The Fallen

I should admit right away that I don't like war movies. So when I was invited to see this film I went, because I knew that the person who invited me has good taste and wouldn't sponsor a film that wasn't good. I was pleasantly surprised when this film totally took hold of me. The theater was crowded, and I was very hungry with no popcorn. So when I found myself totally engrossed in this black and white film that deals with the gritty life of soldiers during World War II I was amazed. I got so involved in the lives of the men in this film that I forgot all about my hunger, and like a good novel, the film sped along to its end.

This film does a really good job of examining the lives of three different groups of soldiers, giving the audience a look at divergent points of view during wartime. Added to this is the fact that technically the film is very well done. I would say this is a war movie for people who don't usually enjoy them. All in all a very well done film for a first time director. I hope to see this placed in many more theaters so more people can see it.

This is a very entertaining, and affecting, movie that takes the points of view of ground troops on three sides of World War II (American, German, and Italian) -- each coming into contact with the others -- but the movie focuses on their own personal lives which, when compared one to the other are surprisingly similar. The director, Ari Taub, tells this story with a humorous and quirky touch, showing us the human qualities of our enemies and suggesting that if we ever did humanize our enemies wars would be a lot harder to fight.

There are several story lines to follow here, and the film weaves in and out of each effortlessly -- no small feat. With a cast of -- I'm guessing here -- 50 or so speaking roles (each very well played), I was impressed at the skill of storytelling and the scope attempted on a minimal, truly independent, film budget. There is a "light touch" to the comedy in this movie, and while you might find yourself caught up in the exploits and quirky adventures of the different sets of "heroes", there is more at work here than that: without being preachy, Taub is showing us the futility, the madness, and the human comedy that is war.

I enjoyed this movie a lot, and it's worth checking out if it lands at a film festival or video store near you.

I really enjoyed this film. It was sad and funny and tragic and many other things as well. It reminded me of the hallelujah trail (Burt Lancaster)with loads of people wandering around looking for each other. Eventually they find each other whether they want to or not and a number of them end up dead (this being unlike the Hallelulah Trail). I liked the way that lots of the characters wanted out but kept on going despite their fears.I imagine this is true of most combatants. Some people are heroes (see Audie Murphies Films)but most people are just people. There were a number of stereotypes but then this is also true of life. Wherever you go you meet people who fit these stereotypes. It was a very human film.

In the autumn of 1944, in Northern Italy, the German soldiers resist to the advancement of American forces in an Italy divided in fascist soldiers, communist partisans supported by the civilians and thugs. An American platoon leaded by Sergeant Malone (John McVay) is assigned to deliver supplies to the front. Meanwhile, the German Lieutenant Gunther (Thomas Pohn) tries to keep the morale and discipline of his needy soldiers, and faces many other problems when the Italian troop leaded by the aristocratic Lieutenant Gianini (Fabio Sartor) joins his doomed troop. The thugs leaded by Rossini (Carmine Raspaolo) act like vultures, plundering the remains after the battles.

"The Fallen" is a different war movie that gives the big picture of the chaotic situation of Italy during the last days of the World War II, showing a country divided in civil war, with an unusual code of ethics between the Italian soldiers and the partisans. It is nice to have a humanistic view of the war through the three sides – Italians, Germans and Americans- at the same time. The lack of discipline of the Italian soldiers breaks the tension and gives humor to this dramatic story. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Guerra Sangrenta" ("Bloody War")

Ari Taub takes on an immense project of independently shooting a war film set during WWII. Despite the numerous industry warnings against doing period films, Ari pulls it off with an engaging film, good characters, and an impressive production design. The production design for this film is stellar. The Italian actors are fantastic creating very engaging and likable characters. I should note here that this film is in three languages (Italian, German and English) and I applaud Ari maintaining this aspect to his story instead of making everyone speak English. The story is good, faithful to the large ensemble genre of post-WWII war film dramas. If anything, this film proves that Ari Taub is a capable, resourceful and ambitious director with a bright future and ability to deliver above expectation and means. "The Fallen" is worth a view and praise for everything accomplished by the cast, crew, and producers making this independent film.