Review of The Lost Battalion (2001) by Scott H — 16 Nov 2007

If you are my age, its hard to look at Rick Schroder without remembering where he got his start on cheesy TV sitcoms in the 1980s. He's always been kind of a joke. In this A&E film directed by Russell Mulcahy, he shines, and is perfect for the role. I have to admit that like the guy now.

This is the best WWI film for pure cinematic visuals that I have seen. Its filmed in 4:3 ratio so its got a nice clean and crisp DVD picture, though it would have been magnificent in 6:9. I wish they'd have done it for the big screen.

The story is a recount of actual events, and its a good action tale with realistic battle scenes, gritty and very much a WWI look that we don't see much- moving warfare, not trench warfare. You get a taste of both trench life and patrol life here, but the majority of the fighting is not trench fighting, but a downright grueling outflanking battle in the woods. The German side is well represented, the US side is accurately portrayed.

This is a film about perseverance and dogged determination. Schroder plays Major Whittlesey, who finds himself hopelessly surrounded after being sent on a suicide mission, against his knowledge. His portrayal of a Major with honor and leadership abilities makes for a refreshing story in a time when many war films are about the rather nasty side of humankind. As the plot moves along, the story unfolds in a fairly predictable manner, but it is the characters' response of duty and sacrifice in the face of the overwhelming odds that really carries the story.

This is a visually rich film. Proper period weapons, proper uniforms, loads of accurate scenery and attention to period local detail make the experience believable. It is colored in a rather dismal dusty unsaturated manner, perfect for the film's gritty nature. While not a blockbuster, the story is a pretty good tale of duty, sacrifice, and selfless leadership set in a war few know anything about.