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Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, James Whitmore ... see more see more... , Marshall Thompson , Leon Ames , Jerome Courtland , Don Taylor , Bruce Cowling , Douglas Fowley , Thomas E. Breen , Denise Darcel , Richard Jaeckel , Scotty Beckett , Brett King , 101st Airborne , Herbert Anderson , James Arness , Ian MacDonald , Edmon Ryan , Screaming Eagles , Roland Varno , Michael Brown , Guy Anderson [Herbert] , Jim Arness

Incoming MGM production head Dore Schary ramrodded Battleground into the studio's schedule over the virulent protests of MGM boss Louis Mayer. The result was an award-winning box-office hit, as well a... read more read more...s the beginning of the end of Mayer's power. This dramatization of the battles of Bastogne and the Bulge in the waning days of World War II concentrates on a single infantry unit. Van Johnson and John Hodiak are the ostensible stars, but the film is stolen by James Whitmore as the cigar-chomping, battle-stained sergeant. Also appearing is Ian MacDonald as General McAuliffe, whose legendary response to the Nazi's suggestion that the Americans surrender consisted of a single four-letter expletive: "Nuts". Whitmore's final scenes of near-delirium before the relief troops arrive are unforgettable. Battleground tries within MGM limits to be wholly realistic, though it is slightly compromised by the scripters' inability to use Army profanity, and by pointless subplot involving actress Denise Darcel. The film doesn't hold up as well as such wartime efforts as The Story of GI Joe or Walk in the Sun, but in 1949 Battleground was regarded as an important milestone in the field of truthful, de-glamorized combat flicks. Please avoid the colorized version: this is a black-and-white subject if ever there was one. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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73% liked it

2,527 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

5 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: William A. Wellman

Release Date: November 9, 1949

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DVD Release Date: May 4, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (137)

  • hunterjt13
    May 19, 2012
    hunterjt13
    An infantry unit fights in the Battle of the Bulge.
    This is a claustrophobic, character-driven war film that proves that very little in modern-day film is original as there is a lot of Platoon and even a dose of Full Metal Jacket in Battleground's plot constr... read moreuction and character development. The center of the film is the characters who take a while to get to know, but once the film gains momentum in the second act, they become real human beings under extraordinary circumstances who complain about their lack of big picture knowledge of war strategy and each other.
    Overall, while I didn't like the film's pace and thought the characters took too long to delineate themselves, I can't deny that this is a good, foundational film in the canon of war movies.
  • webalina
    February 17, 2010
    webalina
    A war movie that's not a fighting movie., This film tells one story of the many companies who fought in the "Battle of the Bulge", the WWII battle in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium in Winter 1944.

    While the film has several exciting battle sequences, its main focus is on the ... read moremen who are doing the fighting. Van Johnson, Marshall Thompson, James Whitmore and John Hodiak lead the cast, all believeable as wearied soldiers who want nothing more than to go home.

    I have a special fondness for this film because my grandfather fought in Battle of the Bulge, and it's interesting although painful to see what kind of conditions he endured.

    And -- for future reference -- I'm told by people who know better that the film "Battle of the Bulge" is crap and not even close to what really happened out there. This one is the one to see. And to get the full picture, check out Band of Brothers, a 10-part HBO mini-series, based on the a book written by a man who was there.
  • flixsterman
    February 28, 2009
    flixsterman
    If you've seen the landmark mini-series Band of Brothers then you've seen a gritty, less stylized version of William Wellman's Battleground. Considering the era (late 1940s), Wellman does a nice job of using Hollywood's standard glorification of combat to frame the... read more atrocities of war. He tried to lighten the dark feel of the picture by adding elements of humor but they seem strange and out of place (because they ARE). Post-WWII studio films were meant to be animated recruiting posters and Battleground is no exception. Still, if you can manage to shovel aside the heaps of propaganda you'll see glimpses of the more cynical, less benign attitude toward war that was about to impact military genre films.
  • gator681
    February 23, 2012
    gator681
    The good news is that Hooper(Scotty Beckett) and Layton(Marshall Thompson) are two hours away from Paris. The bad news is that there is still a war going on, as leave has just been canceled for Layton's new unit, giving him little time to settle in, just as Holley(Van Johnson) r... read moreeturns from Paris. It is even worse for 'Pop' Stazak(George Murphy) who is on the verge of being discharged for humanitarian reasons. All they know is that they are going someplace cold which is usually something not associated with hell. Their first stop is Bastogne where Denise(Denise Darcel) welcomes them with open arms, with Jarvess(John Hodiak) translating, in return for a year's worth of chocolate and cigarettes.

    "Battleground" is a rousing tribute to the 'Battered Bastards of Bastogne' of the 101st Airborne Division who with limited supplies and little fresh knowledge of the wider conflict and even which country they are in, know who they are fighting in holding the line. Camaraderie is key as we see the men evolve from happy-go-lucky to battle hardened veterans with Layton earning the right to be called by his name. And despite coming from a very different background, Roderigues(played by a very young Ricardo Montalban) is accepted too, as he takes great enjoyment in his first snow.
  • Dracula787
    August 9, 2009
    Dracula787
    A war film from the late forties, possibly the first time that World War 2 looked like it wasn?t a fun adventure in a studio film. It was a grim and gritty take on the Battle of the Bulge, this caused a lot of arguments within MGM (Louis B. Mayer, who preferred light pleasant en... read moretertainment, hated this project), but it worked out in the end, it was a box office and awards triumph. There is a certain matter of fact quality to the film; it?s just the story of these men trying to do their best in a tense and unpleasant situation. In this sense I think it?s an excellent companion to The Hurt Locker.
  • codyfranklin2
    May 25, 2009
    codyfranklin2
    A pretty good film about the Battle of the Bulge. Wellman does good with the action and all of the actors do a good job. The problem I had,and it's not this film's fault, was after watching Band Of Brothers all Battle of the Bulge film fail in comparison.This was a great looking ... read morefilm and it won for Best Cinematography, and you can tell that Band Of Brothers was highly influenced by this film. Van Johnson does a really good job in this, but it's not a top tier WWII film.
  • BlueHornet
    May 27, 2010
    BlueHornet
    A war movie that is more intent on telling the story and experience of those who fought in Bastogne, during WWII. During the post war production date, this was not the typical format or story the studios were producing. Even so, it is still a product of it's times and still sho... read morews the influence that the studio and Army had on it's production. In some ways, I found that this even makes it more enjoyable to watch. To see those differences and compare them to later films (such as the Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers). I was entertaining to watch and swept me up into the story almost immediately. Surprisingly, this was my first viewing of the film and will most likely add to my collection. The cast is great and there are a number of familiar faces appealing in it. This is a must recommend for anyone who may have any interest in military/war genre films.
  • smiley011999
    July 18, 2007
    smiley011999
    A great movie that shows the soldier's situation during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, and for some, how they died, or bravery in dire straights.
  • jyarbray
    May 12, 2007
    jyarbray
    It still has an old Hollywood feel to it, but it does bring the modern brutal feeling different than the other war movies of the time.
  • cushing12000
    October 27, 2006
    cushing12000
    Nominated for 6 Academy Awards and still stands up well today. Stars James Whitmore and Van Johnson have never been better.

View All Battleground Reviews

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
February 12, 2008
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Though shot on the back lot, William Wellman's Oscar-nominated recreation of Battle of the Bulge is one of the better WWII movies, serving as blueprint for later Vietnam War films. Full Review

Steve Crum
April 30, 2007
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Sterling, memorable WWII classic directed by Wellman.

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
October 13, 2006
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

One of the best films to depict World War II to be made by people who experienced it. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 31, 2005
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Gritty re-enactment of the Battle of the Bulge. Full Review

December 11, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Carol Cling
July 2, 2004
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

January 26, 2006
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

May 24, 2003
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

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