The Battle of the Bulge!

[Worf]

"Battle of the Bulge" it's a great movie ALMOST killed by terrible history. The ONLY thing the film gets "right" was that there was a... "Battle of the Bulge"! The units are wrong, the tanks are REALLY wrong, the use of models was pathetic and the climactic tank battle NEVER HAPPENED! They couldn't have screwed this one up from a military history stand point more if martians had landed in the middle of the whole thing!

The above being said, this movie is one great piece of fiction. I saw it in Cinerama as a kid, bought the Tape as an adult and now have the DVD. Several things stand out for me from this one.

1. The opening credits and theme... wood block etchings for the intro, never seen anything like it.

2. Colonel Hessler singing "Der Panzer Lied" (The Tanker's Song) with his men before battle. I still humm that tune from time to time.

3. Charles Bronson's empassioned plea that after the war Germany be mashed flat, grassed over and used as a pasture for Buffalo so that he or his kid wouldn't be back fighting the basterds all over again in 20 more years.

4. Telly Savals's plea to be allowed to fight after hearing of the destruction of Ambleve and his new found love.

5. Bronson's emphatic warning to Col. Hessler that if any of his men were harmed in captivity he'd personally be the one to put the rope around his neck when the war was over.

6. Col. Hessler cooly sparing the life of a young French Boy who, took a shot at him, only to order the death of the boy's father instead.

7. Duffy grabbing a .30 cal to continue the fight after his turret'd been blown off!

All great, iconic scenes. It may suck as history but it's great entertainment.

Worf

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Just think if it was remade today. The pixel pushers would turn it into a feature-length video game. :doh:

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I'm intrigued. Thanks! Now I have to rent it! (I saw it as a kid as well, but knew nothing of the history then.) -dixon cannon

 

[Worf]

"Der Panzerlied"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JDkdc246QQ

Worf

 

[alsendk]

Worf, how do you consider the reality of the `Band of brothers`to be ? especially the battle of the Bulge part.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

"Der Panzerlied"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JDkdc246QQ

Worf

So it was a musical then?

 

[John in Covina]

At the time they made this, there were a number of painful to watch war films that came out. I recall that one had some of the worst miniature scenes on a film that was shown in the theaters i had seen. Worse yet several films shared footage of battles so you watched recycled crap. With the lack of authenticity in vehicles, equipment, uniforms, locations representing the actual locations that weren't even close, it all rested on the personalities and acting abilities of the players. Any film with the it's obviously daytime and the dark filter is supposed to make it look like night scenes drove me nuts as a kid and are laughable as an adult.

When does the boxed set come out?

 

[rjb1]

We're going to have to agree to disagree on "Battle of the Bulge". Aside from all the smaller-scale historical inaccuracies, the big tank battle on the sands of the Belgian desert is just too much for me. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Google "Worst War Movies" and "Battle of the Bulge" will show up on the list in most cases.
Try "Battleground" for a great movie about the Battle of the Bulge. ("Band of Brothers" also, but it's a mini-series, not an actual movie.)

 

[Worf]

So it was a musical then?

Ack! Cut from ambush!!!!

That was funny!!

Worf

 

[Worf]

Worf, how do you consider the reality of the `Band of brothers`to be ? especially the battle of the Bulge part.

Well considering it was written by Dick Winters and based on his wartime experiences I can't quibble at all. I never saw an American tank painted with an Iron Cross fo the Weremacht in it. They used what little German armor they could actually find and used it over and over and over again... But they got it right... never heard a rivet-head complain and that's saying something! Just like there are guys that stitch-count re-pro jackets there are guys that pour over EVERY detail in a war moive or series... never ran across any complaints.

Worf

 

[Story]

You people know what's funny?

For all it's inaccuracies, you remember that movie.

Countless kids from that era became interested because of the whole cheesiness and self-educated, often with primary material.

I know, because I was one of 'em.

You may now continue your trash-talkin'.

 

[Stearmen]

You people know what's funny?

For all it's inaccuracies, you remember that movie.

Countless kids from that era became interested because of the whole cheesiness and self-educated, often with primary material.

I know, because I was one of 'em.

You may now continue your trash-talkin'.

There is a certain truth to that Story! I developed a life long passion for muzzle loaders, more importantly, flintlocks, thanks to Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Both TV shows with little historical facts!

 

[rjb1]

Well, I hadn't thought of that... If "Battle of the Bulge" set some people on the road to WWII-history enthusiasm, then it definitely has some redeeming social value. For me it was "Combat", a few years before "Battle of the Bulge", although we played Army almost every day with real WWII-surplus stuff, much earlier than that.