The Lost Battalion

The Lost Battalion is a war movie buff’s ideal Sunday night. It’s based on actual events, includes mostly battle scenes, and keeps the emotional fluff to a minimum. Rick Schroeder leads the ragtag bunch of New Yorkers trapped behind enemy lines in WWI, holding their position with half of their men dead and most of their supplies gone. The Jewish, Irish, Italian, and Polish men would be at odds on the streets of NYC, but come together to fight and die—a point that’s pushed home a little too strenuously. There are also the obligatory evil (yet oddly effeminate) Germans, who spout the obvious for the sake of the most moronic TV viewers: “These Americans are unpredictable! They don’t withdraw when they’re supposed to!” Most of the movie, however, is good old-fashioned stabbing, shooting, and killing. And isn’t that what war movies are all about?