Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed
| Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ryan Little |
| Produced by |
Adam Abel Ryan Little |
| Written by |
Lamonte Grey Lincoln Hoppe |
| Starring |
Corbin Allred David Nibley Jasen Wade |
| Music by | J Bateman |
| Cinematography | Ryan Little |
Production company |
Go Films |
| Distributed by | Purdie Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed is a 2012 religious-themed war film set during the invasion of Southern France in World War II. An example of LDS cinema from Excel Entertainment Group, it was directed by Ryan Little, written by Lamont Gray and Lincoln Hoppe and starring Corbin Allred, David Nibley, and Jasen Wade. The film's story has no relation to the events or characters portrayed in the 2003 war film Saints and Soldiers, although both films feature actor Corbin Allred and share a director. It was inspired by a true story.[1]
Plot
In August 1944, the Allies have invaded German-occupied Southern France. German Army Captain Erich Neumann (Lincoln Hoppe) speaks over the phone, comforting his family as he is concerned for their safety. Afterwards, he executes two French men. On the early morning of August 15, paratroopers from the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team land in Provence, France under heavy fire from the Germans. Two soldiers, Corporals Harland 'Bud' Curtis (Jasen Wade) and James Rossi (Corbin Allred) land separately and alone. Curtis is pursued by Germans after a flare exposes his location, but he manages to escape.
Hours later, Curtis tries to hide from a passing German patrol, but is spotted. Seeing himself outnumbered, he quickly surrenders. As he is restrained and searched, however, a grenade is thrown into the patrol, distracting the Germans. Rossi, who had snuck up on them, kills the entire patrol and rescues Curtis. Rossi searches the dead Germans for trophies such as a SS ring or a Luger pistol to fulfill a promise to a friend of his named Gates (in a later recollection of Rossi is revealed that Gates was killed earlier by a German booby trap when he was searching for trophies). Rossi determines using a map and a compass that the two are still miles away from their intended landing zone in Les Arcs, a French village. The two set off before finding an abandoned shelter where they are followed by Curtis's commander Sergeant Caleb Jones (David Nibley).
Jones explains that the trio must head for Les Arcs as soon as they can as the Germans may send patrols after them. The three travel through the French country, eventually stopping at a road. They encounter Neumann, who is meeting with fellow officers and troops. The three try to hide in the grass but Rossi inadvertently alerts them to his position, and is forced to open fire and kill a German. The two groups engage in a brief firefight, which ends in all of Neumann's troops being killed. Seeing this, he tries to flee and is pursued by Jones. Neumann trips and Jones catches up to him, but is reluctant to shoot him, being religious. He apparently kills Neumann anyway.
The three soldiers continue making their way to Les Arcs when they find a woman named Emilie, who is a member of the French Resistance. She explains that her fellow Resistance members are being held prisoner by Germans not too far away, and she needs help rescuing them. Rossi is against this, suspicious of her motives, but Jones agrees to help. The group is briefly attacked by a German plane after it shot down an Allied plane. They find a dead American paratrooper and bury him. The soldiers find where the French are being held, so Jones and Rossi separate to clear the building while Curtis and Emilie cover for them. Jones is attacked by Germans, but they are soon shot by Curtis and Emilie, while Rossi kills the guards on the other side. They find three prisoners; Philippe, Gustave and Jacques, but they learn one other was apparently tortured. Rossi goes to rescue the other, but discovers he is dead. He is then attacked by two Germans. Rossi shoots and kills one and engages in hand-to-hand combat with the other. Before Jones and Curtis can intervene, Rossi overcomes an intense fight and brutally beats the German to death. Jones is shocked by Rossi's brutality.
Jones, who speaks French, plans with Philippe to travel to Les Arcs, where Germans have overtaken the town. Along the way, they encounter a jeep with two American troops; Lieutenant Woodard (Curt Doussett) and Private Stewart. Their vehicle has broken down, and Curtis begins to fix it. Rossi and Emilie have a shooting contest, where Rossi bets a kiss and Emilie bets a whistle. Emilie surprisingly wins but kisses Rossi anyway, bewildering him. After Curtis fixes the jeep, Jones notices Woodard has German binoculars and wears brass on his uniform, something U.S. troops don't do in combat. He realizes the two are Germans posing as Americans and captures them. Jones tries to get info from them and after Gustave kills Stewart, Woodard admits they were assigned to kill a French informant and collaborator to prevent his capture by the Americans. Jacques takes Woodard away and returns with two more French resistance fighters.
The group arrives at Les Arcs and Jones spots a German tank and a armoured half-track vehicle full of German troops about to leave, intending to attack the rest of the paratroopers. Jones decides to ambush the Germans, and the group splits up into two. Curtis fires a rifle grenade at the half-track stopping it, but the German troops disembark and start firing. The Allied group fire results in high German casualties and Jones and Curtis both start pursuing the tank, which apparently fled earlier but now is firing at the group. All French troops except for Emilie are killed. Rossi covers for Jones and Curtis while they go after the tank. More German soldiers are killed as the skirmish ends with Jones disabling the tank using a magnetic hollow charge and grenades. However, he is seriously wounded when a German shoots him in the chest. Curtis tries to flee but is shot in the back. Rossi is also seriously wounded after being shot. As all three lay dying, they have recollections of their previous lives.
Curtis tries to recite the Airborne Creed, something that had been said multiple times throughout the film. Before he can finish, he has a hallucination of his girlfriend, but in reality is Emilie trying to tend to his wounds, but he ends up dying in her arms. Rossi regains consciousness and is approached by Neumann, who Jones spared earlier. Rossi gets up to fight but collapses due to his wounds. Neumann who is wounded does not kill him, honoring Jones' example. He takes Rossi to an abandoned farm, where he bandages his wounds and makes him a meal. Neumann tries to befriend Rossi and shows to him photos from his dead brother and his little son, but Rossi cannot understand how a German could exhibit the same compassion for an American soldier as was shown to him when his life was spared.
The following morning an American detachment discovers Rossi and Neumann who has died from his wound. Rossi claims and receives from an officer Neumann's Luger pistol as a trophy. In a military field hospital Rossi is informed that sergeant Jones is alive but wounded and Curtis is dead. Emilie visits Rossi, gives him the Curtis's photo camera, whispers in his ear her real name and gives Rossi a goodbye kiss. The dead Neumann remains in the abandoned farm the photos of his son and his brother in his hand and his Luger pistol near his hand.
Cast
- Corbin Allred as Corporal James Rossi
- David Nibley as Sergeant Caleb Jones
- Jasen Wade as Corporal Harland "Bud" Curtis
- Lincoln Hoppe as Captain Erich Neumann
- Nichelle Aiden as Charlotte
- Virginie Fourtina Anderson as Emilie
- Loïc Anthian as Phillipe
- Lance Otto as Jacques
- Erich Cannon as Gustave
- Curt Doussett as Lt. Woodward
- Calvin Harrison as Pvt. Stewart
Reception
The film received mixed reviews. The Evening Standard 's review described the film as "watchable but hardly memorable",[2] while The Guardian's critic Peter Bradshaw wrote the film was "well-acted" and "competently put together" but also "plenty of cliches" and "a kind of diet or lite version of Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan."[3]
See also
Further reading
- Kershaw, Alex (May 11, 2004). The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-day Sacrifice. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81355-6.
- Lefebvre, Laurent (September 2008). 29th Division ... a division of heroes. American d-Day. ISBN 2-9519963-9-X.
- Lefebvre, Laurent (June 1, 2004). They Were on Omaha Beach. American d-Day. ISBN 2-9519963-5-7.
References
- ↑ http://www.legion.org/yourwords/books/213216/letters-home-paratroopers-story
- ↑ "Also showing: Saints and Soldiers 2: Airborne Creed, The Campaign and Husbands". The Evening Standard. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ↑ Peter Bradshaw (27 September 2012). "Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2016.