Main Cast: Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews, Telly Savalas, George Montgomery
Release Year: 1965
Country: US
Run Time: 141 minutes
Plot
In December of 1944, the Allied high command is convinced that German forces in Belgium are in a low state of readiness, and perhaps even about to withdraw. Only one officer on the front lines, intelligence specialist Lt. Col. Kiley (Henry Fonda), believes otherwise -- that the Germans are actually planning an attack. His opinion is rejected by his immediate superior (Dana Andrews) and his commanding general (Robert Ryan). Kiley spots several suspicious signs of German activity behind enemy lines on a reconnaissance flight, and he is at the front looking for evidence when the German counter-offensive starts. Taking advantage of Allied unpreparedness and a weather front that grounds all aircraft, their heavy tank units, supported by infantry, roll over the American forces, assaulting the lines at five different points in an attempt to ultimately divide the Allied forces in the west. The German top tank officer, Colonel Hessler (Robert Shaw), has planned his operation perfectly, but he is in a race against time, to take as much territory as possible before the weather front moves out and American aircraft can fly again, and to capture the American fuel supplies so that the offensive can continue right to the port of Antwerp. He has the total dedication of his men, but engenders doubts from his aide, Conrad (Hans-Christian Blech), who is weary of the fighting and wonders what it is all for. Meanwhile, Kiley is trying to uncover the weak spot in the German offensive, and he crosses paths with several other key players in this drama: Charles Bronson as a combat officer charged with the defense of the collapsing American position, James MacArthur as a neophyte lieutenant who becomes a leader, and Telly Savalas as a conniving sergeant in command of a tank who unexpectedly finds a nobler, less mercenary side of himself. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Review
German tanks pulverize everything in their path in this 1965 motion picture chronicling the Third Reich's counteroffensive against allied troops marching across Europe. Though the script is so-so, and the personal stories fictionalized, the battle scenes are spectacular. The star of the film is the panzer: a tank wrapped in a thick hide of heavy metal. It is the new Achilles, seemingly invulnerable, a battlefield terror that lays waste with surgical precision during a campaign in the Ardennes region of Belgium, Luxembourg, and France between December 15, 1944, and January 15, 1945. A German war room tracks the progress of the tank commander, Col. Martin Hessler Robert Shaw, a ruthless taskmaster who loves war. Arraying his tanks on a hilltop, he reduces an American-occupied town to cinders, smoke, and fear. Defending troops retreat, helping to create a backward "bulge" in the allied line, and in the process, ascribing a name to the battle. There is only one problem: Hessler's tanks are running out of gas. Shaw is fun to watch, and hate, as he fashions Hessler into a monomaniac willing to risk everything for the pleasure of the kill. His raw recruits, many mere boys, are ready to die for him, and they even break into a rousing song, the "Panzerlied," that whets his craving for blood. Henry Fonda portrays an American colonel who flies reconnaissance in heavy fog to find Hessler. He and other old warhorses (Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews, George Montgomery, Telly Savalas, and Charles Bronson) give adequate performances. Hans Christian Blech portrays the most interesting character in the film: Hessler's toady, Corporal Conrad. Realizing that Hessler is a madman, he dares to reproach the panzer commander, condemning his brutality. In doing so, he shows that a German soldier can think and feel the prick of conscience. Of course, he loses his stripes. But he marches back to Germany drawing his coat about him -- and his integrity. The musical score by Benjamin Frankel is brilliant. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
Eugène Lourié - Art Director, Laure de Zarate - Costume Designer, José Lopez Rodero - First Assistant Director, Ken Annakin - Director, Derek Parsons - Editor, Benjamin Frankel - Composer (Music Score), Trevor Crole-Rees - Makeup, Jose Maria Sanchez - Makeup, Dudley Lovell - Camera Operator, Jack Hildyard - Cinematographer, Gregorio Sacristan - Production Manager, Milton Sperling - Producer, Philip Yordan - Producer, Richard Parker - Special Effects, Alex C. Weldon - Special Effects, Kit West - Special Effects, Bernard Gordon - Screenwriter, John Melson - Screenwriter, Milton Sperling - Screenwriter, Philip Yordan - Screenwriter, R.E. Merriam - Book Author
The original VHS release of the film for home video use was heavily edited and used a full screen "pan and scan" technique often employed in network telecasts of widescreen motion pictures. The DVD (released in 2005), however, is uncut and uses a "letterbox" format that includes the proper aspect ratio of the original film; it also includes some special features.
A German tank force led by a fictional Colonel Hessler (played by Robert Shaw) leads a last-ditch attack through the Allied front. An American intelligence officer (played by Henry Fonda) tries in vain to persuade his superiors of enemy intentions, but to no avail. Hessler is initially successful, but his luck runs out when his unit attempts the seizure of a stubbornly-held fuel depot. Vignettes from the actual battle are included the film, including General McAuliffe's reply of "Nuts" to a surrender demand at Bastogne, German commandos dressed as American soldiers (Operation Greif), and the Malmedy massacre of American POWs.
After some dramatic build-up, the film takes us to the initial assault where Hessler's heavy tanks descend on forward defenses held by U.S. infantry. The G.I.s fire anti-tank grenades from their rifles which explode harmlessly on the thick armor. Hessler's forces quickly penetrate the position, resulting in a panic-stricken rout.
An American tank arrives only to find shots from its main gun ricochet without effect.
But the Germans have an Achilles' heel. They are desperately short of fuel, to the point where their troops must siphon it from captured and abandoned U.S. vehicles to keep their own moving.
The film also recreates the massacre of American prisoners at Malmedy and the stiffening effect it had on morale. Consequently, resistance grows as U.S. troops no longer view surrender as an option. The German advance slows.
Although advised to bypass the strongpoint of Amblève (currently known as Amel), Shaw (Hessler) convinces his commander to attack and eliminate it. He is successful, but more time has been lost. American armored reserves are now moving up in force.
The final tank battle is a rough depiction of the Battle of Celles on December 26, 1944 where the U.S. 2nd Armored Division smashed the German 2nd panzer. The film creates the false impression that large numbers of American tanks sacrificed themselves against the heavy Tiger IIs and in the process lured the enemy off course which caused him to run out of gas. In reality, they were already stranded. Furthermore, most German tanks were not heavy types.
In fairness to the film, the inaccuracy here is not fatal. Fuel shortage was a major handicap for the Germans. And there was a major tank-to-tank engagement during the battle.
Absent from this movie is the response by General George Patton whose Third Army relieved the siege of Bastogne. However, the movie chose to emphasize the more important theme of how Bastogne slowed the German attack in the beginning. There is no reference to British forces in the area which were strategically important. But outside of one brigade (29th Armored), the British did not engage in actual combat. When the weather cleared, U.S. airpower exerted an overpowering effect. However, by the time this occurred, the Germans had been stopped.
In summary, while "Battle of the Bulge" is something of a caricature of the real history, it nonetheless captures the key events: the initial surprise and chaos, the German fuel shortage, and the Malmedy massacre and its effect on American resolve.
There is some speculation that the fictional German character, Hessler, was modeled after Colonel Joachim Peiper whose unit carried out the Malmedy massacre. However, this is not evident in the film where Hessler is openly critical of the Malmedy incident, pointing out such things turn a defeated rabble into an avenging army.
References in popular culture
John McClane references the film in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Simon Gruber's (Jeremy Irons) use of English-speaking Germans to steal gold parallels Hitler's Operation Greif, depicted in The Battle of the Bulge.
