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Battleground

Play trailer Poster for Battleground Released Jan 20, 1950 1h 58m War Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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78% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley (Van Johnson) and his American compatriots have already seen one of their own, Roderigues (Ricardo Montalban), perish under enemy fire. The men try to rebuff another series of Nazi attacks, but what they really need is a change in the weather. Without clear skies, they'll never get the air support they need.
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Battleground

Critics Reviews

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Bob Thomas Associated Press It depicts a handful of men in the Battle of the Bulge with as much realism as Hollywood can muster. Jul 25, 2019 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy This is an ensemble piece, the proper approach to take for a story that keeps its focus on the troubles (both petty and paramount) faced by grunts on the frontline. Rated: 3/4 Mar 29, 2023 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia If it weren't for its narrative weaknesses, it would have been a great war movie. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 4/10 Jul 20, 2020 Full Review Robert Ellis California Eagle This is movie Jim Crow. Feb 22, 2020 Full Review 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. Rated: A- Feb 12, 2008 Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com Sterling, memorable WWII classic directed by Wellman. Rated: 5/5 Apr 30, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member One of the better war films from this era. Like another adaptation of the "Battered Bastards of Bastogne", Band of Brothers. Battleground really helps develop the bond of the men in the 101st Airborne Division. The action is solid and it's shot tremendously, and the direction by William Wellman is also superb. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the first films depicting WW2 which was made just four after the war ended. The biggest problem with this film is the script, which has a lot of cliched and stereotypical lines found in many films from that era. The film also forces a lot of humour in the film, which for the most part doesn't work. The characters are pretty forgettable in the film. I can remember some of the names, the actors who played them and the quirks each character had, but I can't remember anything else significant. This resulted in a problem that when a character died, it didn't feel that significant because many of the characters in the film didn't stand out. The cinematography of the fighting scenes were well done, especially the last fifteen minutes where the horrors of war was effectively displayed. James Whitmore was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role. However, I thought his role was not near as notable as Kennedy, Richardson and Jagger in their nominated roles. I could've seen any number of actors easily play the role of Kinnie. Overall, a well-constructed film that sufficiently displays the terrible impact of war but is severely dated due to its underwhelming script. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review william d The usual WWII movie stereotypes, this time in the Battle of the Bulge. I'd say this one is a little better than most from that era. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review steve d Ok war film with little use for its characters. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I thought it was great for an old movie. Very entertaining Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member The best thrilling movie ever made! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Battleground

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Battleground

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Movie Info

Synopsis Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley (Van Johnson) and his American compatriots have already seen one of their own, Roderigues (Ricardo Montalban), perish under enemy fire. The men try to rebuff another series of Nazi attacks, but what they really need is a change in the weather. Without clear skies, they'll never get the air support they need.
Director
William A. Wellman
Producer
Dore Schary
Screenwriter
Robert Pirosh
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
War, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 20, 1950, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 18, 2008
Runtime
1h 58m
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