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Fallen, The (2004) 
"The Final Sacrifice" by Yojimbo
2.5/4 stars

A squad of German soldiers is reinforced by the Italians in the final days of the war in the face of certain defeat by the advancing allies. The version of this film I saw was re-edited, removing the majority of the American involvement and renamed "The Final Sacrifice". For some reason. It's an interesting take on the WWII film focussing on the soldiers on the ground and their day to day lives as they bicker, reminisce and basically do what anyone else would do if they were stuck in muddy hole for days on end. Its multi-cultural aspect is the most interesting in that it shows the relationship between the Germans and their Italian "allies" who are treated as second class citizens and torn between a soldier's duty and loyalty to their conquered country. In a lot of ways it's more like a soap opera set during a war than a "war film" as such but thanks to solid writing and strong performances the characters and their relationships are completely believable and it engages through to a poignant ending. A story about ordinary people stuck in an extraordinary situation, The Final Sacrifice wisely avoids politics (let's face it, Nazis are hardly the most sympathetic protagonists) and concentrates on those caught in the middle of events bigger than themselves. A man can have the right motivations and be a "hero", even if his superiors have not.

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