The Lost Battalion

Without the extreme violence and profanity of "Saving Private Ryan" or "Black Hawk Down", Mulcahy's film achieves a higher level of cinematic and emotional success than either of its modern counterparts. The balance of true-life horror and tear-evoking courage and honor is perhaps more beliveable and acceptible than in the fictional "Ryan" or the questionable context of "Black Hawk". That is for history to evaluate. In the case of "Ryan", the ridiculous premise, based upon the true-life scenario of the deaths of the fighting Sullivan brothers, pales in comparison to the true story of Whittlesey and his battalion's mission to serve the entire American Army and its allies, not just one family. In addition, "The Lost Battalion" is a comparable technical tour-de-force, although perhaps Mulcahy derives some directorial inspiration from Spielberg. He compensates for this be eliciting a superior performance from Rick Shroeder than Spielberg did from Hanks, and by adding some nifty special effects shots here and there. This is a film that mixes the respect for the fighting soldier with a disdain for inept command, and war in general. There is no other agenda here, because the truth tells its own story. Rent this, or buy it. You will not be disappointed.