We just finished watching one of the best movies I have ever seen, Saints and Soldiers. Why this kind of movie is not a blockbuster is a sad commentary on our culture of movie consumption. There is no star-studded cast, no sex, some violence as it is a war movie, but nothing gratuitous. It’s a marvelous story with a marvelous script, very well acted and even more interesting since it is based on true events of WWII.
Here is the plot synopsis:
Based on actual events, Saints and Soldiers tells the gripping story of a small band of Allied soldiers trapped behind enemy lines with information that could save thousands of American lives. Outgunned and ill-equipped, they battle a frigid wilderness and roving German troops in order to smuggle the critical intelligence back to Allied territory.You don’t want to miss this movie. Themes of redemption run deep and I am thankful that these remind us of the gospel.
Since this is sort of a fringe movie (though you won’t notice any difference from the usual Hollywood movie) you probably will have to look for it through Netflix or some other service like that. You can find it here on Netflix.
Here is the trailer:
7 comments:
Saw it a few years ago. Great film.
Thanks. I need to see it.
By the way, as a matter of contrast -- one of the films for rent at Red Box (at Smiths or WalMart and maybe other places) that I got recently is Smoke Jumper. It's pretty clean in terms of sex, violence, and (as I recall) language. It's a decent story idea, but sadly the acting and editing are pretty unhoned. The progression of the story is a bit ridiculous; some early scenes were protracted (a bit more film should have been left on a cutting room floor IMHO), then once they get to the climax of the story, they needed to rush through to end in 90 to 120 minutes. Still, if you're in the market for a clean film and it doesn't necessarily have to be really good, then pay a buck to rent it. But I would prefer a cleaner and GOOD film, like your recommendation.
Such a great movie! I just watched it a few weeks back and had the same conclusions. It is a fantastic, low-budget WW2 film that had some great dialogue and themes. It's become one of my favorites.
I'm going to disagree. I thought it was awful. Too predictable and too linear. It was also way too Mormon (did you know the entire cast is Mormon)? That makes sense of the character who was a missionary to Germany, doesn't it?
Terrible movie! If you're a huge war movie buff you may want to watch it just to say you've done it; otherwise, hold off.
Trailer on iTunes.
Tim,
What exactly was "Mormon" about it? It's one thing if the cast is Mormon off screen, but how was the story, plot, and dialogue "Mormon"? Help me see what I'm missing.
Zach,
You can actually watch it for free on HULU. Thanks for the recommendation!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/32278/saints-and-soldiers
-Jonathan
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