Anzio - 1968

This movie is covering the unfortunate Battle of Anzio. The battle was supposed to involve landing troops on the beach and then pushing toward Rome. It had the possibility to work, but the men in charge didn't act fast enough, and the Germans were able to extend the battle for a little over 4 months.

The main character in this movie is a war correspondent. He takes a driver and explores, making it all the way into Rome. He goes back to report what he's found to the men in charge, but they don't believe it's a good idea to push forward just yet. They want to wait until they have more troops.

After that, two divisions are sent out and are obliterated. Seven men are all that's left, including the war correspondent. They find a German defensive position they want to report back about and start to head back. By the time they return, there are three left.

Ok, so the movie was pretty interesting. I'm currently reading a book where some of the men were involved with Anzio, and certain details lined up for the most part. They changed the names of most of the people who were in charge at Anzio, but I was able to line up who they were talking about. Robert Mitchum isn't one of my favorite actors, but I don't dislike him. My problem is that out of seven people, a man who doesn't carry a weapon is one that comes out alive. It's just unrealistic. Especially when there are multiple snipers picking off experienced soldiers, and he's able to bob and weave his way from ditch to ditch.

The other thing was my man Peter Falk. Columbo is probably my favorite old-time TV detective. Seeing him in this film was a surprise, and I liked his performance. Unfortunately, he wasn't one of the three to make it back. Ciao Ciao Blackbird...

I didn't dislike the film, but I've watched so many excellent war films lately that I feel this one will get lost in the mix. Also, bending the note on a timpani doesn't add tension to a scene. The music in this movie was strange, but it was the 60s, and I've noticed that's a trend with the time period. I'm going to give it a Good Movie! review, but it's not at the top of the list.