above average entertainment, but is mainly aimed at war movie lovers. The film wears well in a classic war film way. It does not break any new ground and what it does to entertain the audience is standard, but effective. Viewing it will leave you satisfied, but unlikely to stay in the theater for a second viewing. And I doubt there was much buzz surrounding the film.

FINAL SCORE:
Saving Private Ryan      35
Merrill’s Marauders      27

COLOR ANALYSIS:

         This match-up went as expected. SPR is just too talent-laden for a mid-major like MM. In virtually any category, SPR is easily superior. It will take a special film to take down the #1 seed, not an above average Old School classic.

 

THE BIG RED ONE (3) vs. WHEN TRUMPETS FADE (9)

REALISM:

          Although semi-autobiographical, “The Big Red Line” is chock full of implausibilities. It is not realistic that a competent sergeant would not have been promoted after three years of combat. It is unrealistic that the four main squad members would not even suffer a wound in three years. Helping a woman give birth in a tank. Old German villagers blocking the path of armed American soldiers. A soldier eating with them in the Ardennes turns out to be a German plant. Their paths cross several times with the same bad Nazi. Not to mention virtually all the combat scenes. Compare BR1’s Huertgen Forest scene with the one’s in “When Trumpets Fade”.

         “When Trumpets Fade” is billed as a grittily realistic view of the Battle of Huertgen Forest. While BR1 takes a decidedly light approach to the war, WTF (just a coincidence) is relentlessly grim. The war in Europe for a rifle squad was somewhere in the middle, but certainly closer to what is depicted in “Trumpets” than what is shown in BR1. It is probably unrealistic for an openly reluctant warrior like Manning to get promoted, much less for him to lead daring missions behind enemy lines. However, the hellish nature of the terrain and the attritive combat is close to what one of the most horrendous battles of WWII was like. Compare the artillery fire here to that of BR1. This movie also has a bad Nazi character, but his appearances are limited and plausible.

FIRST QUARTER SCORE:
The Big Red One                6
When Trumpet’s Fade       8

DIALOGUE:

          BR1’s dialogue could best be described as sappy. Watch the tank birthing scene and see if you don’t cringe. The movie includes such gems as “Did I kill the guy who killed me?” (Kaiser – the dead meat replacement who survived long enough for you to wonder.) “Ben Franklin was never in a rifle squad”. (Griff) And of course the crème de la crème is: “You’re gonna live even if I have to blow your brains out.” (Moe Howard - I mean the Sarge) Much of the soldier dialogue is satisfactory and Zab’s narration is appropriate for a hack writer. Best line: “I’m sane… I’m one of you.” (one of the insane asylum inmates as he sprays bullets from a machine gun)

          “Trumpets” is from the VioLingo school which means it tries to get soldier lingo down. You hear lines like “get your s*** together” and “I’m not taking a bullet for anybody” (Manning). The dialogue would best be described as cynical. The interplay between the soldier’s is the opposite of Old School films like “A Walk in the Sun” (which has great dialogue) although interestingly “Trumpets” cribs the “nobody dies” mantra. Best line: “This is your first big chance to stay alive; don’t f*** it up.” (Manning to Sanderson)

HALF TIME SCORE:
The Big Red One                12
When Trumpets Fade        17

SOLDIER BEHAVIOR:

           One of the strengths of BR1 is the way the soldiers behave seems authentic. The bond between the “four horsemen” is typical of those forged in battle. They rib each other a lot and look out for each other. This is typical of American soldiers in any war. Their ostracism of replacements is a common attitude for seasoned vets. One of the men (Griff) can’t kill in combat (studies have shown this was common). Another (Vinci) gets upset when he, a veteran, is put on point. Overall, not bad.

           “Trumpets” has a lot of Vietnam-type soldier behavior which may seem anachronistic until you realize that the Battle of Huertgen Forest probably caused the kind of cynical, survivalistic behavior we normally associate with Vietnam. The soldier’s realize they are cannon fodder, but they grudgingly follow orders. Sometimes they panic and run. Some of them crack under the stress of combat (another similarity to the otherwise tonally opposite “Walk in the Sun”).

THIRD QUARTER SCORE:
The Big Red One                20
When Trumpets Fade        25

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE:

            If you can suspend reality, BR1 is a pretty entertaining movie. It is a series of vignettes involving some likeable characters. It has a good blend of combat, camaraderie, and corn pone. It takes the comfort of Old School and adds a little bit of modern so it can appeal to the Baby Boomers. For those with limited attention spans the scenes are bite sized and varied.

           “Trumpets” is a made for HBO movie and is not well known. I saw it when it was originally put in HBO rotation and was amazed at how good it was considering the limited budget. The movie is clearly not aimed at a mass audience. No female appears in the film. It’s main character is a modern anti-hero who is not likeable. If you are a war movie lover, it is a revelation. It is different and passionate in its desire to be iconoclastic. The opening and closing are powerful. In between, it packs in great performances and visceral action.

FINAL SCORE:
The Big Red One              27
When Trumpets Fade      34

COLOR ANALYSIS:

           On paper this was an upset, but it should not come as a surprise as BR1 was clearly overrated at #3 and “Trumpets” was equally underrated at #9. Members of the war movie lovers’ community will probably not be shocked by the results and some probably won a lot of money from rubes who were taken in by Fuller’s magnus opus and were not familiar with the obscure “Trumpets”.

 

THE LONGEST DAY (2) vs. ATTACK! (11)

REALISM:

            “The Longest Day” was constrained in reality because of what was acceptable in 1962. Because it closely covers a non-fiction war classic, the events are realistically depicted, but the combat is too tame. Just compare TLD’s Omaha Beach landing to the gold standard set by “Saving Private Ryan”. Still, if you added blood, the combat scenes could fit well in a modern war movie. The action scenes are a bit simplistic and not as chaotic and confusing as the real thing, but at least the film tries to show this in a 1962 sort of way.

             “Attack!” is based on a play which means it was not originally designed to be realistic in its action scenes. It does a pretty good job in spite of that. The attack on the house on the edge of town is realistic in tactics. The German counterattack (supposedly during the Battle of the Bulge) is not representative of that battle, but that was not the point. One would hope the dysfunctionality in the unit is exaggerated and not typical of the Army. However, you have to assume there were officers like Cooney and Bartlett. Nepotism and incompetence can be found in any job. You can see why the Army would have felt the depiction of the officers was unrealistic. I don’t think fragging was a common solution to officer problems in WWII. That part of the plot would have been more comfortable in a Vietnam War movie.

FIRST QUARTER SCORE:
The Longest Day     8
Attack!                     6

DIALOGUE:

             Much of the dialogue in TLD comes directly from the book which means the screenwriters (who included Cornelius Ryan) were often directly quoting the real persons depicted in the movie. Since soldiers (even generals) are not noted for their speaking ability, much of the dialogue can best be described as workmanlike. This movie is far from being a play. The good thing is there is little pontificating in the film. It was made long enough after the war to where it did not have to be patriotic or propagandistic. Best line: "He's dead. I'm crippled. You're lost. Do you suppose it's always like that? I mean war." (Flight Officer Campbell)

              The two biggest strengths of “Attack!” are the acting and the dialogue. Since it was based on a play, the words have to do some heavy lifting. The dialogue can best be described as biting, especially coming from Costa. “ Listen to me, Cooney! If you put me and my men in a wringer - -if you send us out there and let us hang - -I swear, I swear by all that's holy, I'll come back. I'll come back and take this grenade and shove it down your throat and pull the pin!”

FIRST HALF SCORE:
The Longest Day      16
Attack!                      15

SOLDIER BEHAVIOR:

             Once again I have to come back to TLD being based on an admirably well researched book that used many interviews with both the decision makers and the doers. This means the behavior of both the brass and the boots rings true. The pressures of command are a theme that is explored well. The pre-battle activities of the soldiers is realistically depicted. Combat behavior is also well done although since it’s a 1962 film, we see little of the grimier side. The movie is not overly anti-war.

             “Attack!” chooses an unusual situation to create dramatic tension. The main characters are caricatures that service the cynicism of the plot. Within the parameters of the plot, the men behave realistically. A veteran like Costa could have easily said and did the things he did if confronted by a leader like Cooney. The behavior of the unit members, who were in a sense caught in the middle, makes sense.

THIRD QUARTER SCORE:
The Longest Day      25
Attack!                      22

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE:

              “The Longest Day” was a huge box office success and is fondly recalled fifty years later. It does not underestimate the intelligence of the viewers. The first 53 minutes are background to the invasion. That opening third flows smoothly and is not pedantic. The jumping around between the two sides and the brief introductions of the grunts that will be focused on is very effective. Once the combat kicks in the movie masterfully blends the brass perspective with the enlisted views. The common soldiers that the film follows (e.g., Schultz, Pluskat, Fuller, Steele) are all appealing characters. It is one of the few Old School movies that you can say would not be improved with a modern treatment.

             “Attack!” is entertaining partly because it is different. The combat is pedestrian, but the acting and dialogue make up for it. Jack Palance as Costa is mesmerizing and he is ably supported by some other capable actors like Lee Marvin and Eddie Albert (who also appears in TLD). The rest of the cast that includes Buddy Ebsen, Robert Strauss, William Smithers, and Richard F’in Jaekel (of course) add to the entertainment value. It is a movie that stays with you and few war movie lovers would regret seeing it.

FINAL SCORE:

The Longest Day     35
Attack!                     30

COLOR ANALYSIS:

               This was a very intriguing match-up. A epic versus what would pass today for an independent film. A movie that could almost be described as pro-war versus a movie that was not only anti-war, but anti-Army. It is a testament to the war movie genre that two movies so drastically different can coexist and be loved by the same people. There is a place for both in the canon. “Attack!” had a good run in the tournament, but midnight finally gonged for the Cinderella. It can take some consolation from the recognition it got and hopefully more people will become acquainted with this must-see film.

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1) vs. MERRILL'S MARAUDERS (16)

VS.

 

 



SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1) vs. GUADALCANAL DIARY (16)
ACTING:

         The acting in “Saving Private Ryan” is very good. Tom Hanks was nominated for Best Actor (he unbelievably lost to Roberto Benigni; the second biggest head-scratcher of the 1999 Academy Awards) and it is a nuanced portrayal of a reluctant warrior. The supporting cast is strong and there are no weak performances. Even Vin Diesel (thankfully not in the film long enough to do damage) ups his game and dies well. Speaking of which, SPR has the highest quality of death scenes that I have seen in a war movie.

          “Guadalcanal Diary” is a small unit movie with the usual suspects from 1940s war movies. William Bendix (“Taxi”) provides the comic relief, Anthony Quinn (“Soose”) is the ethnic character, LLoyd Nolan (Sgt. Malone) is the tough sergeant, Preston Foster (Father Donnelly) is the “father” figure. Most importantly, Richard F’in Jaeckel (“Chicken”) makes his acting debut. The acting is average. No one stands out, but no one embarrasses themselves either. They all make their country proud.

FIRST QUARTER SCORE:
Saving Private Ryan 10
Guadalcanal Diary     7

CLICHES:  

          SPR was lauded for creating a new style war movie when it came out and many of the masses swallowed this analysis. In reality, it merely puts a different spin on the classic war movie template. It is after all a hero leading a small unit on a mission. The hero is forced to assume command. The unit is heterogeneous with the ethnic dude (the Jew Mellish), the gruff sergeant (Horvath), the griper (Reiben), the humane medic (Wade), the religious bumpkin (sniper Jackson), and the newbie (Upham). Possibly as a joke (I hope) Spielberg even has Reiben‘s jacket labeled “Brooklyn”. That is either hilarious or pathetic. There is a conflict within the group between Reiben and Horvath that is resolved by external pressure. There is a ritual recalling the peaceful past (listening to the song on the gramophone). The movie clearly alternates from combat to rest/exposition. The movie does lack a redemption character.

          It is a little unfair to criticize GD for clichés when they were fresh for back then. It some ways it helped establish the template. However, it must be pointed out that many of the plot elements and characters had already been established by WWI movies like “All Quiet” and “The Lost Patrol”. It starts with a thank you to the USMC. There is a heterogeneous group (see above). There is an observer (the war correspondent, although he is underused). There is a mascot (a little dog). Episodes alternate between opposites (action to rest). Rituals like preparing weapons and mail call occur. They leave the battle as a new unit comes in. However, there is no reluctant leader or redemption character so it could have been worse.

HALF TIME SCORE:
Saving Private Ryan 16
Guadalcanal Diary   14

PLOT:

          SPR combines two standard war movie plot tropes. The first half is the patrol on a mission and the second half is a last stand. Both segments incorporate the “who will survive?” angle. Although not groundbreaking as far as those tried and true elements, the way the screenwriter handles them is quite good. The objective is certainly outside the box- a mission to rescue one soldier. The plot is very manipulative of the audience and takes advantage the non-war movie veterans who would find much of it fresh. It pulls all the emotional strings reaching a crescendo at the end. It throws in a German character to link key scenes and contive the ending. As ridiculously implausible as this arc is, it is not embarrassing like in “The Big Red One”. The flow from action to rest is very smooth. It is a real roller coaster ride, in a good way.

          GD is based on the famous non-fiction book by Richard Tregaski. This is part of the problem. The book is boring and the movie is too loyal to it. It flows from non-action to action, but it is not a roller coaster ride because the combat is brief and unsatisfying. The plot is more about character development, but you can have more balance between that and action than this film provides.

THIRD QUARTER SCORE:
Saving Private Ryan      24
Guadalcanal Diary         19

COMBAT:

          Although incorrectly credited with modernizing the war movie plot, SPR can be credited with taking war movie combat to a new level of realism. It is popular these days to downplay the greatness of the movie, but the opening scene is still the most amazing combat scene ever filmed and has not been topped after fifteen years and many challengers. That one scene will be remembered as a seminal moment in war movie history. It’s easy to forget that many WWII veterans vetted that scene as the closest cinema has come to the real thing. I also would like to remind everyone that Dale Dye was the technical advisor. What sometimes is overlooked is that the movie also has a great combat set piece at the end. The choreography of this intense last stand is laudable. The violence is as graphic as the opening plus the deaths are more emotional.

            The Battle of Guadalcanal was one of the most intense battles of the Pacific. You certainly would not get that impression from this movie. The unit lands on the first day (which granted was a day without much action in actuality) and they stay until Nov. 10. They are stationed at the air field which was under consistent attack throughout the period they were on the island. That was more than three months. In the actual campaign there were several noteworthy battles and yet the movie does little to recreate them. In fact, at one point the narrator refers to “weeks of constant fighting” which is news to the audience. Granted, the movie is not about combat. However, what little combat there is is underwhelming to say the least. There is the mission to capture a Japanese unit that results in an ambush with only one survivor and two hot pursuit type attacks that are brief and totally old school. It is asking too much for a 1943 movie to replicate the combat of SPR, but it is not asking too much for it to emulate “Wake Island” or “Bataan”.

FINAL SCORE:
Saving Private Ryan      34
Guadalcanal Diary        24

COLOR ANALYSIS:

          As with all #1 vs. #16 match-ups, this was a mismatch. You can say what you want about the sappiness of “Saving Private Ryan”, but its stronger elements overwhelmed “Guadalcanal Diary”. GD is a nice little movie and should be thankful just for making the tournament. In this case, David never had a chance against Goliath.

P.S. It's a lucky thing for SPR that the match did not end in a tie because I would have to give the edge to GD for its amazing poster. OMG I shirtless Marine hoisting a squirming "squint-eyed monkey" over his head! Priceless.

THE ELITE EIGHT

Saving Private Ryan (1) vs. Merrill's Marauders (13)
A Bridge Too Far (5) vs.  Cross of Iron (7)
The Longest Day (2) vs.  Attack! (11)
The Bug Red One (3) vs.  When Trumpets Fade (9)

MARCH WAR MOVIE LEADERSHIP WATCHALONG: 12 O'Clock High

 

 

1. Was Maj. Gen. Pritchard right to relieve Davenport?

Pritchard feels that Davenport is a "first rate guy" and respects him, but after Savage puts a bug in his ear and he goes to observe Davenport, he determines that he "overidentifies" with his men. The last straw is Davenport's refusal to can the navigator that caused the unit to be late on target which resulted in heavy losses. Davenport does the right thing in assuming responsibility, but Pritchard needs a tougher commander apparently.

I personally think the decision was premature based on the facts presented to the general. Were there a surplus of good commanders at the time to where you could remove someone as good as Davenport? How about a forced leave or at least a talk about tough love? With that said, once the movie has Savage replace Davenport, it reveals that the group was poorly disciplined. Now that would have been a good reason to remove him.

One other thing to ponder? Suppose Davenport had made the decision to go on to the secondary target because he was three minutes late. Would he not have been criticized for not giving the "maximum effort"? Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

2. Describe Savage's leadership style and philosophy

Savage believes in tough love. His arrival is similar to Patton's arrival at II Corps. He accuses Gately of cowardice and puts him in command of The Leper Colony. He meets the crews and proclaims that it is back to basics. He tells them that they need to stop feeling sorry for themselves. They also need to stop thinking about the future. Consider yourself already dead. (The same philosophy as Speirs in "Band of Brothers"!) His whole plan is to build unit pride by being successful on their missions.

3. Was Savage right in how he handled the unit?

Yes. If the "player's coach" is not successful, try the strict disciplinarian and vice versa. If you take the hard ass approach like Savage, lighten up only after you have gained respect. He was right that officers should not be too close to their men. A commander must have the moral courage to accept losses for the greater cause. Of course, moral courage could lead to a mental breakdown.

 

"You're all ready dead"

 

 



 

Check out my review at:  12 O'Clock High

 

APRIL WATCHALONG:  Waterloo

 

1.  Compare the leadership styles of Napoleon and Wellington

 

2.  What strengthes and weaknesses of Napoleon are depicted in the movie?

 

 Part 1 

 

 

THE LONGEST DAY (2) vs. THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE (15)

 

VS.

 

 

THE LONGEST DAY (2) vs.
THE DEVIL’S BRIGADE (15)ACTING:

         “The Longest Day” is the first great battle epic and thus has an international all-star cast. Even though it is the first of many (“A Bridge Too Far”, “Midway”, “Tora Tora! Tora!”, “Battle of the Bulge”, “Battle of Britain”), it still has the most all-starish of casts. Sometimes when you put together so many big names, they just go through the motions. Other times, they compete with each other and try to get the most out of their limited screen time. TLD falls firmly into the second category. It is fun to watch the heavyweights break out the tools of their trade to make impressions on the audience. John Wayne throwing his coffee cup upon news of the green light, Richard Burton emphasizing the term “ack ack”, Robert Mitchum chewing on his cigar, etc. While the big stars idiosyncranize their performances, the movie’s also has star making turns by some B-listers who made the most of their involvement and in the process made their real-life characters famous. Red Buttons as caught-on-the-steeple Steele and Heinz Reincke as the insubordinate Luftwaffe pilot Pips Priller come to mind.

         “The Devil’s Brigade” is one of the “dirty” movies inspired by “The Dirty Dozen” from a year earlier. The acting is a pale imitation of its daddy. William Holden plays the tough father figure Lt. Col. Frederick and he has able support from Cliff Robertson as his second in command Maj. Crown. The movie does not make full use of the potential acting duel. The rest of the cast is B-listers who did not earn promotions from their work. One of them is Richard Jaekel as an acrobatic soldier. Poor decision by the casting director to remind the audience of TDD. You also get several other familiar faces like Claude Akins, Richard Dawson, and Andrew Prine.
FIRST QUARTER SCORE:
The Longest Day          9
The Devil’s Brigade     6

CLICHES:

         Being an epic without a central character or group means TLD is not really susceptible to normal combat movie clichés. It does have some of the characteristics of its battle epic subgenre but then it did establish the subgenre. It bounces back and forth to get both sides’ perspectives. The brass are identified by title cards. So are places and times. It is command-centric, but includes some grunts to give the micropicture. More than most of the epics, by the way. It uses lots of extras and hardware. Kudos for avoiding the pompous score and forcing in a romantic sub-plot.

         TDB could have easily been a parody of the misfit commando unit on a suicide mission. It has the standard command confrontation (Frederick vs. Crown) and an alpha male pissing contest (Rocky vs. Peacock). In fact the movie pats itself on the back for mixing an American unit of criminals with a Canadian unit of well, the opposite. All three confrontations are resolved positively and predictably. There is a redemption figure who goes from cowardly to super-soldier (Andrew Prine as “Handsome”). There is brawl in a bar with local yokels that leads to bonding between the Yanks and Canucks. The unit has to prove its worth to the hide-bound authorities by doing a mini-raid. They succeed by breaking the normal rules of warfare and disobeying orders, naturally.
HALF TIME SCORE:
The Longest Day          17
The Devil’s Brigade     11

PLOT:
          TLD does an outstanding job bringing Cornelius Ryan’s book to the screen. The first fifty minutes are dedicated to introducing the main characters and setting up the invasion. It explores the themes of impatience on the Allied side and complacency on the German side. It builds nicely and is not boring. The scenes are kept short. The movie then shifts into the invasion itself and follows several units starting with the paratroopers. It is a deft blending of command, units, and individuals. The jumping around is not jarring and the plot flows smoothly. The big picture is easy to follow and the individual stories are uniformly interesting. There are even some fleeting, but memorable moments of comic relief. My favorite is when the British war correspondent yells at the wayward carrier pigeons “Damn traitors!” As a reenactment of Operation Overlord, it is spectacular.

         TDB is a poor man’s “The Dirty Dozen” and thus is too predictable. But then again, even if it had come before TDD, it would still be predictable because it’s a war movie that is not interested in breaking any new ground. An undisciplined unit is trained by a tough guy and then goes on a suicide mission behind enemy lines. How original! The entire Americans vs. Canadians premise (although based on an actual unit) is implausible. There is some broad humor of the “you have to be a guy to get it” variety. However, the movie is entertaining if you don’t expect much and it does manage to stay on this side of ridiculous and silly. The narrative arc is a familiar and thus, comforting one. You get what you want.
THIRD QUARTER SCORE:
The Longest Day       27
The Devil’s Brigade  17

COMBAT:
          For a movie that attempts to tell both the big and small, the brass and the boots - TLD has a surprising amount of combat. In fact, it may have the highest percentage of any of the epics. Certainly it has some of the highest quality set pieces. These include the taking of the Orne River Bridge, the paratroop drop into Ste. Mere Eglise, the landing at Omaha, the scaling of Pointe Du Hoc, the assault on Ouistreham, and back to the break-out from Omaha. Each is Old School (and thus not equal to the opening of “Saving Private Ryan”), but are very well done for the time. The combat is large scale even without CGI. Much of it is the standard “guns and grenades” variety with no bullet wounds or blood, but plenty of explosions and intensity.

          TDB has the two set pieces. The first is the capture of the town which is the “sneak and stab” type. It is reminiscent of “The Dirty Dozen”’s war games scenario. Fun, but not particularly suspenseful (since you know if they don’t succeed, the movie is over) and of course utterly unrealistic. The attack up and on Monte la Difensa is surprisingly good. The film saved the best for last. It is an extended battle with lots of fireworks. There is even some cool hand-held camerawork. The violence is moderately graphic and the deaths (including several major characters) are not laughable.
FINAL SCORE:
The Longest Day         36
The Devil’s Brigade    25COLOR ANALYSIS:

          Finally a match-up that went as expected. “The Devil’s Brigade” was lucky to get into the tournament as the selection committee was influenced by some of the fans of the film. The spunky mid-major film was in over its head against the granddaddy of all war movie epics. The talent-laden TLD pummeled the outclassed underdog. Although William Holden, Cliff Robertson, and Richard Jaekel were motivated by having not been recruited by TLD, they were unable to get revenge.