Bitter Victory (1957)

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

Paul Gallico (additional dialogue)
René Hardy (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

March 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The Desert Commando Raid They Wiped Off the Record Books!

Plot:

A commander receives a citation for an attack on Rommel's headquarters, which is actually undeserved as the commander is unfit for his job. On top of that, unbeknownst to him, his wife is having an affair with one of his officers.

Plot Keywords:

Sergeant | Historical | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Capt. Leith
Curd Jürgens	...	Maj. Brand (as Curt Jurgens)
Ruth Roman	...	Jane Brand
Raymond Pellegrin	...	Mekrane
Anthony Bushell	...	Gen. Patterson
Alfred Burke	...	Lt. Col. Callander
Sean Kelly	...	Lt. Barton
Ramón de Larrocha	...	Lt. Sanders (as Ramon de Larrocha)
Christopher Lee	...	Sgt. Barney
Ronan O'Casey	...	Sgt. Dunnigan
Fred Matter	...	Col. Lutze
Raoul Delfosse	...	Lt. Kassel
Andrew Crawford	...	Roberts
Nigel Green	...	Pvt. Wilkins
Harry Landis	...	Browning
Christian Melsen	...	Pvt. Abbot
Sumner Williams	...	Anderson
Joé Davray	...	Pvt. Spicer

Directed by
Nicholas Ray

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Gallico		additional dialogue
René Hardy		novel (as Rene Hardy)
René Hardy		screenplay (as Rene Hardy)
Gavin Lambert		screenplay
Vladimir Pozner		uncredited
Nicholas Ray		screenplay

Produced by
Paul Graetz	....	producer
Robert Laffont	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Maurice Leroux		(as Maurice Le Roux)

Cinematography by
Michel Kelber		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Léonide Azar		(as Leonide Azar)

Production Design by
Jean d'Eaubonne

Makeup Department
René Daudin	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Mario Del Papa	....	production manager
Paul Joly	....	production manager
Giorgio Riganti	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christian Ferry	....	first assistant director
Édouard Luntz	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Suzanne Cabon	....	assistant sound editor
Joseph de Bretagne	....	sound
Renée Lichtig	....	sound editor
Kenout Peltier	....	assistant sound editor
Suzanne Rondeau	....	assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Jacques Boutinot	....	still photographer
André Domage	....	assistant camera
Wladimir Ivanov	....	camera operator
Roger Tellier	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Zay	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Denise Charvein	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Maurice Leroux	....	conductor (as Maurice Le Roux)

Other crew
Lucie Lichtig	....	continuity
Major General C.M.F. White	....	military advisor

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Robert Laffont Productions (as Productions - Robert Laffont)
• Transcontinental Films

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1957) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chevereau  camera location
• Editions Salvet  music published by
• LAX Lab.  opticals (as Lax)
• Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française  orchestra

Also Known As:

Amère victoire (France)
Bitter Victory (USA)

Runtime:

102 min | USA:82 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A | USA:Approved (certificate number not listed)

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Upon seeing this at the Venice Film Festival, Jean-Luc Godard said his iconic statement "Le cinema, c'est Nicholas Ray (The cinema is Nicholas Ray)."

Quotes:

Jane Brand: What if he doesn't come back?
Capt. Leith: Then he and I and you become part of history, of its futility.
Jane Brand: Don't talk to me in riddles, Jimmy.
Capt. Leith: It's a long time since I was in Libya. The Romans built wonderful cities in Libya: dead bones sticking out of the sand. War rolled over them. It'll be good to see them again.
Jane Brand: You always seemed to prefer stones to people.
Capt. Leith: I've learned things from stones.
Jane Brand: What?
Capt. Leith: All that people have forgotten in the centuries.
Jane Brand: I seem to remember I was less than a stone to you. I loved you, Jimmy.
Capt. Leith: We'd better go in. There isn't much time.
[...]

One of Nicholas Ray's finest

Thankfully now available in its full 103-minute version, this is one of Nicholas Ray's strongest works and one of the handful that doesn't bear the marks of studio meddling. It's an unrelentingly grim tale of cowardice and lost love which is almost incidentally set during WWII. Richard Burton manages to deliver cutting, pointed dialogue without making it hammy, and Curt Jurgens' performance of a deceitful squad leader is extremely strong; a coiled spring which never quite releases.

I can't help but wonder if some of the comments above are based upon the US version, which was cut by a whopping 21 minutes, because this is unquestionably one of the best of the Nick Ray canon. Working in many of his trademark themes of sacrifice and loss but keeping the melodrama surprisingly low-key, it's also gorgeously photographed in 'Scope black-and-white and none of the performances falter. Those who have enjoyed ATTACK, HELL IS FOR HEROES, THE BIG RED ONE and particularly Anthony Mann's brilliant MEN IN WAR are well advised to check this out, and it's a must-see for Ray enthusiasts, right up there with ON DANGEROUS GROUND, THE SAVAGE INNOCENTS, JOHNNY GUITAR and IN A LONELY PLACE.