clanciai There are many memorable moments in this film, particularly as highly sensitive scenes, that you will never forget. In fact, the whole film is like composed of delicate episodes of war, where the individuals and their fates and experience stand out, diminishing the war actions to insignificance. It's like an anti -"The Longest Day" film, concentrating on all that is ignored in a war but which must stigmatize the experiencer forever.Perhaps the most striking scene of all is the execution scene, completely outshadowing and dwarfing Stanley Kubrick's great unbearable execution sequence in "Paths of GLory", but there are many such scenes, particlularly with ladies. The scenes with Jeanne Moreau, Melina Mercouri and Romy Schneider will not easily be forgotten and perhaps better remembered than the entire film. George Hamilton is the most interesting character among the soldiers, encountering one great pitfall after another. Eli Wallach as the sergeant is magnificent, while George Peppard is always the same, here for once slightly sympathetic. Another unforgettable episode is Peter Fonda with his dog.The film gives a deeply bitter aftertaste, as the sinister message of the horrible lasting backfire of any war definitely stamps the film as one of the most realistic and important of all war films, although there are many...

guylyonsntlworldcom I decided to see this film again, and now know why I forgot it was ever made. Cheap explosions, chunks of history ignored, and more women than every other 60s war films put together for what !!?? How on earth it gets such a high rating beggars belief, as it is presented in the most wooden way possible. A dreadful mess of a so called war drama, that looks so dated now. Better to watch paint dry, as this is one of the worst war films I have ever seen. Believe the other reviews at your peril......be afraid very afraid of wasting your time !!..!!!!!!!!!

JohnHowardReid Made with the co-operation of the Swedish Army Ordnance Corps. Photographed in black-and-white Panavision. Producer: Carl Foreman. A Carl Foreman Production. Copyright 31 December 1963 by Highroad Productions/Open Road Films. Released through Columbia Pictures. New York opening simultaneously at the Criterion and the Sutton: 19 December 1963. U.S. release: 19 December 1963. U.K. release: 12 October 1964. Australian release: 17 July 1964. 15,750 feet. 175 minutes. Cut by the censor to 155 minutes in Australia. SYNOPSIS: Following training in England, a U.S. infantry squad is sent into combat in Italy. After taking possession of a small town, one of the G.I.s, Baker, finds a few hours of happiness with a young mother, Maria, who has not heard from her soldier husband for several months. A few days later the group moves on and arrives in France after the D- Day landings. During the occupation of a small town, a rugged non-com named Craig (who later has his face shot away) spends an evening with a Frenchwoman terrified by the constant bombings. Another, Chase, becomes involved with a wealthy woman, Magda, who wants him to desert and join her in the enormously profitable black market. But he rejects her and rejoins his outfit and is wounded in action. Once the group has moved into Belgium, Sergeant Trower falls in love with Regine, a nightclub violinist, but loses her when she turns into a promiscuous opportunist. Later, in Berlin, he takes up with a young blonde who lives in the Russian zone and whose sister boasts of the greater luxuries provided for her by her Russian captain. Following a disillusioning evening with her, Trower becomes involved in a pointless squabble with a drunken Russian soldier.NOTES: Only film directed by screenwriter (Champion, High Noon, Bridge on the River Kwai, The Guns of Navarone) and sometimes producer, Carl Foreman.COMMENT: A count-the-pretentious themes picture. On the credit side, we can count Saul Bass's titles, Senta Berger's performance, Challis' stark, newsreel-looking photography, and especially the execution of Private Slovik sequence with Frank Sinatra singing "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas". Action fans and Albert Finney fans are likely to be very disappointed by the minute amount of time given to them. It's very obvious that far, far too much footage was shot, but even so, many people just disappear from this film without any explanation.Needless to say, the movie does accommodate at least one actor whom we all wish would disappear, but who doesn't do anything of the kind. I refer to George Hamilton who gives am absolutely dreadful performance.And also, sad to reveal, but Carl Foreman's direction is dull, using poorly-composed long takes to monotony, whilst his sentiments, though doubtless sincere, are expressed in rubbishy terms. One of the worst examples is the Anglo-American friendship episode underscored by "There'll Always Be an England"! No wonder Carl, a splendid writer, didn't direct any more films, although he does have further credits as a producer and an executive producer. (Also, of course, as a director, he obviously couldn't contain himself and thus shot far, far, far too much footage, most of which ended up on the cutting-room floor).

pete36 This long movie deals with the misadventures of a US platoon in Europe during WWII. Essentially we follow three main characters, a private (George Hamilton), a corporal (George Peppard) and a sergeant (Eli Wallach) through a series of 'vignettes'. Brass is almost completely absent, except for a rather comical intervention by the unit captain.This is a very unusual war film, almost an anti-version of that other big WWII epic of its day, "The Longest Day"(both shot in black-and-white). But TLD concentrates on all the heroics and spectacular aspects of war whereas "The Victors" (hence the rather cynical title) deals mainly with day-to-day life behind the front, boredom and various encounters with the local women. Anybody expecting another flagwaving US movie will be severely disappointed as the main aim is to point out the difference between the propaganda newsreels and the real stuff, a message the movie goes out of its way to bring home."The Victors" is almost the sole responsibility of producer/director/screenwriter Carl Foreman, known for his leftwing attitudes and also featured once on the notorious Hollywood blacklist. It's Foreman's sole directorial effort in his career and he does take a lot of hay on his fork. It looks almost as if he tries to redeem himself for his big hit as a producer a year before, "The Guns of Navarone", which treats war mainly as a big adventure caper.The original movie was even longer as there are a number of different versions lying around, mostly dealing with nude scenes involving Romy Schneider and Elke Sommer.Is probably the only US movie where there is a reference to the fact that during that war there were indeed at one moment almost +50.000 US deserters roaming around France and Italy ! The BBC aired this on a Saturday afternoon, probably trying to make some point here (but rest assured : no nude scenes!).In its day, apparently a big flop, again in contrast with TLD which proved an enormous hit. Audiences weren't just ready for this kind of big-scale realistic and downbeat view on war.