During the Battle of the Bulge, an American squadron is trapped in a small French town, fighting not only the Nazis but also the elements of a brutal winter. The focus is more on characters than on action, and it is interesting to watch the interactions among the colorful characters played by a large cast of familiar faces. While the battlefield scenes are mostly effective, the film runs out of steam about two-thirds of the way through and bogs down in the latter stages. While the acting is good by the ensemble, particularly effective are Montalban, Thompson, Whitmore, and Hodiak, an actor who died too young. Playing a wise guy, Johnson provides most of the comic relief.
Review of Battleground
