Watch The Battle of Neretva For Free

Powerful

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

There were quite a few pro-Partisan Yugoslavian WWII films to come out of the Balkans during the 1960s and 1970s but THE BATTLE ON THE RIVER NERETVA is definitely the biggest and most expensive, the result of a collaboration between West Germany, America and Italy, as well as Yugoslavia itself. The film proudly shows its budget from the very beginning, as it is as packed with as much action and battling as you could want from any war movie. The film takes the format of having lots of different sub-plots with different characters, sub-plots which play out against numerous skirmishes and battles as Yugoslavian refugees attempt to flee across the titular bridge and are hounded by the Nazis, the Italians and even Fascist Yugoslavians at every turn. The action scenes in the film are largely authentic, with planes bombing all over the place, tank attacks and plenty of machine-gun firing on the battlefields. The Yugoslavian scenery, snowy and rugged, is put to very good usage and only adds to the realism of the movie.Unfortunately, the storyline is little more than an "us vs. them" narrative and it remains difficult to engage with many of the leading players due to the fragmented nature of the plot. Additionally, while the non-Yugoslavian cast members are easy to spot, many Yugoslavians play the young male heroes and it is often difficult to tell them apart – or even tell who they are! The film benefits from three massive Hollywood stars imported from America to add to the spectacle. Curd Jurgens is the Nazi commander, but unfortunately for him he's relegated to a desk role, never leaving his office through the movie; at least his scenes were easy to shoot then. Also on hand is an elderly-looking but stern Orson Welles playing a Chetnik senator who comes off worst in the battle with his own general, and finally we have Yul Brynner, star billed but hardly in the movie, excellent as an engineer responsible for rigging explosives all over the landscape. Brynner is always wicked and of course he ends up as the best thing in the film, it's just a shame that we end up seeing so little of him for much of it.A number of Italian actors and actresses have also been imported into the scenery, revealing the influence that Italy had in this film's production. Former peplum actress Sylva Koscina gets to wield a gun and act tough for a change while Howard Ross is as dependable as ever. Italian film regular Hardy Kruger also pops up and, given his nationality, you can guess he's on the Nazi side. Best of all is Franco Nero, playing an Italian general who ends up defecting to the other side when he sees the devastation left by the Nazis; Nero is as blue-eyed and heroic as ever and he gets to engage in a great protracted death scene, including a shot of him hanging over a wooden cross, complete with bloodied hands, which is a neat homage to Django.Other than the lack of a main storyline, the major problem with the film is the running time, which means that some scenes – definitely around the saggy middle – become a bit boring, especially when there's no actual fighting going on. However things pick up for a rousing climax in which lots of the good guys die their heroic, touching deaths and the Nazis are bombed to hell!

In January 1943 during WWII , Yugoslavian partisans are facing German and Italian troops . German Army afraid of Allied invasion of Balkans, launched great offensive against Yugoslav Partisans in Western Bosnia , as these one battle for freedom . The only way out for Partisan forces and thousands of refugees was the bridge on the river Neretva. The name Neretva, of the film's English title The Battle of the River Neretva or The Battle of the Neretva, is a name of Illyrian origin, and is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea basin and is situated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia.Big budget war movie contains thrills , emotion , historical events and impressive battles with a cast of thousands . However , lost continuity with excessive cuts . This movie's massive budget was personally approved by then Yugoslav president Tito. It was the first of the Yugoslav World War II film productions that were sponsored by the Yugoslav Government State and with funds provided by fifty-eight Yugoslave state . Very good main and support cast such as Yul Brynner as Vlado , Hardy Krüger as Col. Kranzer , Franco Nero as Capt. Michele Riva , Sylva Koscina as Danica , Orson Welles as Chetnik Senator , Curd Jürgens as Gen. Lohring ,Anthony Dawson and director Sergey Bondarchuk as Martin . At the time of its production, this was the most expensive film ever made in Eastern Europe ,outside the Soviet Unión . This movie was originally released at 175 minutes but was reduced by its US distributors to only 102 minutes when released in America. Atmospheric cinematography by Tomislav Pinter , though to need a good remastering . Evocative and military musical score by the classic Bernard Herrmann , Hitchcock's usual composer . Great production design and breathtaking outdoors . To shoot a railway bridge being blown-up, the movie's director, Veljko Bulajic wished to do it for real as it would, he believed, act as a tourist attraction after the shoot. A full-scale replica railway bridge was built in Jablanica and blown up but the smoke from the blasting prevented any visible and usable shots. The bridge was then repaired, re-built for a second time, and blown up again with the same result. Finally, to capture the bridge being blown up, a small-scale miniature model was used. The motion picture was regularly directed by Veljko Bulajic, including excessive cuts and some scenes with no sense . It was the most expensive Yugoslav movie ever made and taking sixteen months in production to shoot and complete. The picture was based on historical deeds , these are the followings : The Battle of the Neretva was a World War II battle launched by the Nazis and running between January and April 1943 in the environs of the River Neretva, Herzegovina, then Nazi German occupied Yugoslavia. The Battle was code-named Fall Weiss and was named after this neighboring Neretva River. The battle was a combined Nazi strategic plan involving Axis Allies Italy, Croatian Ustasha (Croatian Revolutionary Movement) and Chetniks (Serbian Anti-Communist Volunteer Militia) units to wipe out the Yugoslav Partisans from German Nazi occupied Yugoslavia. The battle of Neretva is also known as the Fourth Anti-Partisan Offensive; the Fourth Enemy Offensive, as well as The Battle for the Wounded.

What more can I say? I first found this movie when I was living inNew Hampshire back in 1985. The film has Orson Welles as a Royalist Cetnik senator, and there are other characters. It's about the Partisans' attempt to cross the Neretva River before theGermans blow up the last bridge. The Partisans left no onebehind. Not even their wounded. They also had refugees withthem and they all had to get across the river before the Germans blow the bridge. They also have to contend with the Italians and a regiment of Cetnik Cavalry. Why are the Germans about to blowthe last bridge across the Neretva? Because they're afraid of an Allied invasion of the Balkans. It's January 1943 and the Germans are afraid that the Allies are going to invade the Balkans, whichthey never did, but still, they have to isolate the Partisans. Blowing the last bridge over the Neretva would do that. Do the Germansblow the bridge or do the Partisans escape before the bridge isblown? Do you think I'm an idiot? I'm not telling. You have to seethis movie for yourself.

This movie is very interesting especially because it is made in 1969. Veljko Bulajic made a very good job, with international cast even I don't like Bulajic and his movies very much. Now we have to expect his new movie "Sarajevo" without Abdulah Sidran who had to work on a screenplay. I think that he should not direct that movie. "Bitka na Neretvi" is great movie, with special effects that are better than 90% in new movies. But it was the old time in old Yugoslavia, when everything was possible even the great movies such is this. If you haven't watched it, you should, because you will be satisfied.