1. The American video opens with an abbreviated bombing sequence, with credits superimposed over the action. It then cuts to narration outlining the Partisan fight against the Germans. In the original version, the film opens with the narration and cuts to credits rolling over footage of the partisans trekking through the hills. Missing from the US narration is the line "Their fate to be decided at
"
2. The title "Unoccupied Yugoslavia" as the boy hands out newspapers is missing
3. After the third yell "Combat!" we see more kids running around with newspapers and a photographer takes a picture of the hospital staff.
4. After Stepho reads the newspaper headlines, Novak cheers "And a good steak!"
5. The newspaper boy arrives at school, and as the kids are learning how to write "Anti Fascist Council for the Liberation of Yugoslavia", the aforementioned bombing raid begins. In the European cut the raid is a little longer and lacks the music, which was added to the US cut for the credits modification.
6. When Lohring first arrives, the title reads "German Headquarters in Yugoslavia". This was removed for the US cut.
7. The German briefing is as follows. The dialog in brackets was cut for the US version. Probably for time constraints.
[Lohring and aide enter the briefing room.]
[AIDE General Lohring
attention, gentlemen!]
(Lohring enters and the men salute)
SS OFFICER [Welcome to Colditz, Herr General. Everything is ready, as you requested.]
LOHRING [Good morning.]
SS OFFICER [Good morning, sir.]
(Lohring takes off his coat and moves to the table)
LOHRING Well, let's start. You've all been briefed on Plan Weiss. [The Fuhrer's Headquarters has ordered us to begin the operation. That means we have 24 hours, gentlemen. Tomorrow, we go.] So the Partisans are here, concentrated at Bihac. By moving rapidly, we can set up a nice trap. From the east, Reichenbach's division will attack, supported by the Anaka Group and the 714th. Your SS battalions will attack from the west. Weiterman, your target areas are here and here ... in the south are the Italians, stationed at Prozor ... and across the Neretva are the Chetniks. Oh, you, Colonel Kranzer - your Panzers will drive down from the north with the Ustachi infantry directly into the heart of Tito's so-called "state".
KRANZER: Yes, sir.
LOHRING: Have your units reached their positions?
KRANZER: Not yet, General. But they should arrive by 2100 hours.
LOHRING: [Well, gentlemen, those are your orders. Now, would any one of you care for a cigarette?]
[Lohring goes and gets cigarettes]
(From here the scene is the same)
8. HORST: Anton C ... Anton C ... come in. Come in! Report positions. Are your Panzer units ready?
9. More combat footage during the German / Ustachi assault on the Bihac defenses. Different music cues result.
10. After Vuko's death, the Ivan / Nikola phone scene begins as follows:
NIKOLA: Ivan! Ivan, Headquarters!
IVAN: [takes phone] Yes? Hello! Hello!Hello, this is Brigade Commander Ivan.
[The rest of the scene is intact]
11. The Martin / Ivan argument is as follows. The cuts were made for their pro-Communist slant.
IVAN: Now listen, Martin. You've got an order and are you going to disobey it?
MARTIN: I've already told the battery to get ready to pull out. But if it was up to me, I'd have attacked. We had them beat.
IVAN: [When headquarters passes down a specific order - whether it's too advance or to withdraw - there's a military reason. And that order has to be obeyed. We must have one central strategy - yes, and it has got to come from a unified command.]
MARTIN: [By God, don't read the book to me. I'm just saying] they were on the run.
12. As the Partisans march outside headquarters, there is a title reading "Partisan Headquarters".
13. The War Conference is as follows. The first half of the scene is missing due to its Communist emphasis.
PARTISAN: And so that's the situation we're faced with, comrades. The enemy is far superior to us in troops, strength and equipment. Our losses would be fatal. Well, what can we do? What's the alternative? This is the decision reached at headquarters. We'll abandon the liberated areas, evacuating our wounded and the civilian population, then launch an offensive against Prosor. That'll be where they least suspect it. Then push to the Neretva.
DJUKA: Then we take a deep breath and run 300 kilometers? Is that what you're saying?
IVAN: With over 4,000 wounded and sick to take care of? That's not my idea of running.
DJUKA: I agree. It's more like hobbling. And what does headquarters think will happen to our mobility? It's the only strong weapon we have. If we do that - babies, the old, the wounded - and what'll we do with all the typhus cases?Bring them? We'll be crippling our maneuverability and fighting where the Germans want - not where we want.
PARTISAN: Djuka, these people are part of our responsibilty, too.
DJUKA: Who says any man in this room has the right to risk everything we've won during the past year? We will if we bring them.
NIKOLA: The human being inside us, that's who, Djuka. It's not right. If we abandon all those wounded, they'll be executed. That's no way to win your freedom.
DJUKA: Then how do you propose doing it? By having us throw our lives away? Maybe you ought to ask them what they'd choose. Their lives or the liberation.
MARTIN: The liberation, that's what they'd answer. And that's exactly why we're taking them with us. Risk or no risk. Gamble or no gamble. I don't see why we should even be arguing about it.
PARTISAN 2: I move that we get off this subject.
PARTISAN: Well, then we have better get on to the plan of operation. The floor is yours, Stole.
[The scene begins here in the US version]
STOLE: Disposition of your troops will be as follows. My division -as well as your brigade, Ivan - supported on both flanks by shock troops - will proceed south in two columns and attack the Italian position at Prosor. Stipe, you evacuate the hospital and bring up the rear.
STIPE I understand.
STOLE Vlado
Vlado, stay awake! This involves you, too. I want your squad to mine all the roads leading into Bihac. We must slow down the Germans.
VLADO [Okay, will do. ]
MARTIN Now, that's the kind of work you enjoy. That right?
VLADO Demolition, Martin - it's just a job, like any other.
STOLE Comrades, we have a long march to the river Neretva. Let's start.
[Men exit. Brynner goes outside to truck and shakes "Duchess" awake"]
BRYNNER [Come on, wake up, Duchess. ]
DUCHESS [Why? Where are we going?]
VLADO [(gets in truck with Duchess) We got a date tomorrow morning - German tanks. ]
[Truck drives off]
14. The Hospital Evacuation Scene is longer; most of the cuts were probably made for time. The complete scene is as follows, with dialog in italics representing the cuts.
[The scene opens with a long panning shot of the hospital, showing the dreary, muddy conditions]
(Stole and Stepho ride up to main building on their motorcycle)
STOLE Doctor Maria
you're taking too long. You've got to get your people out of here.
MARIA I'm moving the patients as quickly as I can, commander, so please don't shout at me.
STOLE Get me the head surgeon.
(Maria goes inside and Doctor comes out)
DOCTOR What's the matter?
STOLE How much more time do you need to clear the hospital?
DOCTOR At least a couple more hours.
STOLE The city must be evacuated by nightfall.
DOCTOR Don't worry.
STOLE Hurry it up.
DOCTOR Right.
(Stole tries to ride off and is intercepted by Bosko)
BOSKO Commander! Comrade Commander, will you make them untie me? Untie my hands? They say I'm crazy, but that's not true, Comrade Commander! The doctor says it's the bullet. He's going to take it out.
STOLE That's fine. Fine.
BOSKO Halt!
NADA Bosko!
BOSKO I'm in command here! Halt!
NADA Bosko! Bosko, don't worry. You're going to lead a brigade again. Really, you are.
STOLE Get into the column.
NADA Oh, now Bosko, all the commander wants to do is help you.
BOSKO All right.
NADA As a friend. All right?
BOSKO For you, Nada, I'd do anything - I go to - I -
NADA Thank you, Bosko. You better hurry, now. They're leaving. I'll see you later, all right?
BOSKO All right. [Leaves]
[Nada turns and sees the men carrying the legless partisan]
LEGLESS [Hey, why don't you guys save up and buy me a wheelchair?]
[Men laugh]
NADA [Hurry up! Let's get him on the tractor.]
[The men help Legless onto the vehicle, handing him his accordion]
LEGLESS [Here, I'll take it. ]
15. This scene was cut because of it's strong anti-Communist slant. The scene introduces some characters who do not seem to matter much in the US cut.
[Stole and Zica enter Nazar's farm. Stole salutes]
STOLE Comrade Nazar, it's time to go.
NAZAR I'm all ready, Stole. I've packed everything I'll ever need. One small suitcase, and these.
STOLE I've assigned Zica here to take care of you, comrade. We've even got you a cow so you'll have milk. During the march you'll be in the rear. You'll go with the wounded.
NAZAR Thank you, Stole. [stands] Well then, Zica - I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to carry these. You'll find them rather heavy.
ZICA And when the battle starts, then what do you want me to do - look over chapter 16?
NAZAR Listen, Zica: These works were written by some of our greatest men. They're part of our nation's heritage. I could leave my house easily . . . but how could I ever leave my books behind?
ZICA Yeah, that's great. Old men can read their books. Fine. But what about me? I'm not a librarian, you know. I'm a soldier, and here you are -
STOLE That'll be enough! It's your responsibility to guard comrade Nazar.
ZICA [salutes] Commander.
STOLE And one more thing. What unites our people is their own language. Their own literature.
ZICA [salutes] Yes, Comrade Commander.
16. The Partisan evacuation / trek scene is longer. The US cut only has one long, panning shot of the Partisans trekking by a deserted village. The UK cut shows the harsh conditions the partisans had to live under - bad medical conditions, harsh weather, etc. There is also another impressive panning shot included in the trek scene, showing off the expansive countryside.
17. Just after the added "evacuation" footage, there is another important scene. This shows the German Allies (Yugoslav Fascist Ustachians) moving through the deserted town of Prosor. The village is littered with rubble. The Ustachian commander is shown to emerge from a firing squad massacre, passing a hung partisan with a sign inscribed "Moskva, Washington, London".
18. The German air raid on the artillery is slightly longer, with a few more shots.
19. This scene is longer:
STOLE Where's your commander?
PARTISAN He's with Novak.
IVAN Hello, Stole.
STOLE Hello, Ivan. Any message from Martin?
IVAN No, I haven't heard anything. Why?
STOLE We can't wait. I think we'd better call a staff meeting.
IVAN I'll call them. Battalion commanders, let's gather in back!
[Danica arrives, calling for Ivan]
[The rest of the scene is intact]
20. THE WAR CONFERENCE
STOLE The problem looks simple, only it isn't. Do we got tonight, without the support of Martin's artillery? Or hold up until we hear from them [before attacking Prosor? That's the position.]
DJUKA [There's no choice, because] if we're ever going to break through to the Neretva, we must hit the town before they know we're here. A night attack is the only way to take the Italians by surprise.
NICOLA [That was going through my mind. Say we hold up the attack and wait for Martin. Who knows how long it'll take his battery to get here?]
IVAN Well, I'm sure we can do it without Martin. The Italians aren't that good.
STOLE Then we've all agreed. We attack tonight. [I want you to mark the positions of your units on this map. When you're finished, alert the brigades. We're moving out, right after dark. Stepho, pick up the map when they're finished.]
STEPHO: [We'll beat the hell out of them - map or no map. Come, on comrades. Let's go with that thing.]
[The partisans outside rouse]
NOVAK:[Stepho, wait. What's up? When do we go?]
STEPHO:[Tonight, sometime.]
21. The Morelli / Lohring phone discussion is a bit longer
LOHRING:No, no, don't attack. Just hold Prosor. Give Kranzer time to get his tanks there.Three days, Morelli. That's all I ask.
MORELLI:I have personally designed our defense system and our fire plan here. And we can hold out, my dear general, until the end of the war if necessary. Even longer. But you, my dear general - you must make a move. You must put some pressure on the enemy flank. You must attack. I repeat, we can hold out here indefinitely - But these, uh, these armored troops of yours. Where are they? They're always coming but they never arrive.
LOHRING: [Don't you worry about Kranzer. He'll be there. I guarantee you. Yes, but - yes, but - ] Just hold Prosor, Morelli. That's all.
MORELLI: simple task, Herr General. Auf wiedersehn, arrividierce.
22. The Partisan attack is much longer and interspersed with footage of the wounded leaving the hospital because they think Prosor has been captured. With the new footage, the scene is twice as long.
23. The Partisans Confront the Wounded
NOVAK: Hold it! Stop! Where the hell you going? Where's the surgeon? I need him!
SURGEON What is it? What's the matter? We're on our way to Prosor.
NOVAK On your way to where, Doctor? We didn't take Prosor.
MARIA: That means -
[The partisans look distraught]
BOSKO: [(laughs) They call themselves soldiers. They're just a pack of boy scouts!]
FATHER: [All right, so now what's going to happen?] You know we can't go north and now we can't go south. We've got the Germans on our tails and we've got the Italians sitting up there. What do we do?
NOVAK I don't know. Turn around, I guess.
FATHER: Around where?
NOVAK: Don't ask me. But you damn well can't go to Prosor. ]Doctor, come on over here. All right, boys get those stretchers up here. ]
[The surgeons tend to the wounded]
[Martin moves up with the wounded]
SURGEON: [What's this all about? What went wrong, Martin?]
MARTIN: They shouldn't have attacked. They should have waited till I brought my cannon up. Company, forward!
24. The Partisan attack is longer and Bosko has a run in with the typhus-infected Nicola
25. The Lohring / Senator Conference is much longer and differently edited
[Lohring looks over maps]
LOHRING: This is their last chance. It's the only road left open to them. We've completely sealed off the Balkans, to Tito will try to cross the river at Jabanlica and get into the mountains. All right, then. We'll be happy to assist him on his way. When he's there, at the bridge, we'll destroy him. Kranzer's tanks will keep pressure on their rear guard. But we must see to it that not a single partisan crosses that bridge. Therefore, all Chetnik units will have to move up at once to positions on the Neretva.
DIBUKOZI: Yes, sir.
KRANZER: I must have your guarantee that not a single Partisan gets across that bridge.
[Here, the scene cuts to the Partisans trekking. In the UK version, the scene continues as follows]
SENATOR: Strategically, your plan is brilliant, but might I, perhaps, offer a modest addition? I don't interfere, I assure you, in matters of purely military. But I do know the terrain, and I do know the enemy. I'm just back now from a mobilization campaign of over 20 districts.
[Here, the scene continues]
SENATOR: Typhus has broken out among the partisans. They're hungry, physically and psychologically. They're almost at the end of their tether. Let the partisans cross the bridge without hindrance. Yes, let them go: carrying their wounded through the snow. Then we'll see what happens to that famous morale of theirs. Let them start blaming each other ... hating eachother ... cursing the day they decided to carry their wounded and typhus patients over those terrible mountains. Let them destroy themselves.
[The next portion is missing from the US version]
LOHRING: Your idea is psychologically sound and it would be very interesting to try it. But we have no time. The Fuhrer expects us to achieve a quick solution. We will attack them now. We won't grant them any time. Not even a single hour.
SENATOR: But after all, as a civilian -
LOHRING: You make a good soldier when you have to. So, Kranzer will drive forward in the mountains, pushing them down to toward the river. You occupy the south bank. And we've got them nicely in the pot, we'll cook them and serve them on a skewer. That gentlemen - this is the last act of our play. We can trap Tito and finish him off between the river and the mountains. Thank you.
[The officers exit and Lohring calls for his aide]
AIDE: Yes, Colonel?
LOHRING: Get me Kranzer.
[The scene shifts to Kranzer's column]
KRANZER: Thanks a lot, General. No, it's not exactly a beach party. I understand. The storm's been delaying us. Yes, it's snowing on the enemy too. That's right. I'll make contact with their rearguard soon, yes, sir. Of course, sir. Out. [to men] You all got the message? We've been ordered to push on. We're not waiting for our main forces to join up. Well, since we can't wait, we'll shove ahead and hit them with what we've got.
HORST: But, Colonel. Sir.
KRANZER: I know, I know. It's a god damn blizzard. You're lucky it isn't shit falling from the sky.
26. Orson Welles is escorted out of a building before his speech. After the speech, the Chetniks cheering is longer.
27. When the Partisans confront Vlado about blowing up the bridge, there is a slightly longer shot of him holding his gun on them. He says, "By Christ, I'll shoot!"
28. Kranzer's reasons for not allowing Horst into combat are more developed.
KRANZER: Refused.
HORST: Sir, but I -
KRANZER: [The enemy here is absolutely different from those we faced in France or Russia, where we had some way to predict their actions logically. Here, you're not only threatened in front; you're threatened from behind, too, by that tree for instance. Or that rock.] Now they're on target!
29. The Partisans arrive and Nicola runs into Ivan.
NOVAK Ivan.
IVAN What ... ? Nicola!
[They hug]
IVAN: Nicola, how are you?
NICOLA Make a guess.
IVAN: You're better.
NICOLA You guessed wrong.
[Nada comes out and the scene continues]
30. The Partisan woman's companion with the Molotov cocktails is seen to run away
31. Riva's death scene is longer. He stumbles around, watching the woman blow up the tank with the Molotov as he dies.
32. Djuka is seen to be killed by a German artillery round
33. Maria encourages Martin to move his guns. He refuses and tells her to calm the patients down and keeps firing.
34. KRANZER AND LOHRING
Kranzer enters the HQ and the scene is as follows
KRANZER: Kranzer here.
LOHRING: You must halt their advance somehow, Kranzer. Everything depends on it. They must be stopped from getting north into Bosnia. It's absolutely vital. I'm depending on you, Kranzer. I have never told you this before, because you know it. You are the best man I've got. Your division is the best I've got, too. Kranzer, try to get your men regroupped but whatever you do. Don't dig in. You haven't got a chance. Counterattack!
[The rest of the scene is intact in the US cut]
35. The German troops are seen to dig in after Kranzer gives Schroeder his orders
36. One long, new scene explains how Jordan and Zica came to join Novak's squad on the hill
ZICA: Comrade Nazar, Jordan and I are going to join Novak's squad. Mario will take care of you, the cow and everything. All right?
NAZAR: Go, my boy. It's easier for me now.
ZICA: Thank you, comrade Nazar. Mario, you better take special care of Uncle Nazar. And that includes his books.
MARIO: He'll be safe, the cow will be safe. Leave it to me.
ZICA: Ciao, Mario.
MARIO: Ciao, Zica.
ZICA: So long.
FATHER: Good luck.
ZICA: Uncle Nazar, take care of yourself.
NAZAR: Thank you for everything. God be with you. Good luck.
JORDAN: Comrade Nazar, they'll take care of you fine. Fine.
ZICA: Ciao, Mario!
NAZAR: Comrade Jordan! What will you do with your bus?
JORDAN: Well, I'm not leaving it on this side of the river for the Germans. That's for damn sure. Give me a hand. Watch out below!
[Jordan pushes the bus down the hill into the river]
37. Jordan starts to accept Novak's snack offer, but sees the approaching Chetniks. He says: "Wait a minute, I'm coming - no, I'll take a raincheck, wiseguy."
38. The Partisans are shown advancing up the ridge to encircle the Chetniks
39. The Partisan vs. Chetnik battle at the end is a little longer, with differently edited music
40. The Partisans are shown to roll their artillery into the river.
41. Nada is shown to have succumbed to typhus, and Vlado comforts Nicola them in his last moments as Nicola has a dying hallucination of meeting Nada on the bridge.
