In his directorial debut, writer & director Carl Foreman must have had hopes for his anti-combat, World War II blockbuster "The Victors," but this gloomy anthology of stories fleshed out by an international, all-star cast lacks dramatic impact. This lackluster, 146-minute epic is downbeat from fade-in to fadeout. Despite its powerhouse cast of actors and actresses on the cusp of stardom, this heavy-handed, black & white film feels like a bayonet stabbing your expectations about what lays ahead. Nothing at all is inspirational about "The Victors." The title is as ironic as each of its stories. For example, the vignette about a green G. I. replacement (Peter Fonda) who suffers the wrath of the platoon veterans when he smuggles a dog into their midst is typical. Like most of these stories, each has a dismal ending. Ultimately, Fonda's Sergeant (George Hamilton) orders the private to dispose of man's best friend. According the sarge, once the platoon pulls out, the dog will starve, since no Allied troops will be around to feed them. The humane thing is to shoot the poor beast and put it out of its misery. As the platoon is being hauled off in trucks into battle, this incorrigible mutt charges after them. The dog dodges the vehicles churning up the muddy road behind it during its pursuit of the truck it saw Fonda climb aboard. Finally, a heartless G. I. (Jim Mitchum of "Ambush Bay") shoots it with his rifle. Of course, we never see the bullet strike the pooch, but it is tragic enough that the poor animal died such a miserable way.
Basically, each of these stories leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Perhaps the best but most audacious scene in this dreary outing involves the execution of an American G. I. deserter, much like the real-life Private Slovak, who is stood in front of a firing squad on a snow laden stretch of terrain and riddled with rifle bullets. Foreman lays on the irony with a trowel, driving his point home with Frank Sinatra warbling a seasonal favorite: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on the soundtrack. Foreman doesn't focus on the battlefield as much as behind the lines. There is even a scene at a concentration camp, too. The finale pits an American G. I. (Hamilton) against a pugnacious Soviet soldier in a street fight in an area of bombed out buildings. Albert Finney plays his adversary. Neither win because both will able to bury their knives into each other's belly for lethal consequences. Meanwhile, few of these stories occur on the battlefield. A sentry allows the men in his command to plunder a winery and slosh themselves in the grape much to the chagrin of his sergeant (Eli Wallach of "The Magnificent Seven"). The two most sympathetic characters here are limnedrespectively by George Peppard and George Hamilton. Several walk-ons with Vince Edwards and Michael Callan are well done, but they vanish and are never seen again. A bevy of beautiful European actresses including Elke Sommer, Senta Berger, Melina Mercouri, and Romy Schneider appear in different scenes. Now, World War II film aficionadas will feel cheated by most of these scenes, and fans of dramatic expose films may find "The Victors" a little pretentious. Nevertheless, World War II buffs should enjoy this one until they see the end credits run. Mind you, Foreman had the right idea, but the material adapted from Alexander Baron's novel "The Human Kind" never seem compelling enough. Originally, "The Victors" clocked in at 175-minutes, but most versions available on home video run only 146-minutes.
Basically, each of these stories leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Perhaps the best but most audacious scene in this dreary outing involves the execution of an American G. I. deserter, much like the real-life Private Slovak, who is stood in front of a firing squad on a snow laden stretch of terrain and riddled with rifle bullets. Foreman lays on the irony with a trowel, driving his point home with Frank Sinatra warbling a seasonal favorite: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on the soundtrack. Foreman doesn't focus on the battlefield as much as behind the lines. There is even a scene at a concentration camp, too. The finale pits an American G. I. (Hamilton) against a pugnacious Soviet soldier in a street fight in an area of bombed out buildings. Albert Finney plays his adversary. Neither win because both will able to bury their knives into each other's belly for lethal consequences. Meanwhile, few of these stories occur on the battlefield. A sentry allows the men in his command to plunder a winery and slosh themselves in the grape much to the chagrin of his sergeant (Eli Wallach of "The Magnificent Seven"). The two most sympathetic characters here are limnedrespectively by George Peppard and George Hamilton. Several walk-ons with Vince Edwards and Michael Callan are well done, but they vanish and are never seen again. A bevy of beautiful European actresses including Elke Sommer, Senta Berger, Melina Mercouri, and Romy Schneider appear in different scenes. Now, World War II film aficionadas will feel cheated by most of these scenes, and fans of dramatic expose films may find "The Victors" a little pretentious. Nevertheless, World War II buffs should enjoy this one until they see the end credits run. Mind you, Foreman had the right idea, but the material adapted from Alexander Baron's novel "The Human Kind" never seem compelling enough. Originally, "The Victors" clocked in at 175-minutes, but most versions available on home video run only 146-minutes.