The Battle of the Neretva (film)
The Battle of the Neretva is an internationally produced war film from 1968 . It deals with the battle of the Neretva , which was the turning point of the war for the Yugoslav partisans.
Historical background
In 1943 the Axis Powers feared the Allies would land in the Balkans. In order to forestall them, Hitler ordered the demolition of the partisans , who had meanwhile liberated ever larger areas. In 1943 the Yugoslav partisans under Tito's leadership were encircled on the Neretva . Their opponents were the Germans, the Italians, the Yugoslav Chetniks loyal to the king and the fascist Croatian Ustaše associations. The partisans were pushed to the Neretva. Hitler's plan was to drive the partisans across the bridge over the Neretva so that they would get caught between two fires as the Chetniks were advancing on the other side of the river. With a ruse, Tito managed to deceive the attackers and win the battle. He had the bridge blown up. The Germans then assumed that the partisans would move further north and ordered the troops to march north. The bridge was secretly and makeshift repaired, and the partisans escaped unnoticed, only to then face the Chetniks alone when they arrived on the other side. They had no chance against the overwhelming power of the partisans and were crushed. The German and Italian troops were already so weakened by the bitter battle that they could only defend themselves. The battle of the Neretva was the turning point of the war for the Yugoslavs.
action
Preparing for battle
After an explanation of the war situation on the basis of a map of Yugoslavia, a German tank column comes into view, rolling along the highway. The scene then changes to the partisan area, where a procession of supporters of the People's Republic of Yugoslavia appears with a banner in front of them and moves through the street of a Yugoslav city to the cheering of the population. On the edge of the parade, the three siblings Danica, Novak and Vuko are photographed by a photographer in the uniform of the partisans.
Meanwhile, a briefing takes place at General Lohring's headquarters (the name is obviously based on the name of the real Commander-in-Chief, Alexander Löhr ) in which the general explains the battle plan to the commanders of the three German divisions. The general pays particular attention to division commander Krenzer, who is to attack from the north. Lohring then receives the Italian General Morelli, whose units are now also advancing into the combat area. Italian soldiers get off a train at a train station, and on the fringes of the scene, Capitano Rossi is talking to Sergeant Maro about the impending attack. In doing so, Rossi lets it be known that he sees the partisans' struggle as a just cause in defense of their homeland, whereas he sees his own army as the aggressor. The Italians received orders to go quickly to Prozor .
The retreat of the partisans
Colonel Krenzer's division is now moving into the intended combat area, while the senator of the royal Yugoslav government gives a whipping speech in front of the Chetnik units, in which, to the cheers of the soldiers, he emphasizes that the communist partisans Titos and their state would be destroyed. The fight begins with a massive German air raid on the partisan headquarters, followed by violent battle scenes between Colonel Krenzer's division and partisan units. Colonel Krenzer reports to Lohring that the resistance of the partisans is more violent than expected. The fight is led on the partisan side by brigade commander Ivan and artillery commander Martin. Both receive the order to retreat. In these first fights the partisan Vuko (one of the three siblings photographed) falls and dies in the arms of his brother Novak.
In a briefing of the situation of the partisans, a comprehensive retreat plan is presented, since the forces are insufficient for an open battle against the overwhelming forces of the attackers. The combat area and the partisan state of Titos on the west bank of the Neretva are to be given up and a transition across the river to the east is to be made. The numerous wounded and typhus patients are also to be rescued, which Djuka feels as a heavy burden for the mobility of the partisans, but is nevertheless supported by the other commanders. Commandant Stole reports from Tito's headquarters that the first thing to do is to attack the town of Prozor, where the Italians have taken positions. The pioneers of Commander Vlado are meanwhile supposed to blow up the access roads in order to prevent the Germans from advancing. In the next scene a German tank column gets caught in the booby trap of Vlado's people on a mountain road. Not only the fighting units, but also many civilians with women and children, including a poet with literary works in the local language, set off on the run. The refugee trail moves across the country with horse and cattle carts, accompanied by herds of cattle. Makeshift camps with fire pits against the cold winter weather are grouped along the escape routes.
The calm before the storm
In the conquered areas, German soldiers put profiles on the walls stating that Tito's capture would receive a reward of 100,000 gold marks. Scenes can now be seen in which Germans and Ustaša units hang or shoot captured partisans.
The misery of the refugees becomes clear when a man asks that his two children, who have been on the road for two weeks, are allowed to ride on one of the partisan's wounded transport trucks. This is possible because a wounded man recently died and his seat became vacant. The fleeing units are in turn exposed to heavy air attacks. Artillery commander Martin's radio is destroyed in the attack, so the other commanders first arrange a surprise attack by their infantry on Prozor without waiting for artillery support. In the midst of the attack, it becomes clear that brigade commander Ivan and partisan Danica have more than just friendship. However, both of them hardly have time for a tender hug before they have to say goodbye again.
The Italians in Prozor are ready to fight . The partisans' first attack on Prozor fails because, without artillery support, it gets stuck in the fierce hail of bullets from the Italian resistance. General Morelli can congratulate his soldiers on successfully defending Prozor in preventing the partisans from crossing the Neretva. He announced that the remnants of the partisan units would soon be completely destroyed with the help of the Germans.
Nocturnal surprise in Prozor
Tito issued a written order to the partisan commanders that Prozor must be attacked again that night and must be captured. After fierce street fighting, Prozor falls into the hands of the partisans and the Italians withdraw. In the hustle and bustle of the victory celebration, Danica learns from Bosko, who is mentally confused by a head injury, that her brother Vuko had already died in the first fights. The Italian Capitano Rossi defected to the partisans and was accepted into the artillery unit by Martin.
Decision in Jablanica
When the partisans attack Jablanica , Commander Martin succeeds in hitting the main Italian ammunition dump. Eventually the city of Jablanica falls into the hands of the partisans and General Morelli is captured. The partisans refuse to fusilize Morelli as instructed and instead want to use him like any other ordinary prisoner to carry loads. In order to escape the destined fate, General Morelli commits suicide with the help of a hidden pistol.
This is followed by a briefing between General Lohring and the Yugoslav senator. The general is pushing for the partisans to be exterminated quickly after the senator has suggested that the partisans should be slowly starved to death. After further air and artillery attacks by the Germans on the partisan trek, the majority of the refugees arrive at the point where the only remaining bridge over the Neretva leads.
The strategy of destruction
On orders from Tito's headquarters, Vlado blows up the bridge in front of many eyes, which causes him great incomprehension. In view of the aerial reconnaissance pictures that are presented to him, General Lohring now asks himself why the partisans destroyed their only remaining means of escape via the Neretva. He comes to the conclusion that Tito's people are now advancing north beyond Jablanica, where Colonel Krenzer's division is ready. Therefore, the focus on the previous goals is abandoned.
Ivan and his brigade help the rearguard of the partisans, who are now drawn into a new battle with Colonel Krenzer's troops. During this fight, Capitano Rossi falls. The wounded partisans sing a patriotic song in the midst of the noise of the battle, which helps raise morale. During the battle there are now gruesome melee scenes in which the Ustashi are involved. General Lohring demands another attack from Krenzer so that the partisans are absolutely prevented from advancing into northern Bosnia, but Krenzer decides to remain in the defensive position. In the meantime, General Lohring has recognized that the partisans are about to cross the Neretva after all, as Vlado's pioneers have built a temporary crossing at the site of the blown bridge. The Chetniks are now being ordered to the Neretva and the air force is launching violent attacks on the fugitive partisans who are about to cross the bridge. Many refugees die in the hail of bombs.
The encirclement of the Chetniks
The partisan commander Stole plans to encircle and destroy the Chetniks. As long as not all partisan units are in position, the Chetniks are to be kept in check by a vanguard at the old cemetery. The Senator of the Royal Yugoslav government recognizes that the Chetniks are in danger of being wiped out in the upcoming fight and wants to prevent them from intervening at the last moment. The commander of the Chetniks, however, opposes this request and shoots the senator. The fight is now unstoppable. The two siblings Danica and Novak, like almost all of their comrades, are killed in the slow fight against the Chetniks at the old cemetery, but this sacrifice helps the partisans to completely encircle the Chetniks and finally to force their surrender.
The partisans throw the remaining heavy equipment on the west bank of the Neretva into the river and move east. Commander Martin is sad that he has to leave his guns behind, but Vlado consoles him with the words that new ones are waiting for him in the east. On the march to the east, many of the sick died of exhaustion, including the nurse Nada, who had typhus, and her friend, comrade Nikola, who was also sick.
criticism
Cinema.de wrote: “The battle picture is based on the myth of the Yugoslav resistance, but convinces with its authentic narrative. The context of the well-cast, Oscar-nominated film suffered from severe cuts for the foreign market. ”The Evangelical Film Observer drew the following conclusion:“ A film that was made with unusual effort and often with terrifyingly cruel realisms. The danger that even hard war films unintentionally radiate heroic fascination seems to us to hardly exist here if the release limit is observed. From 16 possible, but not below. "
Awards
The film was nominated for an Oscar in 1970 for best foreign language film .
Web links
- Battle of Neretva in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ cinema.de: The Battle of the Neretva (film)
- ↑ Evangelical Press Association Munich, Review No. 2/1970