The Battle of Neretva [Bitka na Neretvi] *** (1969, Yul Brynner, Hardy Krüger, Franco Nero, Curd Jürgens, Sylva Koscina, Orson Welles, Sergei Bondarchuk) – Classic Movie Review 9499

Director Veljko Bulajic’s 1969 historical war drama The Battle of Neretva [Bitka na Neretvi] features a star-studded international cast of Yul Brynner, Curd Jürgens [Curt Jurgens], Sylva Koscina, Orson Welles, Hardy Kruger, Franco Nero and Sergei Bondarchuk, and is famed as the most expensive Yugoslavian movie ever made and the most celebrated work the Yugoslav film industry has produced. Despite its nomination for Yugoslavia, it is a Yugoslavia, Italy, West Germany and US co-production.

This 1970 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film is an intense, intelligent and powerfully directed $12 million war action epic with top globe-trotting actors gathered together in Yugoslavia for a compelling slice of World War Two history.

General Tito leads the brave Slavs against the Nazis and successfully engineers the safety of his men by blowing up a vital bridge and fooling the Germans into going home.

The film was hacked from 175 minutes to 104 minutes and dubbed for international markets in 1971. Bernard Herrmann scores this English language version. The Bernard Herrmann score had an archival re-recording in 2012.

Also in the cast are Anthony Dawson, Milena Dravic, Boris Dvornik, Oleg Vidov, Ljubisa Samardzic, Velimir ‘Bata’ Zivojinovic, Pavle Vuisic and Howard Ross [Renato Rossini].

The Battle of Neretva [Bitka na Neretvi] is directed by Veljko Bulajic, runs 175 minutes, is made by Bosna Film, Jadran Film, Kinema Sarajevo, Radna Zajednica Filma, Igor Film, Eichberg-Film and Commonwealth United Entertainment, is released by American International Pictures (AIP) (1971) (US) (104 minutes dubbed, as The Battle of Neretva), is written by Ugo Pirro, Veljko Bulajic, Stevan Bulajic, Ratko Djurovic, from a story by Stevan Bulajic and Ratko Djurovic, is shot in Technicolor by Tomislav Pinter, is produced by Anthony B Unger (executive producer), Henry T Weinstein (executive producer), Veljko Bulajic and Steve Previn, and is scored by Vladimir Kraus-Rajteric or Bernard Herrmann (English version), with Production Design by Dusan Jericevic and Vladimir Tadej.

Sylva Koscina was born on 22 August 1933 in Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia.

Milena Dravic was born on 5 October 5, 1940 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9499

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