Superb movie. It’s fictional in the event it portrays, but I’d argue it’s highly realistic in its military themes of frustration, context, motivation, confusion, corruption, and nihilism.

For context, D-Day occurred ~3 months earlier, the Allies are bogged down in France, and in the opening scene the company is drenched from the rain and is being shelled from the enemy and from their own side. They’ve been fighting for someone or something they don’t know or see or understand or care about, and their one link to the higher-ups doesn’t give a crap about them as he’s tied up in the battle by looting a yacht. When a German officer divulges confidential information about a stash of gold behind enemy lines, they decide that it’s time to fight for themselves and go get the gold behind enemy lines.

There are some humorous parts, but I don’t consider it a comedy, and any comedic scenes fit well in their context of military ineptness (Oddball stretches this theory but, hey, most of these soldiers were conscripted so you get all personalities). But by and large it is a drama with some decent action scenes and a pointed look at war, outcomes of war, and where/how the faceless soldier fits in.

Great performances all around - Terry Salavas absolutely knocks it out of the park. Perhaps a touch long, coming in at almost 2.5 hours, but if the movie is great, the length is a positive as you get more of it!

10/10