Saints and Soldiers (2014) - Battle of the Tanks

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by Ramiles, Mar 20, 2016.

  1. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Saints and Soldiers (2014) - Battle of the Tanks (AKA - Saints and Soldiers: The Void)

    http://www.radiotimes.com/film/c6vf2h/saints-and-soldiers-battle-of-the-tanks

    "The German war machine is in retreat. Two American M 18 tank destroyers are sent to root out a die hard group of Nazis holed up in the Harz Mountains."

    Watched this "low budget" one yesterday, as it was "about tanks" and expected I'd want to stop watching after about 5mins but actually found myself watching it to the end (Trailer here):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af4npilmbJI

    It's from the same series as: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/1283-saints-and-soldiers-2003/

    Which again seems to have divided opinions about whether or not they are any good as depictions, and perhaps "low budgets" mean it makes it harder to make a "good war film"? Though not necessarily so?

    IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270114/

    Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_and_Soldiers:_The_Void

    Also (in this series): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_and_Soldiers

    Just wondering if it is a better film than "Fury" for example... or other films that seem to cost about as much as actually staging a war seem to cost to make.

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2713180/

    But I guess it's not comparing like with like. Though are all "well paid actors" better? It sometimes seems to be more "authentic" in war films if they actually cast relatively unknowns - at least in the more rank and file roles.

    Anyhow I didn't think it (Battle of the Tanks) was as bad as some of the reviews suggest: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/saints_and_soldiers_the_void/

    But I probably would perhaps put it above some war films I have seen, and would probably recommend that it was worth watching at least once.

    All the best,

    Rm.
     
  2. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    The film maker Ryan Little is a Mormon and originally wrote a film about the survival of three soldiers (hence the "Saints' of the title) from a massacre who set off to reach their own lines. It was derived from a book by a Mormon Professor he met at Brigham Young University, called Saints at War about the experiences of Mormons in WW2. I find the characterisation in the Saints and Soldiers films over simple and the dialogue unconvincing, although the films themselves are reasonably well shot and hang together in a stiff sort of way. Low budget and amateur, they punch above their weight, but I find I'm not drawn into the human experience portrayed in the film very much at all.
     
  3. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Was on again on Moviemix (UK tv Freeview channel last night) http://www.moviemix.co.uk/

    So I suspect it will perhaps be on again and again (usually seems to be the way these things work ;) )

    http://www.moviemix.co.uk/programs/saints-and-soldiers-battle-tanks

    I thought it had some quite interesting moments, talking about army rations and the treatment of African-American soldiers and German civilians, the tenacity of some German soldiers even after the death of Hitler etc.

    In terms of budget I wonder how it would compare though to say a production by the BBC? As we seem to do quite well on our series there.

    Ryan Little - wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Little

    One or two of his other films are perhaps a bit different though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_Dragons

    I glanced at this because it had Danny Glover cast. And sounded a bit like a cross between Moby Dick and the Amtrack Wars - Sadly couldn't stick with this one though :lol:

    All the best,

    Rm.

    Ps. I was thinking of some recent BBC productions inc. "the Night Manager" for example and wondering how much the BBC had spent making that... "How the 'risk' of making The Night Manager paid off" - says it cost an estimated £3m for each episode:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35884333
     

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