Saints and Soldiers

GoldenRivet · 10-02-09, 12:14 PM

I watched a movie last night called "Saints and Soldiers" which is based on true events.

Has anyone here seen it or heard of it? It was apparently a straight to DVD release with a budget of less than $800,000 ... Like many straight to DVD films, sadly i had never heard of it, so i find myself watching it for the first time 5 years after release!

Plot synopsis:

A small group of American Infantry escapes during the Malmedy massacre in December of 1944. In the confusion and tension of the moment, one of the American Soldiers manages to get hold of a German Rifle. Their goal now is one of survival as they make their way back to allied lines during the freezing winter weather.

The group of 4 soldiers comes upon a British Recon Pilot with his parachute stuck in a tree. This recon pilot has spotted the gathering of German Armor in the Ardennes and has vital intelligence to deliver to the nearest allied HQ. this information concerns the counter offensive which would become the battle of the bulge. Knowing that the delivery of this information would save thousands of lives only serves to increase the vitality of their trek toward allied lines.

During the course of the film it is revealed that , the main character, a corporal named "Deacon" was a missionary in Berlin some years before the outbreak of war, and he is fluent in German. This only serves to erode the trust the other men have in him when he seems to be a German sympathiser in some of his behavior in some specific situations (which cant be expanded on here for fear of spoilers).

It is also revealed that he is highly religious, and the group's medic more or less insists that there is no God nor any afterlife or point to religion at all.

the two men squabble over their difference of opinion regarding religion in various scenes of the film.

The group of soldiers with their British pilot in tow are now faced with the task of marching 20+ miles in near blizzard conditions, evading German patrols, and surviving against mother nature and the enemy elements with almost no weapons... all the while having their trust for one another eroded by various story line elements.

I thought that this film should have been released in theaters. and im surprised to read indications that it never was released in theaters.

I thought it was a great war movie with a fantastic "human element" present throughout the film.

i give it 4 our of 5 stars... personally, it is not the action packed budget block buster of saving private ryan or flags of our fathers... but it is a fantastic movie for being low budget... i wouldnt hesitate to give this film high marks by ranking it right up there with those other films.

I recommend it if you havnt seen it.

it can be viewed on hulu here

http://www.hulu.com/watch/32278/saints-and-soldiers

(This is not a piracy site of any kind... these films are legally placed on Hulu.com freely by their publishers and producers)

Chad · 10-02-09, 12:27 PM

I've seen it before and agree it is a pretty good movie despite the low budget. It won a couple independent movie awards a few years back.

Another great movie if you like this is A Midnight Clear. It has Gary Sinese in it, his first feature film. I very highly recommend this if you liked Saints and Soldiers.

HunterICX · 10-02-09, 12:30 PM

Yeah was a pretty good movie, was one of these WW2 evenings on the TV and it was shown after the patton movie

HunterICX

August · 10-02-09, 02:07 PM

Decent acting and it covers a little known part of the Battle of the Bulge.

jumpy · 10-02-09, 02:31 PM

For those outside the US forget it. Hulu is a US service only.

SteamWake · 10-02-09, 02:35 PM

Havent seen this one Ill look for it.

I highly recommend Miricale at St. Ana though

Not your typical war film with some really good plot twists and belivable charecters.

MothBalls · 10-02-09, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jumpy

For those outside the US forget it. Hulu is a US service only.

Try a proxy server? I don't know which one works for hulu. I would imagine someone could find one and possible post it here.

Like http://pagewash.com for example. If i test it wouldn't be valid, I'm in the US, for now...

SgtPotato · 10-02-09, 06:16 PM

I rented that movie 4 years ago and it was the good movie I've watched.

Jimbuna · 10-03-09, 02:21 PM

A good movie....and a reminder that it doesn't always need a huge budget to produce quality entertainment.

10-03-09, 03:50 PM

I've seen Midnight Clear, it's a good movie. Certainly conveys the futility of warfare.

mako88sb · 10-04-09, 08:10 AM

I picked up a copy of Saints & Soldiers not knowing anything about it. Usually, I'll check out some reviews before buying. I found it to be surprisingly good for a movie that was made on a low budget. I checked out the reviews on IMDB and it seems people either love it or hate it. One thing that comes up a lot over there is that this is some type of Mormon propaganda film?? Anybody here notice anything like that while watching it?

10-04-09, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mako88sb

I picked up a copy of Saints & Soldiers not knowing anything about it. Usually, I'll check out some reviews before buying. I found it to be surprisingly good for a movie that was made on a low budget. I checked out the reviews on IMDB and it seems people either love it or hate it. One thing that comes up a lot over there is that this is some type of Mormon propaganda film?? Anybody here notice anything like that while watching it?

Wouldn't be the first time religious groups in the US would be financing movies. Clever way for them to put out their propaganda and maybe even make a profit with it.

ajrimmer42 · 10-04-09, 10:18 AM

Seen it a few times, always thought it was good!

GoldenRivet · 10-04-09, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mako88sb

One thing that comes up a lot over there is that this is some type of Mormon propaganda film?? Anybody here notice anything like that while watching it?

all i can tell you Mako is that there is a very very minor religious overtone to the main character.

that being said...

His religious affiliation is never really revealed, the movie is not "preachy" nor does it endorse any particular faith or religion.

80% of the film is gritty war survival... the other 20% is the bickering between the religious guy and the non-religious guy.

There is no way in hell i would ever dream of classifying this one as "Mormon propaganda"

10-02-09, 12:14 PM	#1
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	Saints and Soldiers I watched a movie last night called "Saints and Soldiers" which is based on true events. Has anyone here seen it or heard of it? It was apparently a straight to DVD release with a budget of less than $800,000 ... Like many straight to DVD films, sadly i had never heard of it, so i find myself watching it for the first time 5 years after release! Plot synopsis: A small group of American Infantry escapes during the Malmedy massacre in December of 1944. In the confusion and tension of the moment, one of the American Soldiers manages to get hold of a German Rifle. Their goal now is one of survival as they make their way back to allied lines during the freezing winter weather. The group of 4 soldiers comes upon a British Recon Pilot with his parachute stuck in a tree. This recon pilot has spotted the gathering of German Armor in the Ardennes and has vital intelligence to deliver to the nearest allied HQ. this information concerns the counter offensive which would become the battle of the bulge. Knowing that the delivery of this information would save thousands of lives only serves to increase the vitality of their trek toward allied lines. During the course of the film it is revealed that , the main character, a corporal named "Deacon" was a missionary in Berlin some years before the outbreak of war, and he is fluent in German. This only serves to erode the trust the other men have in him when he seems to be a German sympathiser in some of his behavior in some specific situations (which cant be expanded on here for fear of spoilers). It is also revealed that he is highly religious, and the group's medic more or less insists that there is no God nor any afterlife or point to religion at all. the two men squabble over their difference of opinion regarding religion in various scenes of the film. The group of soldiers with their British pilot in tow are now faced with the task of marching 20+ miles in near blizzard conditions, evading German patrols, and surviving against mother nature and the enemy elements with almost no weapons... all the while having their trust for one another eroded by various story line elements. I thought that this film should have been released in theaters. and im surprised to read indications that it never was released in theaters. I thought it was a great war movie with a fantastic "human element" present throughout the film. i give it 4 our of 5 stars... personally, it is not the action packed budget block buster of saving private ryan or flags of our fathers... but it is a fantastic movie for being low budget... i wouldnt hesitate to give this film high marks by ranking it right up there with those other films. I recommend it if you havnt seen it. it can be viewed on hulu here http://www.hulu.com/watch/32278/saints-and-soldiers (This is not a piracy site of any kind... these films are legally placed on Hulu.com freely by their publishers and producers) __________________

10-02-09, 12:27 PM	#2
Chad ACE Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,274 Downloads: 60 Uploads: 0	I've seen it before and agree it is a pretty good movie despite the low budget. It won a couple independent movie awards a few years back. Another great movie if you like this is A Midnight Clear. It has Gary Sinese in it, his first feature film. I very highly recommend this if you liked Saints and Soldiers. __________________

10-02-09, 12:30 PM	#3
HunterICX Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2006 Location: Malaga, España Posts: 10,750 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Yeah was a pretty good movie, was one of these WW2 evenings on the TV and it was shown after the patton movie HunterICX __________________

10-02-09, 02:07 PM	#4
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,197 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Decent acting and it covers a little known part of the Battle of the Bulge. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

10-02-09, 02:31 PM	#5
jumpy Admiral Join Date: May 2003 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 2,139 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	For those outside the US forget it. Hulu is a US service only. __________________ when you’ve been so long in the desert, any water, no matter how brackish, looks like life

10-02-09, 02:35 PM	#6
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Havent seen this one Ill look for it. I highly recommend Miricale at St. Ana though Not your typical war film with some really good plot twists and belivable charecters. __________________ Follow the progress of Mr. Mulligan : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147648

10-02-09, 06:16 PM	#8
SgtPotato Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: In your ocean, sinking your ships Posts: 721 Downloads: 96 Uploads: 0	I rented that movie 4 years ago and it was the good movie I've watched.

10-03-09, 02:21 PM	#9
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	A good movie....and a reminder that it doesn't always need a huge budget to produce quality entertainment. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

10-03-09, 03:50 PM	#10
OneToughHerring Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	I've seen Midnight Clear, it's a good movie. Certainly conveys the futility of warfare.

10-04-09, 08:10 AM	#11
mako88sb XO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 423 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I picked up a copy of Saints & Soldiers not knowing anything about it. Usually, I'll check out some reviews before buying. I found it to be surprisingly good for a movie that was made on a low budget. I checked out the reviews on IMDB and it seems people either love it or hate it. One thing that comes up a lot over there is that this is some type of Mormon propaganda film?? Anybody here notice anything like that while watching it?

10-04-09, 10:18 AM	#13
ajrimmer42 Royal Kinotropist Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 987 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	Seen it a few times, always thought it was good! __________________ Alex Don't judge a ship by the number of it's guns, but by the skill of it's crew.