Sbarco di Anzio, Lo (1968)

Directors:

Duilio Coletti
Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Duilio Coletti (adaptation)
H.A.L. Craig (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 July 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Where the end of World War II began.

Plot:

One of WWIIs bloodiest battles as the Allies smash through the German lines which have enclosed the Anzio beachhead. Four months and 30,000 casualties before the Allies finally march to Rome.

Plot Keywords:

Spasm | Place Name In Title | Reconnaissance | Elimination | Flamethrower Tank

Cast

Robert Mitchum	...	Dick Ennis (war correspondent, International Press)
Peter Falk	...	Cpl. Jack Rabinoff
Robert Ryan	...	General Carson
Earl Holliman	...	Platoon Sgt. Abe Stimmler
Mark Damon	...	Wally Richardson
Arthur Kennedy	...	Maj. Gen. Jack Lesley
Reni Santoni	...	Pvt. Movie
Joseph Walsh	...	Doyle
Thomas Hunter	...	Pvt. Andy
Giancarlo Giannini	...	Pvt. Cellini
Anthony Steel	...	Gen. Marsh
Patrick Magee	...	Gen. Starkey
Arthur Franz	...	Maj. Gen. Luke Howard
Tonio Selwart	...	Gen. Van MacKensen
Elsa Albani	...	Emilia

Also Known As:

Anzio (USA)
The Battle for Anzio (UK)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for war violence. (2006 re-rating)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:PG | USA:PG-13 | UK:PG | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Naples, Campania, Italy

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Factual errors: A shortage of German machine guns must have blighted filming as clearly seen in the ambush scene with the German troops in hollow haystacks - rather than using MG 38 or MG 42 machine guns they use British Army Mk1 Bren Guns & American M1918 Browning Automatic Rifles (although it could be very loosely argued the Bren guns were captured British munitions from earlier in the war, however there would be ammunition compatibility problems as German 7.92x57 ammunition won't work in .303 weapons).

Italian produced films of World War 2

Italian produced films often try and paint their own involvement in World War 2 as some sort of accident.

Here in Anzio, the film tries to treat Italy as just another country like France, waiting with baited breath for liberation. Granted, Italy did surrender in the middle of the war but ask the Brits from the 8th Army at Tobruk if the Italians were neutral.

It takes on sides in a debate over the handling of the battle by the various generals. That the film is so unworthy to do so is like listening to a lecture from a 14 year old about how society works.

The film tries under the guise of being gritty to portray a number of the American soldiers as criminals, nutjobs, and horndogs. While the horndog might be accurate, the other two groupings do not represent the American military. Of course some in the military were like this, but the producer tends to shape it as if it were the rule, instead of the exception.

Robert Mitchum, one of the most over-rated actors in Hollywood history tries to play it both ways here. He talks about why men kill other men. A comment, during the second world war, which would require only a 5 second film clip from one of the concentration camps to explain why the Brits and the Americans were fighting and thus killing Germans. Within 2 minutes, however of this pacifist musing the director wants you to get all jazzed over some Germans being shot.

The stereotypes are sloppy. Falk, another actor that gets more credit that he deserves is way over the top and seems not to have a grasp of what his character is all about.

Like the actual Anizo campaign, this film is disorganized and doesn't at all live up to the potential that was there.