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| Battleground | 
 enlarge | Director: William A. Wellman
Actors: Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Marshall Thompson
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $12.98
Buy New: $4.97
You Save: $8.01 (62%)
New (27) Used (10) from $4.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  46 reviews
Sales Rank: 10432
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), German (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 118
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: WARD67521D
ISBN: 1419811045
UPC: 012569675216
EAN: 9781419811043
ASIN: B0007TKNLU
Theatrical Release Date: January 20, 1950
Release Date: May 3, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: GREAT DVD'S SHIPPED WITH TRACKING INFO SHIPPED FROM OREGON New
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Amazon.com
Director William Wellman (The Big Heat) offered up this 1949 treatment of the Battle of the Bulge, which won Oscars for best screenplay and best cinematography. The film concentrates on the camaraderie and the divisions between the troops as they ready for the big offensive. Told in a taut narrative, the men of the 101st, led by Van Johnson, wait out the winter in the Ardennes forest to confront the German army in what would be the last major offensive of World War II. The men are demoralized and trapped, with no hope of support from the Allies as they are forced to band together and defend their position. A classically assembled war drama that nevertheless manages to be both engrossing and entertaining, Battleground is a mainstay of the genre. --Robert Lane
Product Description
A squad of the 101st airborne division copes with being trapped in the besieged city of bastogne during the battle of the bulge. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/14/2006 Starring: Van Johnson Ricardo Montalban Run time: 118 minutes Rating: Nr
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| Customer Reviews: Read 41 more reviews...
 good movie December 17, 2008
I like to watch WW11 movies and this has some very good actors in it. enjoyed it a lot.
 A film to know Van Johnson December 13, 2008
When I heard of Van Johnson's passing, I immediately recalled seeing this film on TCM a couple of times. This was a great war film and a very fine performance for Van Johnson. He was an actor who was hard for me to pin down and he suffered from some poor films, but he always conveyed the look of a person whom you would be glad to know. This is true for this film too. The other cast members were also effective. This is a story that does not try to make false heroes. I got the feeling that the emotions were true for someone caught in this type of extreme stress. For many reasons, this is a film worth keeping.
"Why am I always volunteering for patrols?" July 17, 2008
There were lots of war movies made during and after WWII, and many of them starred Van Johnson. Most of them chose to look at the heroic side of battle or the lives of the people at home supporting the troops. Battleground is different. It examines the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge, a group of men fighting to stay alive and in good humor amid death, destruction, and fear. This is a grim story and much more realistic than the typical MGM film.
The all star cast includes Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Herbert Anderson, Scotty Beckett, and more. These men do a terrific job of bring a real incident to life. It is peppered with moments of humor like Johnson's bit with the eggs and moments of intense emotion. This collection of scenes makes for a powerful movie that is very telling of human nature in times of crisis.
What They Did to Win the War May 22, 2008
This film used members of the 101st Airborne Division as movie extras (the drill team). [The song "Sound Off" became a popular hit.] This story tells about the US soldiers who held the town of Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. An alarm wakes the men, they will be sent up to plug the gap made by the German advance. They are warned to dress warm: two pairs of pants, etc. The soldiers are quartered in civilian homes. Then they are ordered to move up to the front lines, and clear out the woods. They dig foxholes for protection, then are told to move out. Those on guard duty are warned against German infiltrators.
The sudden death of a new recruit provides a somber tone. They are warned against German paratroopers in the nearby woods. The patrol finds some and there are shots and action. Enemy tanks are spotted. A wounded soldier froze to death. The thick fog restricts air support. Only the wounded are considered casualties, those with frozen feet and fever must remain on the line. Then they learn they are surrounded. There is danger from the extreme cold: rifle bolts and ammunition belts get frozen. There is more action and they capture some prisoners. Bastogne is important because it controls seven highways and prevents the German advance. The Germans ask for their surrender. "Nuts!". That is strongly negative. "Was this trip necessary?" The chaplain explains why America must prevent another such war. The Germans bomb and shell Bastogne. All available troops, even the walking wounded, are summoned for the defense. The weather breaks, there is sunshine and air support. Supplies are dropped by parachute to the troops. The platoon is relieved by fresh troops and sent to the rear.
This story and screenplay were written by Robert Pirosh, a veteran of the Bastogne battle. It won two Academy Awards, one for the screenplay. You can compare the talk in this film to the earlier films about the war. How was the enemy portrayed in this film? This sanitized version of warfare met the needs of that time. Actions are often implicit (the soldier who gathers propaganda leaflets and walks away), as well as the lessons (don't leave a wounded soldier behind).
"Battleground" is a World War 2 Classic! March 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This very realistic movie about the "battered bastards of Bastogne recounts the story of the 101st Airborne's "Screaming Eagles" who were surrounded by German troops during the Battle of the Bulge. It includes a superior cast including Van Johnson, James Whitmore, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, Richard Jaeckel, Marshall Thompson, James Arness, Don Taylor, and Leon Ames.
Directed by William Wellman and produced by Dore Schary, the venerable head of production at MGM, this very human and moving story about a squad of GI's offers a rugged and gritty portrayal of the bare-bones existence and daily struggle to survive Hitler's final offensive of the war. This movie was nominated for 6 Academy Awards and won two, one for Bastogne veteran Robert Pirosh's stunningly accurate and moving story and screenplay of average soldiers called upon to overcome overwhelming odds.
This movies shines not only for the combat sequences, but especially for the way the characters react to living and fighting together day by day. They argue with each other and trade sarcastic barbs in one moment, only to show incredible compassion and brotherhood towards each other in the next. It is touching, endearing, heartbreaking and humorous. It shows the fear, the heroism, the cowardice, the desperation, and the numbing boredom and isolation of living off the land while fighting their way across the French countryside during one of the most brutal winters in European history.
While not as well known as "The Longest Day" or "The Great Escape", this movie is a very real version of what the average combat soldier experienced during World War 2. The wonderful honesty, the outstanding acting and directing, and the realism of the story make this movie an absolute classic.
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