This is not a true documentary. It is a collection of ground level observations & feelings related via recent interviews of enlisted vets and supported by nothing more than scant few letters home & narrated diary entries. Most disappointing - there is little to no cohesive webbing to provide any sort of comprehensive overview.
The almost complete absence of any statistics or maps or detailing of strategies or objectives whatsoever for the 10th Mountain Division (less than nothing with respect to the Nazis) leaves me clueless to the larger historical picture and how this collection of foggy snapshots of feelings & emotions fit into, err... "it" ....I cringe to even say "it" because if you asked me what "it" is... well, I couldn't tell you even after watching this entire film.
I revere the bravery, sacrifice, years of the most grueling preparation, and battle stories of the 10th Mountain Division. Their story is nearly untold and thus unknown, their legacy recognized in mythology whilst under reported in facts.
Unfortunately, and to my great sorrow and regret, this film leaves me feeling completely frustrated that I know nothing more -- of the odds they faced, the obstacles they overcame, the innovations & ingenuity they conjured, nor the challenges they conquered -- than I did before watching it.
That's what's most disappointing & damning... If some youngster were to ask me what I know of the 10th Mountain, I'd be forced to say "Not much... they fought bravely in Italy, scaled cliffs, sometimes skied, & were often very cold." That's what makes this unworthy of being called a documentary. One would expect the filmmakers to demonstrate more research & detail than one would get from a "Sgt Rock" comic book.
The almost complete absence of any statistics or maps or detailing of strategies or objectives whatsoever for the 10th Mountain Division (less than nothing with respect to the Nazis) leaves me clueless to the larger historical picture and how this collection of foggy snapshots of feelings & emotions fit into, err... "it" ....I cringe to even say "it" because if you asked me what "it" is... well, I couldn't tell you even after watching this entire film.
- No maps;
- No talk of strategies & little of tactics;
- No listing nor comparison of materiel of either force;
- No information on technologies (only a vague definition of skills training & preparation)
- Stock film clips (many not relevant & more like a b&w tourist brochure);
- No comparison or contrast of opposing forces;
- No timelines.
I revere the bravery, sacrifice, years of the most grueling preparation, and battle stories of the 10th Mountain Division. Their story is nearly untold and thus unknown, their legacy recognized in mythology whilst under reported in facts.
Unfortunately, and to my great sorrow and regret, this film leaves me feeling completely frustrated that I know nothing more -- of the odds they faced, the obstacles they overcame, the innovations & ingenuity they conjured, nor the challenges they conquered -- than I did before watching it.
That's what's most disappointing & damning... If some youngster were to ask me what I know of the 10th Mountain, I'd be forced to say "Not much... they fought bravely in Italy, scaled cliffs, sometimes skied, & were often very cold." That's what makes this unworthy of being called a documentary. One would expect the filmmakers to demonstrate more research & detail than one would get from a "Sgt Rock" comic book.
