Battleground (1949)

Battleground (1949)

Directed by William Wellman (A Star is Born (1937)) and written by Robert Pirosh this essential war film details the plight of the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division trapped in the Ardennes Forest near Bastogne Belgium during the "Battle of the Bulge" created by the Germans last ditch Panzer tank advance during World War II. Pirosh (who wrote from his own experiences) received a Best Writing Oscar for his Story & Screenplay; Paul Vogel’s B&W Cinematography also won an Academy Award. The film director Wellman John Dunning’s (Ben-Hur (1959)) Editing and Supporting Actor James Whitmore were also nominated.

This "soldier’s story" begins by establishing the relationships between the veteran Army personnel whose job is nearly done such that they are about to venture to Paris for some rest and relaxation before going home that have just been joined by some of their replacements. Under Sergeant Walowicz’s (Bruce Cowling) and Sergeant Kinnie’s (Whitmore) command are Pfc. Holley (Van Johnson) and Privates Jarvess (John Hodiak) Roderigues (Ricardo Montalban) Stazak (George Murphy) Spudler (Jerome Courtland) Standiferd (Don Taylor) Kippton (Douglas Fowley) Hansan (Herbert Anderson) Bettis (Richard Jaeckel) and Garby (James Arness). Privates Layton (Marshall Thompson) and Hooper (Scotty Beckett) represent the replacements the latter joining another company in which he is killed shortly after the action begins. Thompson’s character serves as the narrative voice the story being told through his eyes. Layton is at first the innocent optimistic rookie who’s looking forward to the experience which inevitably changes him into a cigarette smoking cynical veteran.

Though there is the requisite amount of action in this war movie it’s the human stories of the men themselves and their relationships to one another which gives this film its strength and has an impact on the viewer. Each of the soldiers have their distinguishing characteristics: Whitmore’s tobacco spitting Sergeant is hobbled by frozen feet; Johnson’s Holley tries to enjoy the moment as much as possible and eventually finds himself promoted when Walowicz is injured; Jarvess is annoyed by those who don’t take everything as seriously as he including his foxhole mate; Roderigues is the ethnic character from Los Angeles who’s never seen snow until it covers their encampment; Kippton has false teeth which he clicks clacks and even "loses" on occasion conveniently; Hansan initiates their defense in a foggy battle during which he is injured and then taken to a supply-less medical facility in the city; the ever present war film actor Jaeckel has a minor role as the Company’s cook; and Pop Stazak finds himself surrounded in the forest as he receives his paperwork to confirming his civilian status. Leon Ames plays a brief but memorable role as the Chaplin who gives the men their Christmas prayer amidst the conflict during a time when their plight seems hopeless.

The Germans are shown rather briefly and primarily as English speaking soldiers posing as Americans to infiltrate the Allied lines. After they’ve surrounded the 101st Airborne Division some German Officers carrying a white flag are shown to be confused after receiving the U.S. Army Commander’s message of "nuts!" to their request for his surrender. Knowing what happens in the end is to know your history.

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