This is one of those rare times when I'm watching a non-Hollywood war movie. This is also the first time I'm watching a movie from Yugoslavia/Serbia/ whatever. The movie is supposedly based on real life events. I don't know how much of truth is in this movie. I have to admit that I don't have too much knowledge about this part of history.The special effects look solid. The acting is quite good . The cast includes Yul Brynner ("Magnificent seven") , Orson Welles ("Citizen Kane") and Franco Nero ("Django"). I liked that the movie shows how ordinary people are suffering during the war.The movie is long , too long (2 hours 40 minutes). The pacing is rather bad. The biggest problem however is the screenplay. The characters aren't well defined. The movie also terribly jumps from one scene to other leaving the viewer confused. For example in one scene a character is trying to destroy tanks with mines. It seems like an important mission. However we never get to see the result of his actions. The story moves to another subplot and later we see the same character on another mission. How did that earlier mission ended ? We don't get any information. The movie jumps from one character to another without really exploring any of them. I couldn't really care about anybody here. The movie is has bits of communistic propaganda in it.The movie also looks kinda ugly. The copy I saw was of rather bad quality. The sound was very loud while the colors were changing constantly. It made an already bad movie experience even worse.I felt tired after this movie and I definitely don't want to see it again in the future. Not the worst war movie I've seen , but there are far better and more enjoyable movies other there. I give it 3/10.

In January 1943 during WWII , Yugoslavian partisans are facing German and Italian troops . German Army afraid of Allied invasion of Balkans, launched great offensive against Yugoslav Partisans in Western Bosnia , as these one battle for freedom . The only way out for Partisan forces and thousands of refugees was the bridge on the river Neretva. The name Neretva, of the film's English title The Battle of the River Neretva or The Battle of the Neretva, is a name of Illyrian origin, and is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea basin and is situated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia.Big budget war movie contains thrills , emotion , historical events and impressive battles with a cast of thousands . However , lost continuity with excessive cuts . This movie's massive budget was personally approved by then Yugoslav president Tito. It was the first of the Yugoslav World War II film productions that were sponsored by the Yugoslav Government State and with funds provided by fifty-eight Yugoslave state . Very good main and support cast such as Yul Brynner as Vlado , Hardy Krüger as Col. Kranzer , Franco Nero as Capt. Michele Riva , Sylva Koscina as Danica , Orson Welles as Chetnik Senator , Curd Jürgens as Gen. Lohring ,Anthony Dawson and director Sergey Bondarchuk as Martin . At the time of its production, this was the most expensive film ever made in Eastern Europe ,outside the Soviet Unión . This movie was originally released at 175 minutes but was reduced by its US distributors to only 102 minutes when released in America. Atmospheric cinematography by Tomislav Pinter , though to need a good remastering . Evocative and military musical score by the classic Bernard Herrmann , Hitchcock's usual composer . Great production design and breathtaking outdoors . To shoot a railway bridge being blown-up, the movie's director, Veljko Bulajic wished to do it for real as it would, he believed, act as a tourist attraction after the shoot. A full-scale replica railway bridge was built in Jablanica and blown up but the smoke from the blasting prevented any visible and usable shots. The bridge was then repaired, re-built for a second time, and blown up again with the same result. Finally, to capture the bridge being blown up, a small-scale miniature model was used. The motion picture was regularly directed by Veljko Bulajic, including excessive cuts and some scenes with no sense . It was the most expensive Yugoslav movie ever made and taking sixteen months in production to shoot and complete. The picture was based on historical deeds , these are the followings : The Battle of the Neretva was a World War II battle launched by the Nazis and running between January and April 1943 in the environs of the River Neretva, Herzegovina, then Nazi German occupied Yugoslavia. The Battle was code-named Fall Weiss and was named after this neighboring Neretva River. The battle was a combined Nazi strategic plan involving Axis Allies Italy, Croatian Ustasha (Croatian Revolutionary Movement) and Chetniks (Serbian Anti-Communist Volunteer Militia) units to wipe out the Yugoslav Partisans from German Nazi occupied Yugoslavia. The battle of Neretva is also known as the Fourth Anti-Partisan Offensive; the Fourth Enemy Offensive, as well as The Battle for the Wounded.

There is something special about big films made in commanded economies. Because they had not only artistic but also educational and "raising national spirit" function, they were filmed with big budget and almost national participation (on more or less voluntary base)- forget Hollywood free market film.This film is not exception - it's one of the biggest Yugoslavian projects made with dream team - most famous and appreciated actors and actresses, respected director and episode roles of famous international stars - Yul Brynner and Orson Wells.The other side of the story with such films is theirs success. Most of them are to pathetic and politically made to be accepted anywhere beyond the borders of their own country. The Battle of Neretva is different - it became well accepted broad wide, mostly in third world but even is some high developed countries like Italy and even got nominated for Oscar.So if you got lost and somehow find yourselves on this page and wonder what kind of film this is here's the summary - expensive Yugoslavian epic story with LOT and LOT of action in less explicit but Saving Private Ryan type spiced with Partisans (good guys) vs Nazis (bad guys) story. Give it a chance - you may find it refreshing, original and interesting compared with Hollywood war films. Spielberg probably learned a lot watching it.

What more can I say? I first found this movie when I was living inNew Hampshire back in 1985. The film has Orson Welles as a Royalist Cetnik senator, and there are other characters. It's about the Partisans' attempt to cross the Neretva River before theGermans blow up the last bridge. The Partisans left no onebehind. Not even their wounded. They also had refugees withthem and they all had to get across the river before the Germans blow the bridge. They also have to contend with the Italians and a regiment of Cetnik Cavalry. Why are the Germans about to blowthe last bridge across the Neretva? Because they're afraid of an Allied invasion of the Balkans. It's January 1943 and the Germans are afraid that the Allies are going to invade the Balkans, whichthey never did, but still, they have to isolate the Partisans. Blowing the last bridge over the Neretva would do that. Do the Germansblow the bridge or do the Partisans escape before the bridge isblown? Do you think I'm an idiot? I'm not telling. You have to seethis movie for yourself.