Wuchak
Nov 9, 2023
**Americans going to Western Europe to fight Germans in the wintery forests** The true story of Don Smith and his fellow soldiers leading up to the Battle of the Bulge in December-January, 1944-45, is chronicled. “Fallen Not Forgotten” (2009), aka “Everyman’s War,” is a WW2 Indie only costing $720,000 and is reminiscent of "Straight into Darkness" from five years prior, just more straightforward and less surrealistic. It was a labor of love written & directed by the sons of the real-life protagonist. "The Frozen Front" (2017) is another comparison. While this isn’t as good as “Straight into Darkness,” it’s superior to “The Frozen Front.” I watched it because I was in the mood for a WW2 flick, but also because I heard how little it cost and wanted to know if a decent WW2 film could possibly be made on such a non-budget, shot exclusively in Oregon of all places. Just think of the cost of apprehending items from the early 1940s, such as clothes, cars, uniforms, weapons, military vehicles and a tank or two, not to mention convincing sets. Then you have to have enough money left over for competent no-name actors and amenities, like lodging and catering. Yet the Smith brothers pulled it off. Sure, it’s a micro-budget Indie, but the story & characters drew me in enough to give it a marginal thumbs-up for those who don’t mind spare change Indies. The well-depicted Germans even speak German (with English subtitles). The movie doesn’t overstay its welcome at 1 hour, 43 minutes. GRADE: B-
