new WW2 movie - Saints and soldiers

[TMurray]

Does this movie deal in any depth with the actual massacre of US troops south of Malmedy? Has anyone seen a movie which specifically deals with this tragedy in depth?
regards, Thomas

[Craigob]

theres a guy in Hong Kong selling press previews of this movie (its the full move - good quality too) on ebay, just do a search for the title.

[millerbean]

You can get it ONLINE by Bittorrent
Not that I recommend this kind of activity
but its a good way to preview the movie if its any good and want to see it in the theaters

pm me for info

[Greg]

I haven't seen anything about this movie except their website, but it looks like it takes quite a bit of license with historical accuracy. One of the Americans - may be the main character - has a 101st patch. No one from the 101st was anywhere near that area. The photos seem to show that the shooting of the prisoners was done by a number of dismounted SS soldiers - in reality it seems to have been done mostly by moving vehicles of KG Peiper, followed by individual dismounted SS soldiers moving through the field and in some cases killing wounded POWs.

Most of the photos on the website show heavy snow covering - there was only scattered light snow in the area, from an earlier snowfall. The heavy snow didn't fall until January, and covered the bodies in the massacre field.

So I don't know how much this movie is a story of the Malmedy Massacre, or something else.

This is the best synopsis of the massacre I've seen on the web http://historynet.com/wwii/blmassacr...edy/index.html

Regards,
Greg

[PaulR]

I am really in the mood to see this movie. It is great to see a new WW2 movie... I regisitered on the website for an email notification when it comes to my area, but there do not seem to be any such plans for the movie to make it to New England...much less Maine

[Lloyd I.]

I will reserve judgment on the film until I see. I dont dislike what I have seen so far and will give license to the fact that people who make movies are storytellers and craftsmen not historians. They take the basis for an event and create from there. (Malmedy after all has never really been figured out and never will, Poetschke's order? Phleps fired the first shot from a MKIV? track mounted soldiers shot them passing by? A mass escape attempt by the POWs who were then shot by the LAH members? A few escapes that lead to confusion and massacre...see what I mean?

I have yet to see a documentary style film done on WW2 that works as much on accuracy as it does on story. A Bridge Too Far comes very close but it isnt in a realistic style. Again, because of stigma anything related to III Reich has to be flawed to begin with because you have to your trade mark characters, repentant soldier, SS or Party fanatic, defeatist NCO or officer, evil party war machine. I can see that in this film as well.

I think the 101st is just getting a great deal of credit on the heels of the Ambrose book and series.

[Greg]

I will reserve judgment on the film until I see. I dont dislike what I have seen so far and will give license to the fact that people who make movies are storytellers and craftsmen not historians. They take the basis for an event and create from there. (Malmedy after all has never really been figured out and never will, Poetschke's order? Phleps fired the first shot from a MKIV? track mounted soldiers shot them passing by? A mass escape attempt by the POWs who were then shot by the LAH members? A few escapes that lead to confusion and massacre...see what I mean?

I have yet to see a documentary style film done on WW2 that works as much on accuracy as it does on story. A Bridge Too Far comes very close but it isnt in a realistic style. Again, because of stigma anything related to III Reich has to be flawed to begin with because you have to your trade mark characters, repentant soldier, SS or Party fanatic, defeatist NCO or officer, evil party war machine. I can see that in this film as well.

I think the 101st is just getting a great deal of credit on the heels of the Ambrose book and series.

Hi Lloyd,

I see your point - directors and producers are in the business first of all to tell a story, sometimes against a historical backdrop. I wouldn't expect any movie that included the Malmedy Massacre to have that as the main segment or go into much detail, and I suspect this movie doesn't either...I suspect the Malmedy event is used to set the stage for what comes after. As you said, the few people alive who know exactly why/how the Germans shot the POWs aren't talking, so we'll never know.

But the same things could be said about the final Mexican attack on the Alamo, and "The Alamo" movie used history to tell a story and "made it up" where necessary to do that, but the physical historical accuracy in "The Alamo" appears to be much better than in this movie. It's all in what the producer/director perceive that the audience wants; I just personally like to see more of an attempt made at physical accuracy where it's possible.

Regards,
Greg

[nellyp51]

I have seen the movie, to be honest I found it a little dull, but also enjoyed it at the same time as I do any WW2 movie.
Some good relationships formed and a straight forward story. However I am still waiting for the day they actually bring out a WW2 movie that is three hours about just one battle or part of a battle, no love relationship story, and no flick backs to what happened before the war and all that, just three hours of detailed battle and true accurate accounts of a battle time piece.
When will it come?.

[Chris]

What ever happened to this movie? I don't think it was ever released in my area (Metro DC). I guess I'll have to wait for the DVD.

[nellyp51]

Chris

As far as I know it never was released as a movie just a DVD. The cover has a US soldier with red boots on its a cool cover actually.

Anyhow all good video & DVD stores are sure to have a copy or two, afterall it has been out here in Australia for a few months now.

Hope you find it on you travels it is worth the watch.

[ccmax]

Here's a good article on the Malmédy massacre.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/.../malmedy2.html

[Lloyd I.]

western cinema and war romance

It is mainly western cinema that inserts romance into war films and again this is done to appeal to a wide demographic and to attempt to recoup cost/make money. Historically western war films have been this way. The conflicted 'Enemy at the Gates' is an example of this although even that film had foreign interests involved. Sadly, when you look at the costs of a modest budget film these days there is a lot of money turning hands. The film makers end up having to satisfy people and loose a bit of the vision to make it work. 'A Bridge too Far' didnt have romance though and that movie has stood the test of time.

As mentioned before I have been working on a script for a movie idea surrounding the battle of Caen. It helps that it is so well documented and that so much back story can be leaned on, Hill 112 and operations Jupiter, Atlantic, Epsom and Goodwood etc. Flash backs suck and are to me the result poor scripting. Fortunately as in 'A Bridge too Far' the story can be fleshed out before you jump into battle. I'm not out to bash Monty either but to show just how hard it was for elements of the allies to win a victory there.

The impetus behind my decision to focus on Caen lies mainly with the dynamic figures involved within the allied and axis camps. The sacrifice in the Allied camp will be looked at due to stiff opposition from the German elements of 21st Panzer and 12th-SS(Notice I didnt use the word fanatic) It doesnt hurt in that my favorite division of Junge Löwe, 12th SS-HJ can be fleshed out on screen. Kurt Meyer and Max Wünsche being my two favorite commanders.

I have even scripted out Emil Dürrs sacrificial tank charge.

The bane of my existence with this script is how to deal with the war crimes.....