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!
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!