I've had an interesting morning watching a couple of war films. First was one of my all-time favorite films, John Frankenheimer's 'The Train', starring Burt Lancaster and filmed in glorious black & white. A terrific movie, brilliant directing, cinematography, writing, and acting. It simply doesn't get much better. Then there was the other film I watched, director Ken Annakin's 1965 clunker 'Battle of the Bulge'. This film is as bad in as many ways as 'The Train' is good. With an all-star cast, notably Henry Fonda and Robert Shaw, this color extravaganza misses the mark in all aspects. The writing is very stilted, the story line confused and inaccurate, the special effects cheap looking, and I won't even go into the inaccuracies involving equipment, weapons, etc. All that said, the movie is entertaining in a grotesque sort of way. All in all it was an entertaining morning and a great study in contrasts. -- Al
The Good and the Bad (1 Viewer)
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ccdc11
Sergeant First Class
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I love The Train. Lancaster was one of those actors like that had a quiet intensity that really came thru on screen . As far as Battle Of Bulge, I don't think I can sit thru it even with Fonda and I can always watch Fonda. I just retried and had to shut it off after 20 minutes. I considered starting a thread of your best and worst war movies with BOB as my worst. Just can't stand the tanks being that far off.
BoB is just terrible. On the other hand, how can you go wrong with a war film about a train? Paul Scofield was brilliant as the German Colonel von Waldheim trying to get the train to Germany. -- Al
jazzeum
Four Star General
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BoB is a guilty pleasure. Yes, there are many things wrong with it but Robert Shaw is very good and Janes McArthur isn’t bad. That being said, I found Shaw, Fonda, Robert Ryan and Dana Andrews (and the other actors in American roles) playing to stereotypes. The best character in the movie was Conrad (Hans Christian Blech), Robert Shaw’s aide, as he seems realistic. The movie did have some positives as it shined a light on events such as Malmedy and the MP impersonators, which I’m sure many Americans didn’t know about prior to seeing the movie.
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BoB is entertaining but just too many things that were done wrong for me to really enjoy. Didn't care for the Savalas or Bronson characters and I just never bought into the rolling plains of Spain as an adequate substitute for the forests and hills of the Ardennes. Do agree about the Blech character and I liked George Montgomery's sergeant. -- Al
jazzeum
Four Star General
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Blech also had a good role in The Longest Day. Aside from these two movies, I’ve never seen him in any other movies.
Note: just did a little research and he was in The Bridge at Remagen, as well as many other movies.
He fought on the Eastern Front.
Note: just did a little research and he was in The Bridge at Remagen, as well as many other movies.
He fought on the Eastern Front.
Blech had a great part in a 1951 movie titled 'Decision Before Dawn' that also starred Richard Basehart and Oskar Werner. The movie is about American Intelligence recruiting German PoW's for work behind German lines. Good show with great cinematography. -- Al
Chris, that train sequence in BoB is just awful. It comes out of nowhere, doesn't really have anything to do with the story, takes too much time, and is obviously a model. Should have been left on the cutting room floor. -- Al