Recent war films

[Peiper]

Gruss gott kameraden! Not many new films at the moment, as i work in security in the music and film industry i get to hear about new releases and blockbusters etc. The film Stalingrad has already been mentioned so i won't go into that, i have seen it and i reckon its pretty good, quite realistic.There were two other films which came out in the last 12months or so, the first one was "Saints and soldiers" which i reckon is pretty good. Its about a group of G,I survivors from the Malmedy massacre who try to make their way back to their positions, stuck behind German lines, they run across a downed R,A,F pilot who has important intell, i won't say any more, watch it and you decide. The other film was called Black book and is all about the Dutch resistance, its not too bad but there are times when the "heroine" wants to decide who's side shes on, according to the film most of the Dutch population were collabarators which i disagree with, still not too bad viewing, advised to watch with a pinch of salt! Auf wiedersehn menchen.

[Mikkel]

Saints and soldiers are several years old.
It's btw. paid for by the Mormons out of salt lake city.

[Chelsea 916]

Saints and soliders was ok....but ive heard that a film will be coming out soon about the 1944 bomb plot against hitler which will be starring Tom Cruise as the captain who planted the bomb! Not sure if this is true but would be a great movie no doubt....would be better though if it was in german with subtitles but that aint gonna happen

Chels

[Peiper]

Gutentage menschen. Further to the discussion on war films,thanks to our Danish kameraden for his comment. I didn't know that the Mormons had made "Saints and soldiers", you learn something new all the time. Unfortunately what he didn't know and all us Brits do is the fact that we are always the last to get new releases, i can say that the "Saints" film only got to the UK at the beginning of last year (approx 18 months ago). Anyway not to worry, the next comment was from a kamerad who wanted to know about the up-coming Tom Cruise film ("July" i think the film will be called or "July 44") Apparantly the film itself is still in production (i commented on this in my other article, see "Books films and other media, sub heading) The film itself is supposed to be about the July bomb plot of 1944 (hence the title), and for those who don't know, who won't be many on this site, the story involves a certain German officer named Stauffenberg who gets embroiled in the intrigue, (there was a film about this story before which came out about 10 year ago, looks like this is a remake) Anyway needless to say old Stauffenberg gets caught and apparantly was hung with piano wire at Spandau i think or Torgau. Now of course modern Germany have recognised the man as a hero, alongside Rommel. I read about the production in an article in my company magazine, which is not sold to the public (i work in media industry). The actual guy himself "Stauffenberg" was no fat staff officer either, he had served in action in Italy and Africa before getting wounded (losing an eye and a hand) before getting posted to Hitlers staff,(Info from ref book), anyway thats all for now, ive ran out of room. Auf weidersehn kameraden. [quote] (GI, POW) "Seen the size of the cooler"? (Hilts) "Yeah looks like they're expecting a lot of business"

[Chelsea 916]

Ive seen a film involvng the 44 bomb plot before im sure of it....but i cant remember the name....

[Gliderinf]

Saints came out over here late in 2005. but obvioyusly with very little fanfare.

[Pirkka]

Saints and Sinners seemed to go straight onto the 5 quid sale shelf at HMV without ever being full price. It isn't a bad film, probably the best set in the Battle ofthe Bulge.
The Finns have recently released a film called Tali-Ihantala 1944, based on the biggest battle of the 1944 campaign that arguably saved Finland as a free country. I've heard mixed things about it but the stills look very good.

[Helmut Schegel]

Stauffenberg was shot along with fellow plotters, General Olbricht, Lieutenant von Haeften, and Oberst Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock
on the orders of General Fromm(Fromm hoped to save himself from complicity in the plot, he failed).
Hitler had the devil's luck, when it came to attempts on his life. In this case if Stauffenberg had left both explosive devices in his briefcase, the explosion would have been doubled, if the conference had taken place in the usual place, the bunker, instead of in the wooden hut(because of the heat) then Hitler would have been killed.
However it would have been pointless, the Allies would not deal with any German resistance group(despite encouraging resistance movements all over occupied Europe).
Even if the plotters had succeeded in killing Hitler and arresting the Nazi leadership, the Allies would not have changed their demand for unconditional surrender. The US and the USSR were determined to remake the post-war world to their designs.
It might have saved the 300,000 German civilians and soldiers who died every month in the last ten months of the war, their deaths due, mostly to Hitler's decisions.