DIRECTOR:
Phil Karlson
CAST:
Rock Hudson, Sylva Koscina, Sergio Fantoni, Jacques Sernas, Mark Colleano, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, Tom Felleghy, Max Tarilli, Andrea Bosic, Gerard Herter.
REVIEW:
This Italian / American movie tries hard. I mean, it really does ... and it's got a lot going for it. But, unfortunately, it jumps back and forth between drama and adventure so much, that I'm not sure how to classify it.
The plot is familiar, presented in a unique way with some American aspects thrown in. Leading man Rock Hudson stars as an American commando. His team is parachuted into Italy to blow a colossal, strategic dam. Hudson's unit is ambushed and he is the only survivor. He is "rescued" by a band of Italian youngsters, who con him into helping them wreak havoc on the Nazis who took over their town and killed their families. Meanwhile, Capt. von Hecht (Sergio Fantoni) leads a hunt for Hudson and must cope with the S.S. to do so.
This movie has a lot of fine aspects. First of all, it's got a very good international cast. American star Rock Hudson has had his share of fame in plenty of classic movies, such as Giant; he's had experience in the war movie genre, too, in Tobruk and the marvelous Ice Station Zebra. You'll see more of the incredibly beautiful Sylva Koscina (The Battle of Neretva) than you've ever seen before; she's a German nurse who's captured to aid Hudson, but is non-essential to the story. Just there to look at ... and there's plenty to see. The story would have been better without her character, but I'll let it go. Sergio Fantoni with bleached hair (Von Ryan's Express) is very good as the very Aryan, one-eyed German Captain von Hecht, who will stop at nothing to stop Hudson from destroying the dam. Giacomo Rossi-Stuart (The Greatest Battle) has a very minor part as Fantoni's aide. Mark Colleano is incredibly good as the selfish leader of the youngster gang. His performance is brilliant and he deserves more credit than he gets. There are plenty of familiar "German" character-actors ... Tom Felleghy (The Battle of El Alamein) appears as a German colonel. Max Tarilli (Hell in Normandy) also pops up briefly as a German Colonel. Gerard Herter (The Last Day of the War) is the commander of the dam. Finally, watch for Andrea Bosic from Battle Force as a German General who tries to keep Fantoni out of trouble.
The action scenes are sparse and involve few extras. The last big scene on the dam is well-done for the most part, but there are still a few corny moments. Several times, the camera focuses on a sole machine-gunner and you can hear men screaming, but you never get to see the victims. The cinematography is marvelous and breathtaking, as this was filmed on location in Italy. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is pretty good, but surprisingly not anywhere near as good as his Leone scores. The script is intelligent is tells a familiar story from a unique viewpoint; showing young pre-teens battling the Nazis with machineguns and grenades is something that's rarely done. No striking dialog or directorial tricks from Karlson, who did the great HELL TO ETERNITY ten years earlier, but it's still a good adventure / suspense flick. The only negative thing I can think of is the HORRIBLY OUT OF PLACE antiwar statement near the end. It stresses that people get so caught up in war that they make horrible mistakes and come to mourn over them later on. Come on, guys -- the first 105 minutes showed war as a big adventure, and the last 5 makes it look like a colossal tragedy. Sure, I think war IS bad and should be avoided if possible; but if you're going to make an action movie, don't try to make a big statement at the end. It ruins what's been accomplished during the rest of the movie.
Overall, for the cast, Morricone music and unique approach to the subject matter, the movie is worth watching a time or two. I'd even buy it if you're a serious collector.
SGT. SLAUGHTER'S RATING:
4 Bullets
