Battleground
(1949)
Rusty: Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Robert Pirosh)Award nominations: Academy Award for Best Director (William A. Wellman)
Academy Award for Best Film Editing
Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (James Whitmore)Award details: (details at IMDb)
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Battleground is a 1949 American war film that tells the story of a company in the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division trying to cope with the Siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. It stars Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy, and features James Whitmore. It was directed by William Wellman from a script by Robert Pirosh. The film is notable for portraying American soldiers as vulnerable and human, as opposed to just inspirational and gung-ho. While there is no question about their courage and steadfastness, each soldier has at least one moment in the film when he seriously considers running away, schemes to get sent away from the front line, slacks off, or complains about the situation he is in. Battleground is considered to be the first significant film about World War II to be made and released after the end of the war.