Winter War (2017)

★ 4.3 2h 20m IMDb

Action Drama War

January 1945. The first French regiment of paratroopers to fight with an American unit to liberate Alsace in France. An Allied Division must take the forest bordering the town of Jebsheim, several days before the attack that would later be called the 'French Stalingrad.' Prisoners of the cold, snow, and harsh winter conditions, and pounded by German forces, the French and American soldiers learn the violence and hell of war In this struggle for freedom and survival, they will face and unexpected enemy.

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Cast

Manuel Gonçalves as François Henaq

Laurent Guiot as Carlo

Laurent Cerulli as Mayer

Benoit Davin as Baillard

Brian Messina as Rodolph Age 34

Tommy Lee Baïk as Melbarte Age 31 Tommy-Lee Baïk is an actor and director, known for Poètes (2019), The Fantastic Soldier of Space and Time (2018) and Mordred (2013)..

Director David Aboucaya

Cast Manuel Gonçalves, Laurent Guiot, Laurent Cerulli, Benoit Davin, Brian Messina, Tommy Lee Baïk, Natale Naccari, David Aboucaya, Laurent Aboucava, Adrien Caus

Wuchak 5/10 Nov 25, 2019

***The Franco-American Allies who fought Germans in the forests of Alsace, France, during the winter of ’45***

Seven months after D-Day, French and American soldiers team-up in the woods outside Jebsheim to liberate northeast France from the German invasion (Jebsheim is located 5-6 miles west of the German border).

"The Frozen Front" (2017), originally titled “Winter War,” is a French Indie that pays tribute to the Franco-American allies who secured the forests bordering Jebsheim in preparation for The Battle of Jebsheim that was fought from January 24 to February 2, 1945. The low-budget filmmaking is akin to “Straight into Darkness” (2004), but more straightforward and less surrealistic, although this one isn’t as good. It’s akin to a more dramatic “When Trumpets Fade” (1998) dubbed in English (from the original French), but made on a much lower budget and less compelling story-wise.

Armchair critics lambaste the movie mainly because of the English dubbing that doesn’t match the lips with some lines not dubbed at all wherein you’ll see lips move, but no sound. If you can ignore this issue, “The Frozen Front” is effective in showing what it was like for the tough soldiers who took the forests outside the village in January, 1945. The acting is surprisingly convincing despite what critics claim and the English speaking fits the characters despite the dubbing not matching the lips.

The challenges and horrors of war in a winter wilderness setting are chronicled: The cold, the sparse sustenance, living in foxholes, sudden violence, horrific wounds, buddies dying, ramshackle medical care, despair, perseverance, chaplains, brother vs. brother and hope for victory.

The writer/director confidently takes his time in telling his commemorative tale, which I can’t help respect. This is a movie solely about men fighting in the wintery woods during WW2, which might be too one-dimensional for many viewers, not to mention overlong by about an hour. Then there’s the problematic dubbing.

The film runs 2 hours, 22 minutes, and was presumably shot in France (it was definitely shot in mainland Europe, but I can’t find specific data).

GRADE: C