Worst World War II Movies Ever, Part One: Battle of the Bulge

Historical Inaccuracies, Fictionalized Situations Weaken This 1965 War Epic "wannabe"

By Alex Diaz-Granados, published Jan 20, 2006
Published Content: 108  Total Views: 142,512  Favorited By: 11 CPs
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Rating: 3.2 of 5
On December 16, 1944, elements of three German armies - 14 infantry and five panzer divisions in all - attacked part of the American First Army along an 80-mile front along Germany's border with Belgium and Luxembourg. The sudden and unexpected counteroffensive hit the Americans in an area the Allies thought would be a nice, quiet sector for combat-weary divisions to rest and refit while green divisions fresh from the States could be acclimated to life on the line: the dark and deep forests of the Ardennes. Planned and ordered by Adolf Hitler himself, this massive onslaught was launched with one objective in mind: penetrate the American lines, pass through the "impassable" Ardennes Forest, cross the Meuse River, and capture the vital port of Antwerp. At the very least, the Allied supply situation would deteriorate enough to slow the Anglo-American advance to the Reich's industrial heartland by a matter of months and buy time for Hitler and his tottering empire. At the very best, a German victory would split the Grand Alliance in three, trap the Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group on the northern sector of the front, and the Fuhrer could attempt to convince the Soviets that further fighting was useless now that the Western Allies had been defeated at the Reich's very doorstep.

Takeaways
  • Former President and Allied commander Eisenhower hated this film
  • The film was shot in Spain and used Spanish Army soldiers and equipment
  • Terrain and weather conditions are shoddily recreated
Did You Know?
George Lucas supposedly named Anakin Skywalker in a tip of the hat to the film's director
Resources
  • www.epinions.com, www.imdb.com, Battle: The Story of the Bulge by John Toland, A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge by Charles B. MacDonald
Comments
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"Battleground" truly is a fantastic movie. Even the presence of the usually irritating Van Johnson isn't enough to detract from the strengths of this great war movie.

Posted on 04/19/2006 at 12:04:00 PM

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