Wuchak RELEASED IN 1968 and directed by Edward Dmytryk & Duilio Coletti, "Anzio" (aka "The Battle of Anzio") chronicles the uneventful Allied amphibious landing at Anzio, Italy, in late January, 1944. While a reconnaissance detail offers evidence that there's no serious enemy opposition in the 30 miles between Anzio and Rome, the commander (Arthur Kennedy) inexplicably decides to dig-in, which provides Field Marshal Kesselring (Wolfgang Preiss) the opportunity to marshal his troops against the invasion. This prolongs their capturing Rome until early June.Winston Churchill was dissatisfied with this, commenting "I had hoped we were hurling a wildcat into the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale." The movie focuses on a war correspondent (Robert Mitchum) who accompanies a small group of Rangers who patrol the Italian countryside and are ambushed at the Battle of Cisterna and try to make it back. The soldiers are played by Earl Holliman, Peter Falk, Reni Santoni, et. al.The movie's based on real events, but you can tell that the writers pandered to the audience in light of some of the contrived dialogues, e.g. General Lesley quoting Churchill at the end (Lesley, of course, representing the real-life General Lucas). Another negative is the incongruent soundtrack and score, most notably the opening song by Jack Jones, "The World is Yours." Yet it could be argued that this lends the movie a unique charm.Some armchair critics complain that the movie should have focused more on The Battle of Anzio, as far as the invading Allies fighting Kesselring's counterattack, but that's here to a point (since all the events fall under the umbrella of that battle) and I think they came up with an innovative way to condense 4.5 months into a fairly compelling two hour flick.THE MOVIE RUNS 117 minutes and was shot entirely in Italy (Naples, Caserta & Rome). WRITERS: H.A.L. Craig (et. al) from Wynford Vaughan-Thomas's book. ADDITIONAL CAST: Robert Ryan has a small role.GRADE: B-

Leofwine_draca THE BATTLE FOR ANZIO is about as unexciting a war epic as you can get: an overblown (produced by Dino de Laurentiis), overlong US-Italian co-production, it fails to ignite the screen with any kind of energy, excitement or drive despite dealing with an interesting theatre of the Second World War. The first third is particularly gruelling, an almost plot less introduction to the leading characters before they head off to war, full of drunken partying and over-running scenes of people flirting and talking, all portrayed in the most boring way possible. Once we arrive in Italy, the next two thirds quickly change and the film degenerates into yet another men-on-a-mission type flick of which the Italians were so fond in the wake of THE DIRTY DOZEN.I was a little surprised to find out that such a supposedly epic film had turned into the usual low key story concerning guys trapped behind enemy lines. The budget isn't very evident anyway, with disappointing set-piece battles and only a few shoot-outs that manage to raise the pulse. The script is rather sub-par, throwing in the usual anti-war messages yet topping off with a cheesy happy ending in any case, and many of the characters are interchangeable aside from the leading duo. The young actors (Thomas Hunter, Giancarlo Giannini, Mark Damon, Anthony Steel) don't have a chance to shine and pointless cameos from the likes of Arthur Kennedy fail to register. Bob Mitchum and Peter Falk are typically good value for money but they're given particularly dull characters to work with here. THE BATTLE FOR ANZIO is definitely a war film that deserves to be forgotten.

ma-cortes This War movie contains crossfire , thrills , large-scale action , battles , shots of troops , tanks and amphibious landings . This average film never pulls things together enough to rise above continuous images of military marches , tanks , smoke and shootouts . This would-be blockbuster is not a description of such an important event but it is a context in which the battle in Italy offers the concrete development , life and death , a few men in the first days after the Allied landing on the beaches of Anzio . Nothing memorable , nonsense scenes and undistinguished recounting with all-star cast though frankly wasted such as Peter Falk as Cpl. Jack Rabinoff , Earl Holliman as Sgt. Abe , Mark Damon as Wally Richardson , Arthur Kennedy as Maj. Gen. Jack Lesley , Robert Ryan as Gen. Carlson , Reni Santoni as Pvt. Movie and Giancarlo Giannini as Private Cellini , among others . Furthermore , a hackneyed screenplay and full of cliché . Evocative cinematography in Panavision by Giuseppe Rotunno, Federico Fellini's usual cameraman ; location filming for this movie was conducted in and around the environs of Rome, Italy . Atmospheric as well as thrilling musical score by Riz Ortalani , including an enjoyable leitmotif . The motion picture was middlingly directed by Edward Dmytryk and Duilio Coletti .The motion picture was partially based on real events : As Operation Shingle (January 22, 1944) was an Allied amphibious landing in the Italian Campaign against German forces in the area of Anzio, Italy. This operation was aimed at outflanking the German army on the Winter Line and as such allow for an assault on the capital city of Rome . It was one of WWIIs bloodiest battles as the Allies smash through the German lines which have enclosed the Anzio beachhead . The operation was commanded by American Major General John P. Lucas (Arthur Kennedy) and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an attack on Rome. The resulting combat is commonly called the Battle of Anzio.The success of an amphibious landing at that location, in a basin consisting substantially of reclaimed marshland and surrounded by mountains, depended completely on the element of surprise and the swiftness with which the invaders could move relative to the reaction time of the defenders. Any delay could result in the occupation of the mountains by the defenders and the consequent entrapment of the invaders. Lieutenant General Mark Clark (Robert Ryan as General Carson) , commander of the U.S. Fifth Army, understood that risk, but Clark did not pass on his appreciation of the situation to his subordinate, General Lucas, who preferred to take time to entrench against an expected counterattack. The initial landing achieved complete surprise with no opposition and a jeep patrol even made it as far as the outskirts of Rome. Despite that report, Lucas, who had little confidence in the operation as planned, failed to capitalize on the element of surprise by delaying his advance until he judged his position was sufficiently consolidated and his troops ready. While Lucas consolidated, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring (Wolfgang Preiss) , the German commander in the Italian theatre, moved every spare unit to be found into a ring around the beachhead, where his gunners had a clear view of every Allied position. The Germans also stopped the drainage pumps and flooded the reclaimed marsh with salt water, planning to entrap the Allies and destroy them by epidemic. For weeks a rain of shells fell on the beach, the marsh, the harbour, and on anything else observable from the hills, with little distinction between forward and rear positions. After a month of heavy but inconclusive fighting, Lucas was relieved , sent home and replaced by Major General Lucian Truscott. The Allies finally broke out and turned his forces north-west towards Rome which was captured on 4 June. As four months and 30,000 casualties before the Allies finally march to Rome . As a result, the forces of the German Tenth Army at Cassino were able to withdraw and rejoin the rest of Kesselring's forces north of Rome, regroup, and make a fighting withdrawal to his next major prepared defensive position on the Gothic Line

pinkmipaw I am not a fan of "war" movies, but I found this one to be surprisingly good. Great tension and Robert Mitchum NOT in a "leader" role made the movie for me. He was low key, un macho, showed the emotion in his face and wonderfully under acted. Earl Holliman and Peter Falk displayed typical "60's" acting chops, and of course you could tell who was going to die by the lack of dialogue and/or sympathetic scenes. The tension though is what holds one to the movie. The interplay between the "are they going to make it or not" gets you until the end. I am sure there are other war movies out there with memorable plots and directing, but this is a solid effort. Marvelous!