Ultimately, "Battleground" is William Wellman's tribute to the men in uniform.From mid-December 1944 through the end of January 1945, in the heavily forested Ardennes Mountains of Belgium, thousands of American, British, Canadian, Belgian and French forces struggled to turn back the final major German offensive of World War II. Denise Darcel is seen as the kind French woman who befriends the soldiers. Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Marshall Thompson, Don Taylor, Leon Ames, and a wonderful James Whitmore, are seen as the soldiers around Bastogne. Wives, children, sweethearts, parents, and even popular figures of the pop culture, like Bette Grable, are the basis of communication as the men idle away waiting to be called to fight the enemy. Their every day lives back home is at the center of the conversation one hears the men talk about. In spite of some of the criticism in this forum, the film has a real feeling because it stresses the dependency among the men that are caught in the conflict. The casting of some of the best acting talents MGM had under contract at the time contributes to give the film another dimension, as the viewer becomes involved with these men that are trying to survive during the worst possible conditions. The movie is a curiosity also because it was shot in Culver City, yet, at times, it gives the impression of having been shot on location in the Ardennes. Yet, MGM went ahead with this project and gave it to William Wellman, a veteran director who knew his craft. WWII had been over, so the public was not wishing for more war films at the time. "Battleground" is a curious film that came out of Hollywood in 1949. I Company: In nineteen hundred and seventy-four! Kinnie: But you won't get home 'til the end of the war. I Company: He'll keep her happy till I get out! Kinnie: You ain't got nothing to worry about. I Company: Who works so hard to keep up morale! Kinnie: Your baby was lonely - as lonely as could be. Kinnie: Your Baby was there when you left. Kinnie: You had a good home but you left. Kinnie: All right, come on! Come on! What do you want these guys to think, you're a bunch of WACs? Alright, alright pick it up now. Holley: Hey, Kinnie - what ever happened to Jody?
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