The Victors 1963 DVD (Region 1 - playable in North America - the US, Canada, Mexico, etc.) Widescreen. B&W. Beautifully re-mastered with a new, lower price.
Starring: George Peppard, Eli Wallach, Vince Edwards, Melina Mercouri, George Hamilton, Romy Schneider, Jeanne Moreau, Albert Finney. Written by Carl Foreman from the novel "The Human Kind" by Alexander Baron. Directed by Carl Foreman.
The exploits of one infantry squad from Sicily through the invasion of France, into Germany, and on to the occupation at WW II's end. Each scene stands alone, focusing on a different character and incident, marred by war---punctuated by "March of Time"-style newreels.
Carl Foreman called it a "personal statement" about the futility of war. Both victor and vanquished are losers. It follows a group of American soldiers through Europe during the Second World War, from Britain in 1942, through the fierce fighting in Italy and the invasion of Normandy, to the uneasy peace of occupied Berlin. It is adapted from a collection of short stories called The Human Kind by English author Alexander Baron, based upon his own wartime experiences. The British characters were changed to Americans in order to appeal to American audiences.
In one vignette a man sleeps with an Italian woman whose soldier husband is missing. Another falls in love with a beautiful woman who tries to get him to desert to help in her black market operations. A race riot breaks out between white and black troops. The men are sent to witness an execution on a snowy night (based on the Eddie Slovik execution) while the soundtrack croons "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Frank Sinatra.
Photographed on locations in Italy, France, England and Sweden, with the kind co-operation of the Swedish Army Ordnance Corps
These are only a few of the indelible, riveting parade of scars inflicted upon soldier after soldier in what many consider to be the war movie to end all war movies. Brace yourself, the opening montage alone is a work of art.
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