The reality of the War in Europe was brought to the American people in the John Huston shocking documentary "San Pietro" a forgotten battle in the hills and mountains of Central Italy that ended up costing as many US military battle casualties-some 1,200-as San Pietro's own population-1,400-in the 10 days of brutal fighting it took to capture it. We see here for the first time war in the raw with real footage that make people watching it stomachs churn. The film was unlike the movies that were released by Hollywood about the war to boost moral and make us-the US-look invincible compared to those we were at war with.
Released just -on May 3 1945- a week before the war in Europe ended the American people saw for the first time US servicemen in real life not in the movie killed fighting the enemy in far greater numbers then the US Government or War Department was willing to show them. Using stock footage as well as recreating the battle scenes director John Huston showed us the reality of war not at all to glorify it like the Hollywood studios did to hide it's shocking effects from the American public.
New at the time the war documentary opened the door to many more documentaries as well as movies to follow over the next 70 years in showing us that war is hell and mostly to those who have to fight it. Since then war movies out of Hollywood have become far more real in their depiction of war and less patriotic which is the best thing that the war documentary achieved. And it almost landed it's director John Huston behind bars for it's anti-war message that was considered unpatriotic and defeatist at the time of its release.
Released just -on May 3 1945- a week before the war in Europe ended the American people saw for the first time US servicemen in real life not in the movie killed fighting the enemy in far greater numbers then the US Government or War Department was willing to show them. Using stock footage as well as recreating the battle scenes director John Huston showed us the reality of war not at all to glorify it like the Hollywood studios did to hide it's shocking effects from the American public.
New at the time the war documentary opened the door to many more documentaries as well as movies to follow over the next 70 years in showing us that war is hell and mostly to those who have to fight it. Since then war movies out of Hollywood have become far more real in their depiction of war and less patriotic which is the best thing that the war documentary achieved. And it almost landed it's director John Huston behind bars for it's anti-war message that was considered unpatriotic and defeatist at the time of its release.