THE BATTLE FOR ANZIO

US, 1967, 118 minutes, Colour.
Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Arthur Kennedy, Peter Falk, Earl Holliman.
Directed by Edward Dmytryk.

The Battle for Anzio is a rather routine war film which raises the usual questions about the nature of war and the motivations and choices of the people involved. The special interest in this film, apart from it being quite a good story well told, is the campaign around Anzio and the opportunities that the Americans lost because of hesitation and the capital that the Germans made out of it.

1. Was this a good war film?

2. Did this presentation of World War II reflect the attitudes of the 40's or the 60's? Why?

3. A serious presentation of a war theme? Was it a good reconstruction of the historical situation? Or was it just another war and heroics story?

4. What did the opening raucous scene show about U.S. morale? What did the rest of the film show of U.S. morale and the rising to meet challenges?

5. How ignorant were the Germans of the Americans' intentions and vice versa? (The implications of the U.S. jeep driving through Rome and back to Anzio.)

6. What motivated the American generals in this campaign? What motivated Kesselring?

7. Why was General Leslie so cautious? Did he have any basis for this hesitancy? Was the film too harsh in its presentation of General Leslie? Did you have any sympathy for him?

8. How well did the Germans take advantage of the digging in of the Americans? Was the film fair to the Germans? Did it present them more fairly than in the usual U.S. war film?

9. Was it wise for the screenplay to focus attention on a small group fighting after setting the situation? or should the film have kept with the wider situation of Anzio?

10. Was the reporter a sympathetic hero? Why? How was his character built up? What was his attitude to war? Why did he not have a weapon? Why did he want to be a reporter? Were his heroics credible?

11. Which of the supporting characters was well delineated? Were they typical U.S. soldier figures? Why?

12. How did you feel at the massacre of the company in the ambush? Should they have surrendered or fought?

13. How well was the suspense as well as the dangers of war portrayed in the experiences of the group?

14. What did this desperate situation reveal to the reporter about himself? Why did he take up a weapon? Did he really like war?

15. How humiliating was his dismissal to General Leslie?

16. Was the film ultimately pro war or anti war? Why?