Of all war films made in Hollywood, the most authentic are those about Second World War, at least those made in first years or decades after the conflict. The reason for that is the large number of veterans in front and behind cameras. With war safely over and without need for propaganda sugar coating, those men wanted the world and future generations to know what they were really going through. One of the most celebrated examples of such realistic approach to Second World War is Battleground, 1949 film directed by William A. Wellman.
The plot is dedicated to one of the most celebrated episodes of US military history. It begins in France in December 1944 when a platoon of US Army 101st Airborne Division receives new soldier, young Private Jim Layton (played by Marshall Thompson). Few months earlier the division has taken part in Normandy landings and subsequent campaign that liberated France and Belgium from Nazi Germany with such apparent ease that the war would end by Christmas. Although it is obvious that it won’t happen, soldiers of the squad are looking forward to spending Christmas partying in Paris. Hitler, however, has different plans. In last ditch attempt to turn the tide of war in their favour, Germans launch surprise offensive through heavily forested areas Ardennes in Eastern Belgium – the very same spot when they surprised the French four and half years earlier, leading to defeat and occupation of France. At the start it seems that history might repeat itself, because US forces stationed there are inexperienced and undermanned and elite forces of German LXVII Panzer Corps slice through their lines like knife through butter. Veteran 101st Division is rushed to fill the gap in the front and try stopping or slowing German advance. Platoon arrives to small town of Bastogne where it would, together with the rest of division, take a stand. Situation soon becomes very grim, because heavy fog have removed Allied air supremacy and entire division soon gets surrounded. But its soldiers, despite snow, cold, hunger and dwindling supplies, continue to hold strategically important city that might in the end wreck German plans, thus becoming crucial for the final outcome of what would later become known as Battle of the Bulge.
Script for Battleground was written by Robert Pirosh who, although not veteran of 101st Division, actually took part in Battle of the Bulge. Many scenes and characters were actually inspired by people Pirosh met or events experienced or witnessed during the battle. The actual force behind the film was producer Dore Schary, who originally wanted to make it for RKO Pictures, but this idea was rejected by its owner Howard Hughes. Schary switched to MGM, but there he had to fight with influential studio mogul Louis B. Mayer, who had been very sceptical towards war films and thought that the public had been tired of war and didn’t want to make it on big screen. Schary nevertheless went with the project and proved to be extremely efficient producer, finishing film below budget and before schedule. He also proved to be quite adept in finding right personnel. William A. Wellman, very experienced and versatile director, a veteran of First World War, was joined by cast made of many Second World War veterans that added a lot of authenticities to their performances. Those include Douglas Fowley, who lost his teeth during explosion on aircraft carrier and whose character Private “Kip” Kippton spends entire film making sure that he doesn’t lose his false teeth. Wellman left nothing to chance and brought twenty actual 101st Division veterans to the set to serve as extras and help drill actors like real soldiers. As a result, none of the members of the cast looks “Hollywood”-like, even former matinee idol Van Johnson who plays jovial Private First Class Holley or Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban who plays Private Roderigues, Los Angeles native who never saw snow in his life only to have to fight battle in it. Wellman directed film well, using Washington forest locations, but the real achievement was use of studio sets that almost flawlessly stand for Belgian woods.
The audience at the time was, however, more impressed with the great realism in depiction of war and, more importantly, how would ordinary persons react to it. Although the battle has ended as great US victory, the protagonists aren’t portrayed as heroic supermen. They make mistakes, complain about their deprivation, despair about situation they are in and some even allow themselves moments of cowardice. Although there isn’t graphic violence, death in Battleground, like in most modern wars, come at random and with lack of proper stars, who are replaced by ensemble cast, viewers can’t know which one of the characters will survive the battle. This unsentimental approach to war is slightly watered down with a scene that tries to give the story some meaning and context – a impromptu service by unnamed military chaplain, played by Leon Ames, whose speech reminds soldiers for what they are actually fighting. Soldiers are ethnically and religiously diverse and one of them is even African American, which represents an unusual detail, because US Army was still racially segregated during WW2. Some African American servicemen (from 761st Tank Battallion a.k.a. “Black Panthers”) indeed took part in defence of Bastogne, so this scene is actually historically accurate. That doesn’t apply to scenes in which protagonist have to deal with German infiltrators that penetrated US lines pretending to be US servicemen, because, although such events did take place at the very start of offensive and cause panic and confusion in US ranks, they didn’t take place in or around Bastogne. This can be seen as concession to Hollywood commercial imperatives, just like the character of local Belgian woman, played by French vaudeville star and beauty queen Denise Darcel, appears only to prevent Battleground from being all-male affair. Another thing that works against Battleground is Hays Code and its ban on “problematic” language, which almost prevented famous quote of General McAuliffe, commander of 101st Division, to be repeated in the film.
Yet, despite those limitations, Battleground was embraced by public, veterans and critics alike, becoming one of the biggest hits of its time. Schary used this success to gradually push Louis B. Mayer from MGM leadership and take over studio two years later. Battleground for a long time enjoyed reputation of the best film about Second World War, at least if the Hollywood was concerned. Even if passage of time and different films might work against that verdict, it is hard to argue that the Greatest Generation deserved films like these that properly celebrate its greatest achievement.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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