Saints and Soldiers (2003)

Four American soldiers and one Brit fighting in Europe during World War II struggle to return to Allied territory after being separated from U.S. forces during the historic Malmedy Massacre.

Director:

Ryan Little

Writers:

Geoffrey Panos (original story), Geoffrey Panos (screenwriter)

Stars:

Corbin Allred, Alexander Polinsky, Kirby Heyborne

16 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Corbin Allred	...	Cpl. Nathan 'Deacon' Greer
Alexander Polinsky	...	Medic Steven Gould (as Alexander Niver)
Kirby Heyborne	...	Flt. Sgt. Oberon Winley
Larry Bagby	...	Pvt. Shirley 'Shirl' Kendrick (as Lawrence Bagby)
Peter Holden	...	SSgt. Gordon Gunderson
Ethan Vincent	...	Rudolph 'Rudi' Gertz
Melinda Renee	...	Catherine Theary
Ruby Chase	...	Sophie Theary (as Ruby Chase O'Neil)
Jeff Birk	...	Radio Announcer
Benjamin Gourley	...	Private McKinley (as Ben Gourley)
Tane Williams	...	Injured One-Armed Soldier
Randy Beard	...	German Officer #1
Curt Doussett	...	German Soldier #1
Michael Buster	...	German Soldier #2
M. Casey Reeves	...	Weeping Soldier

Storyline

After surviving a massacre in Malmedy, a location behind the German army in Europe, four American soldiers with only one weapon rescue the British pilot Oberon Winley (Kirby Heyborn) in a tree and they move together, trying to reach the allied forces and save a great number of allied soldiers from a German attack with the information got by Winley in his flight. While marching, each soldier discloses inner secrets to the rest of the group.

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Plot Keywords:

behind enemy lines | ardennes forest | battle of the bulge | winter | world war two in belgium | 

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Taglines:

Trapped behind enemy lines. All they have is their hope.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for war violence and related images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

25 March 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Saints of War

Filming Locations:

Alpine, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$780,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$129,056, 8 August 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,310,470

Company Credits

Production Co:

Go Films, Medal of Honor Productions LLC

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (DTS-HD 5.1) Dolby Digital (5.1 surround)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1 / (high definition)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Over 100 war re-enactors volunteered to participate in filming, lying in the snow for hours at a time.

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Goofs

Two of the main characters are from the 101st Airborne Division, and were supposed to have been fighting on the Elsenborn Ridge, which is on the north edge of the Bulge. In fact, the 101st was a couple of hundred miles to the rear on 16 December 1944, the day the German attack began, and was never near Elsenborn. The Malmedy Massacre took place on 17 or 18 December 1944, long before the 101st got to Bastogne.

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Connections

Followed by Saints and Soldiers: The Void (2014)

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Soundtracks

Villa
Performed by JoAnn Ottley
JOANN OTTLEY: Retrospective
1999 Tantara Records
Used by permissionn

User Reviews

A gem of a film.

Many films succeed outside the context of Hollywood hype. This one provides several messages competently executed by new talent, and without the special effects so commonly packaged by Tinseltown. Dialog and talent hold one's attention in a real-world interpretation of the Malmedy massacre and it's aftermath in WW2 Belgium. The tagline, 'A Time For Heroes' says much and it's more than appropriate for our time since the definition of 'hero' has been broadened by current events and uncommon courage. Lighting, sound, location, editing, and inventive writing make this a weekend wonder if you're seeking a story of principled men in desperate circumstances. Not unlike John Sturges' films.