Review of Saints and Soldiers (2003) by Brogan R — 13 May 2008

SAINTS AND SOLDIERS.

Saints And Soldiers(Details here), has won quite a few 'Best Picture' awards in American film festivals. Being based on a courageous true story it automatically generates itself some interest and success that comes with these particular types of movies.

Four American soldiers caught behind enemy lines in World War II, attempt to make their way back to safety through the cold snow and harsh weather, not to mention the Nazi's forces. Coming across an English pilot with important information, their quest becomes even more important.

The performances given are of fair standard, above the majority of what we see on our screen, but still nothing remarkable. The characters are all thought out well, being based on real people with entire lives, they have a great deal to draw on and express to make three dimensional characters.

Ryan Little gives some good direction here and there, quite consistently he manages to put across the people's struggle and convey different attitudes on war that each of the soldiers have. The pacing is of mixed quality, sometimes becoming massively slow and seeming to drag on, whilst other scenes seem very heated and over to fast. A reasonable level of tension is generated nonetheless, but not an outstanding piece of directing.

This movie, despite its high prospects, ends up as 'another war movie', conforming highly to the genre and not making any new ground. This makes the viewer feel like they have seen a very similar piece of cinema many times before, which really diminishes the impact of the film. A decent piece of cinema, but nothing notable.