Artivels Undescribable Perfection

Cortechba Overrated

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Leofwine_draca THE BATTLE FOR ANZIO is about as unexciting a war epic as you can get: an overblown (produced by Dino de Laurentiis), overlong US-Italian co-production, it fails to ignite the screen with any kind of energy, excitement or drive despite dealing with an interesting theatre of the Second World War. The first third is particularly gruelling, an almost plot less introduction to the leading characters before they head off to war, full of drunken partying and over-running scenes of people flirting and talking, all portrayed in the most boring way possible. Once we arrive in Italy, the next two thirds quickly change and the film degenerates into yet another men-on-a-mission type flick of which the Italians were so fond in the wake of THE DIRTY DOZEN.I was a little surprised to find out that such a supposedly epic film had turned into the usual low key story concerning guys trapped behind enemy lines. The budget isn't very evident anyway, with disappointing set-piece battles and only a few shoot-outs that manage to raise the pulse. The script is rather sub-par, throwing in the usual anti-war messages yet topping off with a cheesy happy ending in any case, and many of the characters are interchangeable aside from the leading duo. The young actors (Thomas Hunter, Giancarlo Giannini, Mark Damon, Anthony Steel) don't have a chance to shine and pointless cameos from the likes of Arthur Kennedy fail to register. Bob Mitchum and Peter Falk are typically good value for money but they're given particularly dull characters to work with here. THE BATTLE FOR ANZIO is definitely a war film that deserves to be forgotten.

AaronCapenBanner Based on the true World War II incident of Allied forces landing on the beaches of Anzio without opposition, when the commanding officer makes the incredibly unfortunate and wrong-headed decision of digging his forces in, rather than making a forward march into Rome, since there were no German troops around yet. Robert Mitchum plays a war correspondent who travels back through the lines unopposed to prove the decision wrong, but tragically German forces do arrive eventually, causing an unnecessary conflict and loss of lives that could have been avoided.Despite a good cast(including Peter Falk) this war film is dull and lifeless, which is strange considering the tragic and explosive nature of the incident, but film remains an unmemorable misfire.

kjump14 This movie STEPS ALL OVER the REAL Rangers that fought in Anzio, and everywhere else in the world. I don't know who the damn 'technical adviser' was on this film, but they either didn't pay attention to what he told them, or the dude has ZERO idea how combat is, and Ranger tactics more specifically. The writers and the director portrayed them as having no combat skills whatsoever, showing 5 or 6 guys running up in front of an MG nest, other guys simply standing up out of a fighting position and getting whacked, and our 'heroes' bee-bopping through the bush like they were a bunch of kids in the 3rd week of Basic, NEEDING their 'scout' to school 'em on what to do. NOT EVEN CLOSE to how REAL Rangers attack a fighting position, patrol, or cover each other under fire. Nevermind the fact that the whole scenario portrayed wasn't even remotely close to what actually happened in Anzio. Rangers fought, and most of 'em were killed, captured, or wounded. There the similarities end. A TRUE slap in the face to EVERYONE who fought in WW2. Especially the Rangers. Let us NOT forget The RANGERS (2nd Bn)took a complete disaster on Omaha Beach, and turned it into a successful landing. And if it weren't for their comrades on Point Du Hoc taking care of business the Ranger Way, no Rangers would've been diverted to Omaha, and the outcome would surely have been different there.I've never registered on a website to leave feedback like this before, but this movie infuriated me to the point that I felt compelled to do so.

sddavis63 If you view this movie expecting to find a look at the World War II Battle of Anzio (which, given the title, wouldn't be out of the question) this is going to turn out to be a major disappointment. The actual Battle is barely dealt with (only the landing of the troops gets any real attention.) Instead, there's a very long lead-in to the battle, and then we basically follow the exploits of seven American soldiers who get stuck behind enemy lines and try desperately to get back to their comrades, led by a war correspondent named Ennis (played well enough by Robert Mitchum.) That story was suspenseful at times, but a movie with this title should have given far more information about one of the bloodiest battles in Italy during the war. Instead, all we really get told is that the Allied generals were far too timid in their approach, and that they missed a golden opportunity to occupy a largely undefended Rome. Instead, the American commander chose to concentrate on solidifying his beach-head, and the troops ended up unable to advance at all once the Germans realized what was happening. The end result - as the U.S. Commander himself notes in the movie - was summed up by no less than Winston Churchill: "I had hoped we were hurling a wildcat into the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale."There is some philosophical reflection about warfare scattered throughout this, largely through Ennis, who wonders why men fight and kill each other. In the end he himself picks up a rifle and kills, and he comes to a sobering conclusion (which certainly has some historical credence) - "we kill because we like to." This conclusion is somewhat tempered by the closing scenes which depict a triumphant American entry into Rome, with the citizens of Rome cheering them wildly - thus suggesting that there was some noble purpose to this particular war.Overall, though, this is a very disappointing movie about a battle of some significance (at least in cost) and the Battle of Anzio probably deserves a better treatment than this.