patboivin Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 I noticed that this movie is playing again here in Canada. Am I going mad, are all those "German" tanks in fact not American ones with German markings on them? I thought the Germans were using Tigers, JagdTigers, JagdPanthers, etc. but I didn't see any during the movie. I don't remember seeing Tigers or Panthers with turrets that rounded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 The American tanks in the movie were M24 Chaffees. The German tanks, we think, are either American M41 Bulldogs or M47s. (Korean era tanks.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 Not trying to pick a bone but who is "we"? I suppose you mean the people on the forum, but not sure. I was just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 double post [This message has been edited by Freak (edited 01-27-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patboivin Posted January 28, 2001 Author Share Posted January 28, 2001 Maybe "we" stands for single people who, when they speak, cause multiple posts to appear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 Originally posted by Freak: Not trying to pick a bone but who is "we"? I suppose you mean the people on the forum, but not sure. I was just curious. Yes, "we" as in the people on this Forum. *We've* discussed this before, so I felt comfortable to use the word "we". [This message has been edited by Maximus (edited 01-28-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skott Karlsson Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 There is a part in the movie where the German Colonel goes to inspect his tank crew commanders after his aide suggests it. Inside the room he makes a comment about them being young boys or something. Then one crew commander starts to sing. Then the others join in. Then the Colonel also joins in the singing after ordering his aide to sing. I remember seeing this movie when it first came out. As a young lad I found the music very moving and inspiring. Is there anyone that knows the English translation of the lyrics? I have always been curious about them. To this day I still enjoy that part of the movie very much. Unfortunately its often cut out to shave time off the movie for television. Once in a while a television station will show a movie in its complete entirety. Btw... Am I the only one that hates when they cut out parts of a movie to fit it into a specified time frame? I understand why its done. I just dont like it. ~Skott~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warmaker Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 That song the German panzer crews sing at the beginning of Battle of the Bulge movie is called "Panzerlied," or something like that and I think it's a marching song for Wehrmacht panzertruppen. I actually stumbled across an MP3 of it while browsing around some fan sites for the game "Panzer Elite." Actually quite motivating to play it before loading up CM and playing a desperate German game. I did like Battle of the Bulge, but for me the best WWII flicks to date (that I've seen) are The Longest Day, and since I'm a jarhead, The Sands of Iwo Jima. ------------------ "Uncommon valor was a common virtue"-Adm.Chester Nimitz of the Marines on Iwo Jima [This message has been edited by Warmaker (edited 01-28-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 This is "The Battle of the Bulge" and is the most unrealistic movie I've ever seen. The Germans were seldom able to deploy tanks en masse as shown in the movie since the Ardennes region is heavily wooded and very rough country. The Germans were confined to the limited road network which was the main reason the Americans could slow them down, by defending "bottlenecks" until reinforcements could be brought up. The battle was primarily an infantry battle with the armor supporting. What you see happen in the movie is more like what you would have seen on the Russian Front. If you want to see a good movie on the Ardennes fighting watch "Battleground" when it comes around on TV. It was made in the early fifties and is filled with cliches and was shot in a sound studio, but it gives you more of the real flavor of the Battle of the Bulge than this movie of the same name. I like watching the tanks move and shoot everything up but that was not how the real battle was except in rare occasions. ------------------ Blessed be the Lord my strength who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever Babra Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 Die Panzerlied is available on Napster. Gets the fingers snappin and the toes tappin ------------------ When it's my turn to march up to Glory, I'm gonna have one HELL of a story... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
:USERNAME: Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 I liked the part in the movie where the german tank commander (maybe one of the singers) goes "ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!" when Henry Fonda rolls a flaming 55 gallon drum of flaming gasoline his way. I begged my parents to let me, and my brothers and sister, go see that freaking movie in the cafeteria of my catholic gradeschool on a saturday. After hours they relented and even sent us out the door with large chocolate bars and even bagged popcorn. Anyway, the movie wasnt shown that weekend but rather the next. We sat there for hours debating whether to go home, eat the f**king candy or what the hell to do. I remember the letdown like it was today. Imagine my horror when I was older and actually saw the stupid movie. It even has a disclaimer at the beggining that it isnt realistic! What the hell is that anyway? man I wish I had some chocolate. Lewis [This message has been edited by :USERNAME: (edited 01-28-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schugger Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 Originally posted by Skott Karlsson: ... Is there anyone that knows the English translation of the lyrics? I have always been curious about them... ~Skott~ Click here http://battlefront.com.discuss/Forum1/HTML/011407.html Tata Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rune Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 In a moment of anti-grognardness, I created a scenario based on the movie. It is in the A Matter of Honor pak, and is available on Manx's web site. Rune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crank_GS Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 To answer Patboivin's original question, you are correct, the Germans did not use post-war American tanks during Wacht am Rhein. The filmmakers used them because all of the actual German Heavy Cats were uselessly rusting themselves to unrecognizable hulks throughout Europe. ------------------ Capt. Byron Crank, US Army Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 Originally posted by Skott Karlsson: Btw... Am I the only one that hates when they cut out parts of a movie to fit it into a specified time frame? I understand why its done. I just dont like it. ~Skott~ No, I despise it also. I've seen some pretty bad butchered movies on TV when they do that. The ridiculous ones are the R rated ones where they dub in new dialogue over the bad language and/or edit out the extremely graphic parts. I mean, damn, those parts that they edit out sometimes MAKE the movie. ------------------ "Upon my signal, unleash Hell."--General Maximus, Gladiator "Aim small, miss small."--Mel Gibson, The Patriot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherman Posted January 28, 2001 Share Posted January 28, 2001 Originally posted by patboivin: I noticed that this movie is playing again here in Canada. Am I going mad, are all those "German" tanks in fact not American ones with German markings on them? I thought the Germans were using Tigers, JagdTigers, JagdPanthers, etc. but I didn't see any during the movie. I don't remember seeing Tigers or Panthers with turrets that rounded. Thoughs KingTigers looked little M48s to me and the Allied tanks look like M24s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellros Posted January 29, 2001 Share Posted January 29, 2001 Might the German tanks have been Pattons? I forget the M number (maybe M48's as Rob/1 said) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Mauldin Posted January 29, 2001 Share Posted January 29, 2001 I remember going to the theater to see this one. I thought it was the greatest movie I'd ever seen. Now I watch it for laughs. ------------------ Randy aka Prairiedog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patboivin Posted January 29, 2001 Author Share Posted January 29, 2001 Originally posted by Crank_GS: To answer Patboivin's original question, you are correct, the Germans did not use post-war American tanks during Wacht am Rhein. The filmmakers used them because all of the actual German Heavy Cats were uselessly rusting themselves to unrecognizable hulks throughout Europe. Thanks, Crank_GS. I needed clarification on that. I thought all the German armour had been left intact! Live and learn. Perhaps the post-war "American" tank designs were actually stolen from German designs? I can't believe there were no functional German armour left anywhere, with all the museums and collectors around. After WW-II there must have been a huge market for wartime leftovers. Must have been beyond their budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted January 29, 2001 Share Posted January 29, 2001 They were cruel Nazi M-47 Pattons vs brave American boys in M-24's. It was a Hollywood producer's wet dream about what WWII was like. It would be laughable except that the Bulge was a real event. With but minor effort to depict real people in actual events, the film would have been so much more satisfying and exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavScout Posted January 29, 2001 Share Posted January 29, 2001 Good gawd guys, they are movies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted January 29, 2001 Share Posted January 29, 2001 When Hollywood makes a war film and calls it "Battle of the Bulge", I think they have a responcibility to try and tell the story as truthfully as possible. In this film, this was'nt done. It's a matter of respect for the men who fought in this action to be as accurate as they can be. I don't expect them to get every detail right as to the vehicles being right or the uniforms exact, but they should tell the story as it happened and not make up a bunch of nonsense just to add excitement. ------------------ Blessed be the Lord my strength who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted January 29, 2001 Share Posted January 29, 2001 CavScout, you're right, they're only movies. With all due respect, however, I must offer the following observation: that the psyche sometimes blurs the destinction between real life and fantasy, and thus our movies have a way of becoming our reality. (Some say that we even elect actors into the presidency because we mistake movie heroes for the real article.) Thus, for some folks, the cinematic mages of hollywood have become the architects of reality. These people confuse entertainment with education, and the lesser movie directors do little to disabuse them of the notion. So, I for one resent the trivializing and disingenuous repackaging of history in this fashion. It needn't be this way. To cite a positive example: To Hell and Back, the Audie Murphy movie, would have been so much garbage if Audie hadn't been around to lend it credibility and keep it reasonably true to his experiences in the war. Fortunately, because it was made with Audie's help, we now have the film as legacy: a glimpse into the real man behind the MOH legend. Which is not to say that a film must be restricted to real people and events in order to keep a claim to credibility. In the hands of an honest and focused director, totally fictitious events and people can educate and pay tribute to history and it's participants. Spielberg's SPR is a perfect example of a generalized, anonymous fiction that was carefully crafted with integrity, focus and purpose. As a result, the film honored the men and the moment who lived in the event it depicted, even though it portrayed no identifiable individuals. Films produced without such resident BS detectors in either cast or direction(i.e. Battle of the Bulge) get filtered and spun and laundered so much in the hollywood production process that they tend to become...just movies. Thanks guys and girls, I feel better now that I pegged the rant meter. (Can some one help me climb off of this colossal soap box?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Lucke Posted January 29, 2001 Share Posted January 29, 2001 Originally posted by rune: In a moment of anti-grognardness, I created a scenario based on the movie. It is in the A Matter of Honor pak, and is available on Manx's web site. Rune Heh-heh! All it's lacking is Hank Fonda in a Piper Cub! (Where's L5_Pilot when ya need him?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Lucke Posted January 29, 2001 Share Posted January 29, 2001 Originally posted by Forever Babra: Die Panzerlied is available on Napster. Gets the fingers snappin and the toes tappin Matter of fact, I'm listenin' to it right now: If there's a storm or it snows, or the sun smiles on us; the day is burning hot, or the night icy cold. Dusty are our faces, but joyful are our thoughts, our tank roars ahead, within the storm wind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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