Battleground

"Battleground" is a curious film that came out of Hollywood in 1949. WWII had been over, so the public was not wishing for more war films at the time. Yet, MGM went ahead with this project and gave it to... Full review

"BATTLEGROUND" has the right feel in most ways. The constant pictures of limping soldiers with their feet wrapped in makeshift boot warmers, the generally haggard and scruffy look of the men, the old woman foraging for food at the trash... Full review

Before "Band of Brothers" came out, I considered this the best, most accurate depiction of an infantry unit in action ever, and I still think it has an edge over "Saving Private Ryan" and "Patton" as the greatest World War... Full review

"Battleground" is probably the best movie made about the Battle of the Bulge. After seeing "Band of Brothers", I bought "Battleground" and watched it for the fourth(?) time. I thought the characters were well done. I saw this movie for... Full review

MGM made one of their large studios into a freezing, war-torn hell, and let many of their young stars loose within it for this staggeringly realistic dramatisation on the Battle of the Bulge. As war movies go, this one does... Full review

Battleground (1949) - Director: William A. Wellman A couple of years had passed since the end of the war and Americans were once again ready for another "Give em Hell Harry" approach so MGM took a few of its current... Full review

Battleground is not just a great "war film". It's a great film by any standard in any genre. Depicting the struggles of the 101st Airborne division at the historic Battle of the Bulge, director William Wellman wisely puts the emphasis... Full review

This is the best movie ever made about a democratic society going to war against fascism. The movie perfectly captures the fear and courage of American soldiers in war, fighting not to conquer like the Germans or destroy civilization like... Full review

This is my favorite film about the Battle of the Bulge. The characters are absolutely real, and the story and screenplay are the actual experience of Robert Pirosh who was a member of the 101st Airborne and also the author... Full review

This is not a large scale multi-million dollar epic of World War Two. No thousands of extras, no wide panoramic sweep of battle scenes. This says more about The Battle of the Bulge than the movie of the same name.... Full review

Sometimes the film is too clever for its own good, such as when an individual soldier's small cache of personal characteristics predicts his doom.....This is one of the best WWII films made by people who experienced it....One of its finest moments occurs when a likeable character has an ambiguous moment when he might be deserting his fellow soldiers during a firefight;.... ... Full Review

This truly ensemble cast has no discernable lead, but features such notable stars as Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban and James Whitmore among many other exceptional character actors.....The film also reveals the hardships that are not readily tangible;.... ... Full Review

The casting in Battleground plays better now, 55 years later. Free of the need to boost morale, soldiers no longer gather like happy campers to sing songs, and nobody talks about their girl or dog back home. ... Full Review

A World War II picture with a weightiness all its own that follows an American infantry unit from Sicily, up through Europe, to the fall of Berlin and after. ... Full Article