In WWII Western Germany, Private David Manning reluctantly leaves behind a mortally wounded fellow soldier and searches for survivors from his platoon, only to learn from commanding officer Captain Pritchett that they have all been killed in action. Despite requesting a discharge on the grounds of mental disability, Manning is promoted to sergeant and assigned to lead a new platoon of young inductees.
**_A few days of the Battle of Hurtgen Forest in November’s gloom_**
Released in 1998, the events take place entirely in the woods along the border of Belgium and Germany in 1944. This makes the movie one-dimensional, unlike, say, “The Big Red One,” which took place in no less than six different countries in the Mediterranean and Europe.
Everything looks authentic and the hardships are well detailed, as well as the tensions between the men. In contrast to 1965’s “Battle of the Bulge,” which was shot in the heart of friggin’ Spain, this was filmed in areas similar to the actual locations in Hurtgen Forest; specifically, Lake Balaton, Hungary, which is an hour’s drive southwest of Budapest.
It runs about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Additional stuff was done in Calgary, Alberta.
GRADE: B/B-
