Thisisnotalargescalemulti-milliondollarepicofWorldWarTwo.Nothousandsofextras,nowidepanoramicsweepofbattlescenes.ThissaysmoreaboutTheBattleoftheBulgethanthemovieofthesamename.ItsjustanordinaryblackandwhiteM.G.M.production.Whatitlacksinsizeandscopeitmakesupforinimpact.Asimplestoryverywelltold,ofasquadofGIsofthe101stAirborneDivision,thrownintothemaelstromthatwastheGermanoffensiveintheArdennesinDecemberof1944againsttheAlliedgroundforces.Itshardtobelievethatthisfilmwasnotshotonlocation;butonaMetrosoundstage.AndMetrosCulverCitywasturnedintotheonlyoutdoorlocationforthesnow-covered,rubble-strewntownofBastogneundersiege,whichwastenaciouslyheldbythe101st,underthecommandofBrig.GeneralAnthonyMcAuliffe.WiththeexceptionofVanJohnsonasPvt.HollywhowashighprofileontheMetrolotinhistime,andGeorgeMurphyasPvt.Stazak,therestofthecastwerecharacter-typeactorswhofilledtheirrolesperfectly.JamesWhitmoreasSgt.Kinnieisdrillingthesquadintheopeningscenes.ThesquadmemberstalkofanenjoyablefurloughinPariswhichissuddenlycutshortbytheGermanbreakthroughintheArdenne.Ptv.Stazakhopesofgoinghomearedashedbecausehisauthoriseddocumentshavenotcomethroughbeforethesquadmovesupfront.DouglasFowleyasPvt.Kipptonseemstobethebestinthesquadatbellyaching.Maybeitshisdenturesthatmakehimasourpuss.ButFowleysdenturesturnintoaclassact;clickingawaytotheoldsong,ISurrenderDear,throughthecourtesyofaGermanpropagandabroadcastheardovertheradioinaShermantank.DeniseDarcelcomesasawelcomereliefoffemininepleasure;notoutofplaceinthetownofBastogneitself.Inanindoorscene,Pvt.Hollyseyeballsgointoleft-to-rightoverdriveashestaresatDenisesbuxomrearenddescendingaflightofstairs.ThentheresHollyagain,nursingstolennewly-laideggs,asvaluableasgoldnuggets.Hesabouttoscramblethemoverafirewhenthesquadistoldtosaddleupandmoveout.NotforthefirsttimedoesJohnson(Pvt.Holly)yell,ohno!Aexpressionhesusedinpastmoviesalso.Thebrokeneggsinhisupturnedhelmetarenowaproblem.Intheenditsdisaster.TheGermanartilleryscrambletheeggsforHolly.Problemsolved!Onathreemanpatrol,Holly,HodiakasJanness,MontalbanasRodriguez,interceptandforceajeepcarryingaMajorandtwosergeantstostopandidentifythemselves.TheknowledgethatGermansareinfiltratinginGIuniformshasmadethepatrolsuspicioussotheMajorisaskedhowtheDodgersmadeoutin1944.TheMajorhesitates,buttheSergeantintherearseatasksHollywhoBettyGrableismarriedto.Montalbanshoutsback,CesarRomero.TheMajorsaysRomeroisout.BettyGrableismarriedtoHarryJames.Thetenseatmosphererelaxes.Thepatrolisconvincedtheyrefriendly.Whatisdisplayedauthenticallyonthisstudiosoundstageistheicy,bone-chillingatmosphereofthebattlefield.Themenhunkereddown;thedeeperthebetter,intheirfoxholes.Throughoutnearlyallthismoviethereistheconstantriseandfallinthebackgroundofcontinuousartilleryfire,likearollingthunder.Itneverseemstocease.Sometimesitsclose,sometimesdistant.That,alongwiththefreezingfoghanginglikeathickwhitish-greyblanketintheair,envelopingeverything,givesoffanatmosphereofcrisis;afeelingoffearfultension.Themenendeavourtodispelthefearwithhumour.Waitingandwonderingwhentheenemywillappearghost-likeoutofthemist-shroudedforest.Neartheendofthemovie,LeonAmesgivesagoodperformanceasaArmyChaplain.TryingtoexplainthereasonforthisnecessarytriptoEurope,tokilloffamurderouspoliticalsystemthathasalreadykilledoffmillions.Beforetheend,thetablesturnintheAlliesfavour.SergeantKinnienoticeshisshadowagainstthesnow.Thesunisbreakingthroughandthemistrises.Alliedtacticalairpowerisbackinbusinessagainwithavengeance.VeterandirectorWilliamWellmanwasnotfoundwantingwhenhedirectedthismovie.Hehadalreadyprovedhimselfwith,TheStoryofGIJoe,in1945.Antiwarfilm?Anywarfilmwellmadeandconvincingcanbeantiwar,andyoudonotneedbloodalloverthesilverscreentoproveit.Antiwarornot,WorldWarTwowasapopularwar.Thereasonsstuckoutamile.TheArmyChaplainsaidsoinsomanywords.TheArdennesoffensivecaughttheAlliesunawares.Bylate1944,batteredtheGermanforcesmayhavebeen.ButtheystillhadafewnastyshotsintheirlockertoscarethelivingdaylightsoutoftheAlliedCommand.WethoughttheGermanshadrunoutoffightingsteam,butoldFieldMarshalGerdVonRundstedtthoughtdifferent.他来到了偏僻(pì )的(💲)阿(🤕)拉(💪)斯加寻找片刻的安宁。吕佳琪和林凡都是一惊，双方(🍇)想(😊)(xiǎng )法很是(shì )接(jiē )近，是(👩)(shì )不是小蜘蛛们抵抗力(🌐)太弱(🥍)抵抗不住血水(shuǐ(🐔) )的淬炼(🌕)发生意(❌)外(📖)了(🧞)，真是可惜(🐪)原(yuá(👏)n )来，来香港多年(🥒)的阿(ā )正已(🙎)经做了警察，和同为警察(chá(📖) )的(💝)阿(ā(😔) )花(⏲)就要结婚了(🍐),所以今(jīn )天请(qǐng )同事来热(rè )闹一(👧)下。走在路上(shàng )的时候，许(xǔ )云山从自家出来(🕶)，远远(yuǎ(🗂)n )的看了张秀娥一(🥦)眼。可以说，这(💮)位天机子对叶星云这个传承者那是真相当不错了。不(😊)久，怀孕的(de )林雨霏(fē(💜)i )不慎小产(🗞)，细心(🥟)的阿(📇)秀发现是何冬生做了手(shǒu )脚(🧡)。本质善良的(💢)(de )阿迪尔又想找到红(hóng )宝(✍)石，又不想让(rà(😨)ng )罪(❎)犯伤害孩子们，只好假装天使与克劳伊生活(🦂)了几(♑)天。霍靳西既(jì(👳) )然(rán )清楚地知道这一(yī(💗) )点，以(yǐ )他的个性，原本(🧕)应该更加大刀(dāo )阔斧，杀伐果(⛹)断，可是这一(yī )次，却偏(🐓)偏相(♋)反。