History is written by the victor

Krauter · 12-09-10, 12:08 PM

Exactly Growler.

On the point of the Soviets keeping Germans interned far longer than normal, there are accounts of people not getting let out of the Gulags until the mid 50's, and even then they didn't make it out because they couldn't get travel visas to travel within the USSR or get outside of it.

On the point of the movies, to me I can understand if producers want to stay away because of the holocaust, war attrocities light. In our day and age I can understand that. However, watching movies like Saving Pvt Ryan, Band of Brothers, etc showing the camraderie, fighting spirit and tactics of the units makes me think, "gee, the germans had some of the most elite and trained Army units in the war... I wonder how they acted and fought together?"

If anything I'd say depict fighting on the Eastern Front for the simple reason Americans and Brits probably don't want to watch a movie in which American or Brits are being killed. But fighting on the Eastern Front was a whole different Beast all together with many attrocities being committed daily..

Cheers,

Krauter

And I too should be getting back to work. Another 1,000-1,500 words for this essay by tonight as well as a Final to study for tomorrow

Growler · 12-09-10, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krauter

Exactly Growler.
...showing the camraderie, fighting spirit and tactics of the units makes me think, "gee, the germans had some of the most elite and trained Army units in the war... I wonder how they acted and fought together?"

In short, the answer is, "Yes" though the volume of material to support that answer is small, usually in German, and heavily laced with the propaganda at the time. But certain assumptions can be safely made when consideration is taken of units like Peiper's Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler and the mission entrusted to them in Wacht am Rhein, as well as Skorzeny's Kommando unit. Despite the war circumstances, both those units still had high esprit de corps and morale.

You will find some passages in texts today that do a little of that; The Longest Winter (Alex Kershaw) includes at least some mention of some of the troops in the Fallshirmjager unit that was held up by LT Bouck's I&R Platoon of the 394th on 16 Dec 44 at Lanzerath. Most of the impression is from the American side, but there are a few Germans who related their parts of the story with candor.

Probably one of the better WW2 books I've read lately, it is the story of Bouck's platoon, but it weaves in the greater theater-wide story as backdrop. Pick it up sometime for a good read.

Sailor Steve · 12-09-10, 01:03 PM

Rommel.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043461/

frau kaleun · 12-09-10, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Rommel.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043461/

Eh, it's okay, but nothing spectacular IMO, despite starring James Mason (who I adore).

I was disappointed at how closely it followed the book - meaning, the movie felt to me like they just filmed the book "as is," instead of taking the book's subject matter and crafting a really fine movie based on it. Since I'd already read the book the movie kind of left me flat... it seemed like just a series of vignettes dramatizing a few major moments in Rommel's life, strung together by a lot of voiceover narration representing the book's author (and a lot of the narration was taken, IIRC, almost word for word from the book).

Sailor Steve · 12-09-10, 01:22 PM

Well, to my embarrassment I've never read the book nor seen the movie. The question was about films portraying the German view, and that one hadn't been mentioned.

frau kaleun · 12-09-10, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Well, to my embarrassment I've never read the book nor seen the movie. The question was about films portraying the German view, and that one hadn't been mentioned.

Ah, okay.

They're both worth a look for someone interested in the subject but the movie's just not the finely crafted biopic I was hoping for when I sat down to watch it, especially given some of the casting.

Sailor Steve · 12-09-10, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Ah, okay.

They're both worth a look for someone interested in the subject but the movie's just not the finely crafted biopic I was hoping for when I sat down to watch it, especially given some of the casting.

Were there any finely crafted biopics made during that era? There aren't all that many from any time.

TLAM Strike · 12-09-10, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Eh, it's okay, but nothing spectacular IMO, despite starring James Mason (who I adore).

I was disappointed at how closely it followed the book - meaning, the movie felt to me like they just filmed the book "as is," instead of taking the book's subject matter and crafting a really fine movie based on it. Since I'd already read the book the movie kind of left me flat... it seemed like just a series of vignettes dramatizing a few major moments in Rommel's life, strung together by a lot of voiceover narration representing the book's author (and a lot of the narration was taken, IIRC, almost word for word from the book).

Wait... what? Someone complaining that the movie was too much like the book? Has this ever happened before?

Isn't the one complaint about any movie based on a book that is deviated from the book in some way? (The one reason why I hate the end of Flight of the Intruder)

Sailor Steve · 12-09-10, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Isn't the one complaint about any movie based on a book that is deviated from the book in some way?

Well, there's always Die Hard, in which case the film was much better than the book.

TLAM Strike · 12-09-10, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Well, there's always Die Hard, in which case the film was much better than the book.

Bruce Willis could star in the movie adaptation of a cookbook and he would make it awesome!

Jimbuna · 12-09-10, 01:40 PM

Yeah, the Die Hard series were kinda special.

I also enjoyed the Lethal Weapon series.

frau kaleun · 12-09-10, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Wait... what? Someone complaining that the movie was too much like the book? Has this ever happened before?

Isn't the one complaint about any movie based on a book that is deviated from the book in some way? (The one reason why I hate the end of Flight of the Intruder)

I don't know if I can explain it better. Obviously I don't object that the movie followed the book in the sense that it didn't invent a lot of stuff to make the story more exciting or sexy or whatever the studio thought it needed to make $$ or because some screenwriter thought he could write a more interesting version of someone's life than they actually lived.

But the movie felt to me like it relied too heavily on the book stylistically. Watching the movie for me was kind of like having someone read the book out loud to me, with actors coming along to act out bits and pieces of the story. But they weren't telling the story, some voice representing the book's author was doing that.

12-09-10, 01:03 PM	#3
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Rommel. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043461/ __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

12-09-10, 01:22 PM	#5
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Well, to my embarrassment I've never read the book nor seen the movie. The question was about films portraying the German view, and that one hadn't been mentioned. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

12-09-10, 01:40 PM	#11
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 191,468 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Yeah, the Die Hard series were kinda special. I also enjoyed the Lethal Weapon series. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!