Battle of the Bulge [Blu-ray] DVD

Battle of the Bulge
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

Cast Henry Fonda as Lt. Col. Kiley Robert Shaw as Colonel Hessler Robert Ryan as Gen. Grey Dana Andrews as Col. Pritchard Telly Savalas as Guffy Ty Hardin as Schumacher George Montgomery as Sgt. Duquesne Anna Maria Pier Angeli as Louise Barbara Werle as Elena Charles Bronson as Major Wolenski Werner Peters as Gen. Kohler Hans-Christian Blech as Conrad James MacArthur as Lt. Weaver

Crew 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 Kit West - Special Effects Alex C. Weldon - Special Effects Richard Parker - Special Effects Milton Sperling - Screenwriter Philip Yordan - Screenwriter John Melson - Screenwriter Bernard Gordon - Screenwriter R.E. Merriam - Book Author

Battle of the Bulge
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
 

Benjamin Frankel: Golden Globe, Best Original Score (nominated) Telly Savalas: Golden Globe, Best Supporting Actor (nominated)

Academy, Best Documentary Feature (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: New digital HD transfer from restored picture and audio elements Audio commentary 2 vintage featurettes: The Filming of Battle of the Bulge/History Recreated Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 Theatrical trailer MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: Content Length: 169 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- Battle of the Bulge 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 19. Chapter 19 20. Chapter 20 21. Chapter 21 22. Chapter 22 23. Chapter 23 24. Chapter 24 25. Chapter 25 26. Chapter 26 27. Chapter 27 28. Chapter 28 29. Chapter 29 30. Chapter 30 31. Chapter 31 32. Chapter 32 33. Chapter 33 34. Chapter 34 35. Chapter 35 36. Chapter 36 37. Chapter 37 38. Chapter 38 39. Chapter 39 40. Chapter 40 41. Chapter 41 42. Chapter 42 43. Chapter 43 44. Chapter 44 45. Chapter 45 46. Chapter 46 47. Chapter 47