THE IMMORTAL BATTALION MOVIE REVIEW

 




THE IMMORTAL BATTALION This run of the mill combat film from Carol Reed tells the story of eight men going through a rite of manhood as they are molded into British Tommies and set loose against Rommel in North Africa (circa 1942).The story delivers two small doses of combat action but none of the gritty blood and gore realism that Hollywood dishes up. Lt. Jim Perry (David Niven) is the unit’s leader and believable in the role of a good soldier contrasted by the demanding drill Sgt. Fletcher (Billy Hartwell) has his troops wishing for the days back on home sod. First in line on the whining squad is the egalitarian Davenport (Raymond Huntley) who finally toes the line and becomes a “good soldier”. The film was released in Britain on D day and served to invoke the heroic image of the Nazi-repelling Tommies with a forward by Quentin Reynolds. Lack of sufficient guts and glory leave the viewer with an empty first 60 minutes of the film until the North African campaign is engaged in hopes of rounding out the narrative theme.

1944 War Film Not rated


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