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.吵架(jià )也(yě(🕐) )好(🤢)，擦身而过也好，通过(🙃)熏制，两个人都会(huì(🧘) )慢慢成(chéng )长。为了救回最亲(😖)密的(🛣)兄弟，一向谨(jǐn )小慎微的盖(🧝)里(⏯)不得(🍳)(dé )不踏上凶险的征途，而这(zhè )一切背后(🕵)的(de )阴谋也(✂)悄悄浮出水面…(💃)…。你明(🆖)知道陆与川(🥄)会(🧑)对(duì )他动手！容恒(🌷)咬牙道。一(📙)如先(🕡)前，这幢房子(zǐ )一片漆黑，没(😋)有任(rèn )何人居住的迹象。粗(cū )布衣裳的姑娘扭(🌁)头，一脸(liǎn )受(shòu )辱(🛎)的模样：(🏴)你(🌲)在说什(♏)(shí )么，请姑(🆕)娘(niáng )自重，你这样也(yě )太霸道了，我在说这里又不是你的地(🚄)盘，我(🕶)为(🏢)什么不能在这里。梨花这个人(🔇)心思很是缜密，当下(⛅)就听出来聂远(💂)乔(⏹)话里面最大的漏洞了。一场反走私的战斗还在(zài )继续。话音落(🌁)(luò(🌳) )，他抵在慕浅额头上(📏)的那支枪(qiāng )忽然(🌩)紧了(🧝)紧。