Artivels Undescribable Perfection

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

freemanpatrick7 In a day and age when theatrical releases leave one wanting, this TV movie Delivers.When Trumpets Fade tells the story of Manning (Ron Eldard), a man who has seen more than his share of hell and wants more of it. But war is a jealous mistress and won't let him go so easily. While Private Manning, then Sergeant Manning, then eventually Lt. Manning would just like to go home, he's continually called upon to lead others into battle in one of the most horrific events of WWII.This being a TV movie one hardly expects that there was a huge production budget. Yet John Irvin (Hamburger Hill), working from a brilliant screenplay by W.W. Vought, directs and brilliant cast of familiar, if not A-List faces through an incredibly moving and gripping tale.Working with the elegant natural landscape, production designer László Rajk makes the past come alive in the here and now. While cinematographer Thomas Burstyn catches the action and the drama like he's working with a blockbuster budget. In all aspects When Trumpets Fade stands proudly among the best war movies ever made. A near perfect execution.

ethan-hinch-1 This movie portrays the common soldier in a very different light than many other war movies. In so called "War Epics", the soldiers are all courageous and heroic, willing to do anything to fight the enemy and save Europe. Their is perhaps one soldier in the squad who is a coward, the one who stands out compared to his allies bravery. But in this movie, the main character is a coward, or at least he thinks he is. He doesn't want to fight, and does whatever he can to save his skin. But when the Commander reads the Captain's report about Manning, he is right when he describes his innate ability to lead and his battlefield six sense. He shoots one of his own soldiers in the back, but by doing so he stops his squad from retreating and they successfully destroy their objective, an artillery gun, and save the lives of many other soldiers. This is a new, refreshing spin on the common soldier, and is perhaps more realistic than other views that are presented. The only detractor from the film is the weak music, which is thin and distracts one from enjoying the otherwise superb war movie.

doctorwaffle This film shows the battlefield as a bleak place. There is no John Wayne patriotic bravado here. All the characters in the movie want the same thing: to be some place else. They are willing to do anything to leave, including getting themselves court-martialed. And who can blame them? The region they are in is cold and the ground is mud. Dead soldiers line the roads because Command feels the trucks should be used to carry live men to the battlefield, not dead men home. This instills a feeling of extreme relief into the viewer: "at least I wasn't in World War II." I can see why this is meant to be a continuation of Hamburger Hill. Both films are violent and show war as a futile effort that kills men like cattle and turns fellow soldiers against each other. With every passing minute, the film whispers in your ear, "By the way, war is hell." In case we forgot. In the end, the viewer is not left with much, just like the characters. Not recommended for the faint of heart, but what war movie is?

harrison-monahan Movie follows Pvt. David Manning, in the Hurtgon Forrest Battle, were over 24,000 people died. After his whole squad is killed he is promoted to sergeant, and leads a group of new recruits to take out some 88-mm guns. After the mission he is again promoted to the rank of lieutenant. During this whole time he is trying to leave the army by saying he is mentally unstable. This movie shows how stupid war and orders can be. The solders in this movie are not driven by patriotism or loyalty, but by survival. The soldiers are moved by the instinct of survival, and not by patriotism like other movies usually present. The action scenes are a little over the top. The explosions are so over the top, you don't need a huge fiery explosion, with fireworks and all the tnt in the world to show one explosion. It just was not necessary. Soldiers are shown as lonely angry people and do not like each other, like other war movies.