Monte Cassino Film Coming

Does anyone here know any details about this film Monte Cassino which is scheduled for release next year?

Monte Cassino (2014) - IMDb

Such as the country of origin, actors, budget, which soldiers it's focussing on (British, New Zealanders, Americans, Polish, etc?). I hope it will be good.

Have any other feature films ever focused on that Battle of Cassino?

 

This appears to be the most informative article about it:
New film pays tribute to forgotten heroes of Monte Cassino - News - Films - The Independent

 

Its based on Americans.

Disgraceful.

Its my only view of the film so far.

 

Look foprward to seeing it

TTH thanks for info post

 

Based on a true story, it will focus on an American soldier involved in the assaults, who is wounded and cared for by an Italian nurse whom he eventually married. She died recently.


Any thoughts on the consultant?

the film’s historical consultant is the military historian Peter Caddick-Adams, who worked closely with the late TV historian Richard Holmes. Now his new book, Monte Cassino, has inspired Irvin.

 

Any thoughts on the consultant?

Check your list, man!

 

I don't have that book ! I'm sure you are holding back on me Andrew. BRB - Off to Abe

Edit: Just got a signed copy for a tennor....Result

Slightly off topic I don't suppose you know if anyone wrote a book on 144 and 145 Bde's?

 

I had a miserable time at Cassino and I have yet to meet anyone else who was there saying anything good about the place.

A brief respite in hospital for a bad case of impetigo was the only light relief and could very well have saved my life.

I look forward to seeing what Holywood makes of the place.

Ron

BBC - WW2 People's War - Monte Cassino, March to May 1944
BBC - WW2 People's War - Return to Cassino

 

If it's an American film paid for with American money why shouldnt it be about Americans ?
They were at Cassino first.

edit: btw moved thread to the proper section to discuss films. Books, Films, TV, Radio

I've seen no mention anywhere its American funded...
Regardless it will no doubt misrepresent the events and warp it.

Also I'ma miserable git on not representing the others there, I went to the Polish cemetery there when I was far younger and it had a profound effect on me.

 

Owen
While it is true that the Americans were first at Cassino - if you were to look carefully you will find that Cassino 1 was indeed by ONE Division - 34th who were close to the back of the Monastery and were failing - while the three French/ African divisions were haring away to cut highway six at Atila (?) and the excellent US Gen Clark decided to reinforce failure by hauling the three French/ African divisions back to assist the 34h US division-
THAT was the last we saw of them as the KIWI san 4th Indain war given the job for Cassino 2 & 3 and were joined by 78th Div for Cassino 3 -
The Americans then showed up at Diadem by tearing over the undefended Arunci Mountains then calling us slow .....dealing with BOTH the Gustav and Hitler lines so lets not twist it all out of shape - this film will probably do that

Cheers

 

Regardless it will no doubt misrepresent the events and warp it.

Why are you assuming that? The director made a picture called Hamburger Hill which I thought was quite good, certainly better than other Vietnam War films I have seen.

 

Re the battle credits for Cassino:

British X Corps and US II Corps began the first battle. The British 56th Div got across the Garigliano, but Clark inexplicably failed to follow up their success and 46th Div failed to cross the river. The US 36th Division made a disastrous assault across the Rapido. When this failed, the focus of the attack was shifted further north. The 34th Division got very close to the Monastery before it had to be relieved, with US 36th Division being fed into the battle by stages. On the right flank, the French Expeditionary Corps drove towards Monte Cairo in a bid to outflank the Monastery. Like the US II Corps, the French came very close to breaking through and might have done so if they had been better supported.

The NZ Corps (4th Indian Div, 2nd NZ Div, British 78th Div) took over next, making two direct attacks on the town and the Monastery. The 78th Division continued to hold the line afterwards until relieved by II Polish Corps, which took up the fight in DIADEM. The Poles had the final honor of taking Cassino, but as I have tried to make clear the troops of five other Allied armies played major roles in the Cassino battles. It was a truly Allied campaign, and everyone pulled their weight. The casualty figures testify to that.

Re DIADEM:

The US IV Corps (85th and 88th Divs) attacked not in the Aurunci proper, but out of the old British X Corps bridgehead near the mouth of the Garigliano. This attack was not unopposed; on the contrary, German resistance was very tough and IV Corps suffered heavy casualties before it broke through. The French attacked through the Auruncis on the right of IV Corps. Their attack has been justly hailed as one of the most brilliant operations of the Italian campaign, but they too had a tough, costly struggle to break the outer crust of German resistance. DIADEM, too, was an Allied victory.

 

Why are you assuming that? The director made a picture called Hamburger Hill which I thought was quite good, certainly better than other Vietnam War films I have seen.

I watched it as a drinking game a few years back...

Terribly sceptical when it comes to war films nowerdays.

 

Re the battle credits for Cassino:

...The 78th Division continued to hold the line afterwards until relieved by II Polish Corps, which took up the fight in DIADEM...

Hopefully, this bit of "history" isn't used as the basis for any part of the plotting of this (no doubt, well intentioned) film...I know the extremely brave Poles took over from my Dad and his mates on the top of Mt Castellone in late April 1944.

But..the men who fought extremely hard from 11th May onwards with the 4th, 78th British Infantry Divs, 6th Armoured Division, 8th Indian Infantry Div, the North Irish Horse and, of course, our many friends from Canada and who completely broke through the most heavily defended Gustav/Hitler Lines in the Liri seem to have been omitted here...

Therein lies the dangers of partial histories..

best

 

Hopefully, this bit of "history" isn't used as the basis for any part of the plotting of this (no doubt, well intentioned) film...I

I know XIII Corps took over much of the front with the divisions you mention, and of course I Canadian Corps attacked with XIII Corps in DIADEM. I was making a rather arbitrary distinction between DIADEM and the (mostly earlier) fighting around Cassino itself. But I do not think it fair for people to prejudge this film based on what little we know so far.

Speaking more generally, most dramatic war films cannot hope to be the equivalent of documentaries, with appropriate screen time and fair commentary for everyone involved in a given battle. This film, like most such, appears to focus on a small group of individuals. One can only hope that the background around this group is sketched in appropriately, but many veterans testify that during great battles they often had little idea what was happening beyond their own unit.

 

TTH - you can have your version of History - and I shall hang on to mine as I would guess that I was a bit closer than you at the time - at least you have the bridgehead right on the Garri which held both the US and French troops for many months

Cheers

 

Oh for fucks sake it's only a bloody film.

You forgot to mention 'Thats not even finished yet'

Maybe the film makers will look in and put a little bit of everyones post into it to keep everyone happy :p