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Corbin Allred, Larry Bagby III, Kirby Heyborne, Peter Asle Holden, Alexander Polinsky ... see more see more... , Lincoln Hoppe , Alex Niver

A handful of fighting men must defy the odds to save their own lives and thousands of others in this drama set during World War II. In late 1944, a band of nearly a hundred American soldiers are makin... read more read more...g their way through a wooded region of Belgium when they are ambushed by German forces in a battle that became known as "the Malmady Massacre." A small group of American soldiers are able to take cover -- hard-boiled Sgt. Gunderson (Peter Holden), a grunt from Louisiana called Kendrick (Lawrence Bagby), a cynical medical officer from Brooklyn by the name of Gould (Alex Niver), and Cpl. Greer (Corbin Allred), known to his pals as "Deacon." Deacon is a devout Mormon who doesn't drink or smoke, carries his Bible with him at all times, and spent time in Germany as a missionary before the war, giving him an empathy with the enemy that sometimes puts him at odds with the other men. Deacon is also a master sharpshooter who has been having a crisis of conscience after nearly killing an innocent Belgian family while on patrol. Surrounded by Germans and with seemingly no means of escape, Gunderson and the men encounter Oberon Winley (Kirby Heybourne), a British intelligence officer trapped by the massacre. Winley has top secret information that could change the course of the war if it gets to Allied commanders in time, so Gunderson, Deacon, Kendrick, and Gould must find a way to get themselves and Winley away from Malmady before its too late. Inspired by a true story, Saints and Soldiers was the first feature film from Ryan Little, a Utah-based filmmaker who previously made a number of short subjects relating to issues of faith in the Church of Latter Day Saints. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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78% liked it

12,691 ratings

Critics

64% liked it

33 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Ryan Little

Release Date: August 6, 2004

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DVD Release Date: May 31, 2005

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Flixster Reviews (1,084)

  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    June 25, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    Trapped behind enemy lines. All they have is their hope.

    Good movie. This film was not bad at all. It has some pretty good acting roles and the story was decent enough to entertain. There was one goof I noticed and that is that when the solders exhale on winter snow the smoke fr... read moreom there mouths didn't showed at all during the whole movie which is pretty messed up.

    The movie opens as the Allies discover the bloody remains of the Malmedy Massacre. We soon learn how the Germans attacked the unarmed prisoners, killing most of them. Several of the soldiers escape and hide out in a bombed-out house. There's "Deacon" (Allred) the ex-missionary who is haunted by something from his past that prevents him from sleeping for days at a time. He's also a crack rifleman. Joining him in escaping are Gould (Polinsky), the medic and a boy from Brooklyn, who seems suspicious of everyone, "Shirl" (Bagby) a tough soldier from Louisiana with a lust for killing Germans, and Sgt Gunderson (Holden) from Chicago, who takes command of the group.

    With the rescue of a British pilot, Winley (Heyborne), the group is complete. The obvious distrust/dislike between Winley and Shirl causes friction, but when the group finds out that Winley holds vital intelligence that will greatly aid the Allies in the ongoing "Battle of the Bulge", they agree to get him across 20 miles behind enemy lines to army intelligence.

    Several close encounters with Germans ensue. Deacon's psychosis continues to escalate as his visions intensify. We find out that in a recent skirmish, Deacon accidentally killed 2 woman and 6 children while trying to take out a sniper. We get to learn more about the lives of the soldiers and in one telling scene, the deep religious feelings of Deacon and contrasted with the agnostic Gould as each of them tells the story of holding a dying soldier.

    The men stumble upon a remote house occupied by a French woman and her child. They are warmly welcomed by the woman who provides them shelter and food. A massive winter storm slows the group as they hole up at the woman's place. Winley tries to to take off alone and a German patrol soon shows up at the house. The soldiers attack the Germans while the sharp-shooting Deacon misses an escaping German at point blank range twice. The German is caught by Winley and returned to the group. As they argue about whether they should execute the prisoner, Deacon recognizes him as a German he once encountered in his missionary work. He attributes his missing the escaping German to a divine intervention.

    During the night, Deacon allows the German to escape in exchange for some information about troop movements. The soldiers leave the next morning but Gunderson is shot and killed by a German patrol. A full scale fight ensues and Winley is wounded. Shirl is shot carrying Winley to safety and the two finally make peace just before Shirl dies.

    The three survivors are approached by a German soldier as they try to revive Winley. It turns out to be the same German that Deacon had let escape the night before. He allows them to escape and they grab an abandoned jeep and head toward the Allied lines. Disguised as German medics with a wounded soldier, they work through their way through the German lines. The Americans, thinking they are German begin shooting at them and the Germans are firing at them from behind as well. Deacon tries to hold off the Germans while Winley escapes with Gould, but is shot and killed in the fire fight. His dying vision is of the family he accidentally killed.

    Winley and Gould make it to Allied command and the critical information helps stop the German's offensive leading to an Allied victory in the Battle of the Bulge. Gould finds Deacon's body and takes his Bilble, thanking Deacon for saving his life.
  • imrealgod
    March 15, 2011
    imrealgod
    A warfare penned in a very usual way, and there could have been numerous events 'based' on the given premises. A preachy flick with a generous amount of cliches in it. Given all things, the movie didn't bore me and I liked it reasonably.
  • SirPant
    December 10, 2010
    SirPant
    I'm not really sure what all the fuss was about, this isn't a bad film but it's nothing special. I can think of hundreds of better war films! It is good considering its small budget but its dodgy accents, preachy (and predictable) parables and unnecessary (and badly timed)attempt... read mores at humour spoilt it for me.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    This is a really great war movie, and it was very well made. My husband isn't really into movies that he has never heard of, but this was one that he really liked.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    February 3, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Trapped behind enemy lines. All they have is their hope."

    A handful of fighting men must defy the odds to save their own lives and thousands of others in this drama set during World War II. In late 1944, a band of nearly a hundred American soldiers are making their way t... read morehrough a wooded region of Belgium when they are ambushed by German forces in a battle that became known as "the Malmady Massacre." A small group of American soldiers are able to take cover -- hard-boiled Sgt. Gunderson (Peter Holden), a grunt from Louisiana called Kendrick (Lawrence Bagby), a cynical medical officer from Brooklyn by the name of Gould (Alex Niver), and Cpl. Greer (Corbin Allred), known to his pals as "Deacon." Deacon is a devout Mormon who doesn't drink or smoke, carries his Bible with him at all times, and spent time in Germany as a missionary before the war, giving him an empathy with the enemy that sometimes puts him at odds with the other men. Deacon is also a master sharpshooter who has been having a crisis of conscience after nearly killing an innocent Belgian family while on patrol. Surrounded by Germans and with seemingly no means of escape, Gunderson and the men encounter Oberon Winley (Kirby Heybourne), a British intelligence officer trapped by the massacre. Winley has top secret information that could change the course of the war if it gets to Allied commanders in time, so Gunderson, Deacon, Kendrick, and Gould must find a way to get themselves and Winley away from Malmady before its too late.

    Review
    Many films succeed outside the context of Hollywood hype. This one provides several messages competently executed by new talent, and without the special effects so commonly packaged by Tinseltown. Dialog and talent hold one's attention in a real-world interpretation of the Malmedy massacre and it's aftermath in WW2 Belgium. The tagline, 'A Time For Heroes' says much and it's more than appropriate for our time since the definition of 'hero' has been broadened by current events and uncommon courage. Lighting, sound, location, editing, and inventive writing make this a weekend wonder if you're seeking a story of principled men in desperate circumstances.
  • flixsterman
    January 17, 2009
    flixsterman
    Terrific war film that plays like a big budget studio release without all the big name talent.
  • puffchunk
    October 12, 2008
    puffchunk
    Not a bad little film. Nothing too profound here, but its simplicity and good heart made it pretty solid. I didn't realize how much I liked the characters until they started dieing.
  • crossbladezero
    July 7, 2011
    crossbladezero
    I didn't have very high hopes for this film, because it only runs a little over an hour-and-a-half. Come on, war films are suppose to be 3 hour epics about people walking around, shooting people and talking about dying. Well, it's actually got everything but the 3 hour runtime th... read moreing down. I guess this is pretty much the opposite of "The Thin Red Line" in some ways. This film falls into the conventions of war films, but doesn't drag them out to a painfully dull extent. However, where "The Thin Red Line" made up for that with a deal of offbeat elements, this film doesn't feel too refreshing. Of course, that's not the film's only flaw.

    The film suffers from a lack of development, a slow pacing, quietness and some overdrawn points. Still, it all comes down the film's falling into the tropes of the war film genre. It's a story we've seen many times before in the war genre and it follows a deal of the same beats from this storyline. Characters and messages are cliched, as are the character fate hints, making many events rather predictable. One of the most offbeat things about this story is that it takes place in a snowy setting. Still, though the story is familiar, it still carries that compelling kick, being backed-up by such strenghts as lovely cinematography, a fine score, solid sound, fine production designs, charming character chemistry, effective comic relief, good action sequences, emotional resonanse and a good ending.

    Of course, what carries the film are the performances. Speaking of conventions, who's ready for another redundant discussion on the strong performances? If you guessed that I was going to say that these guys emote well, have great chemistry and give off a compelling atmosphere, then congradulations, you win. Your prize is the dawning realization that you're sad enough to have read enough of my numbingly long reviews to find my conventions. Well, you can cry about that later, because I've still got a redundant discussion to make. The performers' crackling chemistry and emotional work are what make the film's characters and story so compelling. There, now let me just wrap this thing up.

    In the end, "Saints and Soliders" is not the most refreshing entry in the war film catalogue, but the compelling story - carried by the strong leads and find technical value - make it worth the watch.
  • EbertsLittleApprentice
    December 12, 2011
    EbertsLittleApprentice
    The movie is full of the everday war drama feel to it, but takes a more different view and manages to create a rare spectacule among modern filmmakers.
  • Tecnoandre
    July 24, 2011
    Tecnoandre
    World War II war film featuring Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Kirby Heyborne, Lawrence Bagby and Peter Holden.It is based loosely around events taking place shortly after the Malmedy massacre during the Battle of the Bulge where several US soldiers and a downed British airman n... read moreeed to reach Allied lines to pass on some vital intelligence.Despite the good epoch reconstruction, this movie suffers of bad script, with empty dialogues and boring conversations between the soldiers.By the way, the actors don't look like world war II soldiers at all, and the whole project is an attempt to catch some "Saving private Ryan's" ideas.i love war movies, but this one is not one of my favorites.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
May 6, 2005
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Nicely detailed if slackly paced. Full Review

Janice Page
April 29, 2005
Janice Page, Boston Globe

There aren't any plot surprises in this low-budget effort, so the success of the mission from a viewer standpoint depends on how well you connect with the characters and their plight. Full Review

Roger Ebert
November 12, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It has the strengths and the clean lines of a traditional war movie, without high-tech special effects to pump up the noise level. Full Review

Robert K. Elder
November 11, 2004
Robert K. Elder, Chicago Tribune

It's the movie equivalent of singing 'Onward Christian Soldiers' to those already in the choir. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
October 21, 2004
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Though Saints and Soldiers' examination of faith, self-sacrifice and morality is not groundbreaking, it always holds our interest. Full Review

Desson Thomson
October 15, 2004
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

It's hard to get behind characters who feel like lazy archetypes. Full Review

Robert Dominguez
October 15, 2004
Robert Dominguez, New York Daily News

In his feature film debut, Little uses washed-out color and a you-are-there immediacy to tell a powerful wartime tale of survival, morality and honor. Full Review

Megan Lehmann
October 15, 2004
Megan Lehmann, New York Post

There's little here to make this stand out in an already well-stuffed genre.

Dana Stevens
October 14, 2004
Dana Stevens, New York Times

War is heck in the clean-scrubbed world of Saints and Soldiers, the best low-budget, Mormon World War II epic you'll see this year. Full Review

Ken Eisner
October 14, 2004
Ken Eisner, Variety

Well mounted, frequently gripping WWII tale of GIs surviving behind German lines during the Battle of the Bulge. Full Review

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Saints and Soldiers Trivia

  • What movie do these men play in as Corporal'Deacon', Medic Gould, Flight Sergant Winley, Privat Kendrick, and Sergant McKinley?  Answer »
  • In the movie "Saints and Soldiers" what was the main characters name?  Answer »
  • In which movie did Deacon, a World War 2 soldier, take part in the Battle of the Bulge and try to save Menai, Belgium?  Answer »
  • What WW2 movie stars Corbin Allred, Alexander Polinsky, Kirby Heybourne, Larry Bagby and Peter Holden?  Answer »
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