This WWII epic from writer-producer-director Carl Foreman follows members of an American army squad as they fight their way up through Italy and throughout Europe, all the way to the end of the war, and even slightly after. The main soldiers are played by George Hamilton, George Peppard, Vince Edwards, Michael Callan, and Eli Wallach. The film is episodic in nature, a series of small vignettes, and appearing in individual segments are Rosanna Schiaffino, Jeanne Moreau, Senta Berger, Romy Schneider, Melina Mercouri, and Elke Sommer. Also with Jim Mitchum, Peter Fonda, Maurice Ronet, Mervyn Johns, Alf Kjellin, and Albert Finney.
The lack of a central story almost makes this feel like several TV show episodes strung together. As with most episodic things, some parts work better than others. I liked a sad and unnerving bit with Wallach, on his own, discovering Moreau shell-shocked in a blasted house. The acting by both is underplayed and excellent. The copy I watched was 155 minutes but apparently this originally ran for just under 3 hours. Scenes that were cut from the original version include one dealing with a child prostitute, and another where British soldiers sing a bawdy song that included the first use of the "F word" in a major motion picture. I watched the movie for second-billed Albert Finney, who doesn't show up until literally the final 4 minutes of the picture, with no lines in English (he plays a Russian soldier).
The lack of a central story almost makes this feel like several TV show episodes strung together. As with most episodic things, some parts work better than others. I liked a sad and unnerving bit with Wallach, on his own, discovering Moreau shell-shocked in a blasted house. The acting by both is underplayed and excellent. The copy I watched was 155 minutes but apparently this originally ran for just under 3 hours. Scenes that were cut from the original version include one dealing with a child prostitute, and another where British soldiers sing a bawdy song that included the first use of the "F word" in a major motion picture. I watched the movie for second-billed Albert Finney, who doesn't show up until literally the final 4 minutes of the picture, with no lines in English (he plays a Russian soldier).