When Trumpets Fade
Encyclopedia
When Trumpets Fade is a 1998 war film
directed by John Irvin
, produced by John Kemeny and written by W.W. Vought. It is based on a true story of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest
in Autumn
of 1944 during World War II
. A few days later, the Battle of the Bulge
began, leaving the battle of Hürtgen Forest largely forgotten.
), during the World War II
Battle of Hürtgen Forest
, a battle between the United States Army
and German Wehrmacht
which took place from September 14, 1944 to February 10, 1945 on the Western Front
.
(mentally unfit due to combat stress), but is refused.
Manning now finds himself in charge of a squad of replacements, a prospect he is less than thrilled with. He meets with his new men, and during the evening, leads them into position on the line. The next morning, on patrol with his squad, Manning puts Private Warren Sanderson on point. Sanderson goes forward too quickly, getting lost and then narrowly avoids contact with the enemy. After some time, Manning decides that they must leave without Sanderson. At that moment, Sanderson returns. After the incident, Manning is scorned by his peers and berated by his platoon leader, First Lieutenant Terrence Lukas.
His company makes a push toward the town of Schmidt, to take and hold a bridge. However, they move into an enemy minefield and are shelled by 88s. They retreat and Pritchett comes to Manning with a mission that he requires volunteers for. Manning wishes him luck, so Pritchett offers Manning a Section 8 if he volunteers for the mission. During the mission, one of his men his men, Private Sam Baxter, decides to run away, prompting the rest of the men to do the same. He shoots Baxter, hitting the flamethrower he is carrying on his back, which causes it to explode and burns the soldier to death. Although the rest of his men are horrified by this, they stop running and assault the position where the two 88s are located, led by a crazed Sanderson, armed with another flamethrower.
Meanwhile, his company secures the bridge, suffering horrendous casualties, and after the 88s are put out of action, get shelled by German tanks. In the assault, Lukas is overcome with stress, and then, Sergeant Patrick Talbot, gives him a handful of dog tag
s from the dead soldiers in their platoon. When the battalion's commander, Lieutenant Colonel George Rickman, asks about the status of his platoon, Lukas snaps and assaults him. Manning confronts Rickman as Lukas is carried away, picking up the mass of dog tags Lukas dropped, and pressing them against Rickman's chest. Through Manning's insubordination, Rickman recognizes him and orders him to his command post. Manning is subsequently promoted to second lieutenant and given a platoon.
After an altercation with Talbot and Manning's friend, Corporal Toby Chamberlain, who is the platoon's medic, in which they confront him for shooting his own man, Manning tells them of a plan to destroy the German tanks the night before the assault. Chamberlain states they have no proof that Manning will not just shoot them, as he did Baxter, then Private Sanderson — who survived the raid on the 88mm cannons — defends Manning's conduct by acknowledging the fact that everybody would have run instead of fighting. Manning also silences them by telling them that their company is making another push in the morning, which will be more dangerous. If they don't attack the tanks, he knows that the entire battalion is in jeopardy.
He leads the three men (Sergeant Talbot, Corporal Chamberlain and Private Sanderson) in a pre-dawn raid on the German tanks. Manning clears the minefield and cuts the wire, enabling the group to continue on. The operation costs the lives of all but Manning and Sanderson — while Manning gets wounded. The film concludes with a wounded Manning being carried back to the American lines by the now battle-hardened Sanderson; a mirror image of his carrying back a wounded comrade at the opening of the film; Manning appears to die. The film closes with a little note that the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest was overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge quite soon after.
won his first ever award for the film which was the Silver FIPA Award for Best Director.
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed by John Irvin
John Irvin
John Irvin is an English film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC adaptation of John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy...
, produced by John Kemeny and written by W.W. Vought. It is based on a true story of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest
Battle of Hurtgen Forest
The Battle of Hürtgen Forest is the name given to the series of fierce battles fought between U.S. and German forces during World War II in the Hürtgen Forest, which became the longest battle on German ground during World War II, and the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought...
in Autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
of 1944 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A few days later, the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
began, leaving the battle of Hürtgen Forest largely forgotten.
Overview
This film portrays the actions of an American soldier, David Manning (Ron EldardRon Eldard
Ronald Jason "Ron" Eldard is an American actor.-Early life:Eldard, the second youngest of seven children , was born on Long Island, New York. Eldard's mother died in a car accident when he was a child, and Eldard and his siblings were sent to live with various family members...
), during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Battle of Hürtgen Forest
Hurtgen Forest
The Hürtgen forest is located along the border between Belgium and Germany in the southwest corner of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Scarcely in area, the forest lies within a triangle outlined by Aachen, Monschau, and Düren...
, a battle between the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
which took place from September 14, 1944 to February 10, 1945 on the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
.
Plot
Private Manning is a soldier who, in order to survive, does just enough to stay out of trouble, but not enough to actually make a difference. Through the sheer bloodiness of the Hurtgen battles, Manning is left as the sole survivor of his platoon and is subsequently promoted to sergeant. He tries to get out of it, saying he is unqualified for the position, but his company commander, Captain Roy Pritchett, thinks otherwise. Manning then tries to back out of responsibility by asking to be filed on a Section 8Section 8
Section 8 or Section Eight may refer to:*Section 8 , a United States military form of discharge due to mental illness and/or problems*Section 8 , a U.S...
(mentally unfit due to combat stress), but is refused.
Manning now finds himself in charge of a squad of replacements, a prospect he is less than thrilled with. He meets with his new men, and during the evening, leads them into position on the line. The next morning, on patrol with his squad, Manning puts Private Warren Sanderson on point. Sanderson goes forward too quickly, getting lost and then narrowly avoids contact with the enemy. After some time, Manning decides that they must leave without Sanderson. At that moment, Sanderson returns. After the incident, Manning is scorned by his peers and berated by his platoon leader, First Lieutenant Terrence Lukas.
His company makes a push toward the town of Schmidt, to take and hold a bridge. However, they move into an enemy minefield and are shelled by 88s. They retreat and Pritchett comes to Manning with a mission that he requires volunteers for. Manning wishes him luck, so Pritchett offers Manning a Section 8 if he volunteers for the mission. During the mission, one of his men his men, Private Sam Baxter, decides to run away, prompting the rest of the men to do the same. He shoots Baxter, hitting the flamethrower he is carrying on his back, which causes it to explode and burns the soldier to death. Although the rest of his men are horrified by this, they stop running and assault the position where the two 88s are located, led by a crazed Sanderson, armed with another flamethrower.
Meanwhile, his company secures the bridge, suffering horrendous casualties, and after the 88s are put out of action, get shelled by German tanks. In the assault, Lukas is overcome with stress, and then, Sergeant Patrick Talbot, gives him a handful of dog tag
Dog tag (identifier)
A dog tag is the informal name for the identification tags worn by military personnel, named such as it bears resemblance to actual dog tags. The tag is primarily used for the identification of dead and wounded and essential basic medical information for the treatment of the latter, such as blood...
s from the dead soldiers in their platoon. When the battalion's commander, Lieutenant Colonel George Rickman, asks about the status of his platoon, Lukas snaps and assaults him. Manning confronts Rickman as Lukas is carried away, picking up the mass of dog tags Lukas dropped, and pressing them against Rickman's chest. Through Manning's insubordination, Rickman recognizes him and orders him to his command post. Manning is subsequently promoted to second lieutenant and given a platoon.
After an altercation with Talbot and Manning's friend, Corporal Toby Chamberlain, who is the platoon's medic, in which they confront him for shooting his own man, Manning tells them of a plan to destroy the German tanks the night before the assault. Chamberlain states they have no proof that Manning will not just shoot them, as he did Baxter, then Private Sanderson — who survived the raid on the 88mm cannons — defends Manning's conduct by acknowledging the fact that everybody would have run instead of fighting. Manning also silences them by telling them that their company is making another push in the morning, which will be more dangerous. If they don't attack the tanks, he knows that the entire battalion is in jeopardy.
He leads the three men (Sergeant Talbot, Corporal Chamberlain and Private Sanderson) in a pre-dawn raid on the German tanks. Manning clears the minefield and cuts the wire, enabling the group to continue on. The operation costs the lives of all but Manning and Sanderson — while Manning gets wounded. The film concludes with a wounded Manning being carried back to the American lines by the now battle-hardened Sanderson; a mirror image of his carrying back a wounded comrade at the opening of the film; Manning appears to die. The film closes with a little note that the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest was overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge quite soon after.
Cast
- Ron EldardRon EldardRonald Jason "Ron" Eldard is an American actor.-Early life:Eldard, the second youngest of seven children , was born on Long Island, New York. Eldard's mother died in a car accident when he was a child, and Eldard and his siblings were sent to live with various family members...
- Pvt./Sgt./2ndLt. David Manning - Zak OrthZak OrthZak Orth is an American comedic actor known for his roles in Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter, Melinda and Melinda, In and Out, and Music and Lyrics...
- Pvt. Warren "Sandy" Sanderson - Frank WhaleyFrank WhaleyFrank Joseph Whaley is an American film and television actor known for his roles in independent films.-Personal life:Whaley was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of Josephine and Robert W. Whaley, Sr. He is half-Irish and half-Sicilian and grew up in Syracuse. He has two sisters and an older...
- Cpl. Toby Chamberlain - Dylan BrunoDylan BrunoDylan Bruno is an American actor and former model. He portrayed FBI agent Colby Granger in the CBS series Numb3rs.-Personal life:...
- Sgt. Patrick Talbot - Devon GummersallDevon GummersallDevon Ryan Gummersall is an American actor, writer, and television and film director, perhaps best known for acting on the cult classic television show My So-Called Life.-Life and career:...
- Pvt. Andrew Lonnie - Dan FuttermanDan FuttermanDaniel Futterman is an American actor and screenwriter. Although he is known for several high-profile acting roles, including Val Goldman in the film The Birdcage, and Vincent Gray on the CBS television series Judging Amy, he is also a screenwriter...
- Pvt. Doug Despin - Steven Petrarca - Pvt. Sam Baxter
- Dwight YoakamDwight YoakamDwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
- Lt. Col. George Rickman - Martin DonovanMartin DonovanMartin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
- Capt. Roy Pritchett - Timothy OlyphantTimothy OlyphantTimothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
- 1stLt. Terrence Lukas - Jeffrey DonovanJeffrey DonovanJeffrey Donovan is an American television, film and stage actor. He plays the lead Michael Westen on the American cable television series, Burn Notice. Notable starring roles in film include: Hitch, Believe in Me, Changeling, and Come Early Morning. He portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in Clint...
- Pvt. Robert "Bobby" Miller - Bobby CannavaleBobby CannavaleRobert M. "Bobby" Cannavale is an American actor known for his leading role as Bobby Caffey in the first two seasons of the television series Third Watch. He also had a recurring role as Officer Vince D'Angelo on the comedy series Will & Grace.-Early life:Cannavale grew up in Union City, New...
- Capt. Thomas Zernek - Frank-Michael Kobe - Oberfeldwebel (German Sergeant)
Awards
In 1999, the director John IrvinJohn Irvin
John Irvin is an English film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC adaptation of John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy...
won his first ever award for the film which was the Silver FIPA Award for Best Director.
External links
- When Trumpets Fade New York Times