DOES CONTAIN PLOT SPOILERS
The back story is this 'D-Day fails, Germany invades UK'. That's it, no other explanation, no other context. There is a serious issue as to whether of not The Third Reich had any intention to invade the UK even in 1940. There is a good argument that it did not. To suppose that it had such plans in 1944, when it was fighting a desperate and loosing struggle against the Soviet Union is ridiculous. To suppose that had the D-Day landings been repulsed Germany would then have switched to the offensive, by-passing the months of planning and logistical preparation that would have been required for a Channel crossing, is at the level of a kid's comic.
But this, as it were macro-absurdity, is then echoed by a whole series of absurdities at every level of the plot (using that word loosely):
1) The men of the village disappear, supposedly to fight the Germans, but we hear nothing of the.
2) The German unit is tasked to find an ancient map, which, supposedly will be used by Himmler to validate his ideology. Er, how, and why? And how come the unit is of the Wehrmacht, not the SS?
3) The map is 'hidden' in a cave and is found by the German commander on this first search. I mean, really !!
4) We're told that the Germans are stranded in the valley over Winter, but what we see of the weather is nothing very special, even by Brit standards, and far less severe than the conditions on the Eastern Front which the German military would have been dealing with for 3 years !!
5) For no good reason the Germans start to wear civvies, supposedly because their uniforms are 'wearing out'. This is just beyond silly, and anyway, didn't they have spares ?
6) At one point a Welshman is caught by the German unit, supposedly having been 'interrogated by the Gestapo' - the only damage to him appears to be a bit of facial bruising, no more than could have been received in a barney down the boozer on a Saturday night. OK, this is supposed to be an 'alternate history' work, but a Gestapo whose interrogation goes no further than a few smacks to the face is just too alternate for credibility.
The overall premise has possibilities. None of these are explored. This is a worthless movie, utterly devoid of serious ideas or any moral or political dimension.
The back story is this 'D-Day fails, Germany invades UK'. That's it, no other explanation, no other context. There is a serious issue as to whether of not The Third Reich had any intention to invade the UK even in 1940. There is a good argument that it did not. To suppose that it had such plans in 1944, when it was fighting a desperate and loosing struggle against the Soviet Union is ridiculous. To suppose that had the D-Day landings been repulsed Germany would then have switched to the offensive, by-passing the months of planning and logistical preparation that would have been required for a Channel crossing, is at the level of a kid's comic.
But this, as it were macro-absurdity, is then echoed by a whole series of absurdities at every level of the plot (using that word loosely):
1) The men of the village disappear, supposedly to fight the Germans, but we hear nothing of the.
2) The German unit is tasked to find an ancient map, which, supposedly will be used by Himmler to validate his ideology. Er, how, and why? And how come the unit is of the Wehrmacht, not the SS?
3) The map is 'hidden' in a cave and is found by the German commander on this first search. I mean, really !!
4) We're told that the Germans are stranded in the valley over Winter, but what we see of the weather is nothing very special, even by Brit standards, and far less severe than the conditions on the Eastern Front which the German military would have been dealing with for 3 years !!
5) For no good reason the Germans start to wear civvies, supposedly because their uniforms are 'wearing out'. This is just beyond silly, and anyway, didn't they have spares ?
6) At one point a Welshman is caught by the German unit, supposedly having been 'interrogated by the Gestapo' - the only damage to him appears to be a bit of facial bruising, no more than could have been received in a barney down the boozer on a Saturday night. OK, this is supposed to be an 'alternate history' work, but a Gestapo whose interrogation goes no further than a few smacks to the face is just too alternate for credibility.
The overall premise has possibilities. None of these are explored. This is a worthless movie, utterly devoid of serious ideas or any moral or political dimension.