Battle of the Commandos (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Dec 20, 2024
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Umberto LenziRelease Date(s)
1969 (November 26, 2024)Studio(s)
Tritone Cinematografica/Eguiluz Films/Hape-Film Company GmbH (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: B
- Extras Grade: B
Review
Action films made in Europe with American stars to capitalize on big-budget Hollywood pictures were popular during the 1960s at drive-ins and as second features on theater double bills. Battle of the Commandos, an Italian-Spanish-German co-production, stars Jack Palance (Shane) in a low-budget tale of vengeance with plenty of shootings and explosions that give it the look of a much costlier film.
Scottish Col. Charley MacPherson (Palance) is the sole survivor of a secret World War II mission that wiped out his entire team of commandos. On returning to his home base, he almost immediately gets a new assignment—to defuse mines near the beach at Normandy to clear a path for Allied transports during the imminent invasion. He is not, however, assigned a team. Rather, he must assemble his own. Spotting a group of surly convicts, he selects them, an unlikely development in a film filled with head-scratchers. The only member of the team that makes sense is American explosives expert Major Kevin Burke (Thomas Hunter, The Hills Run Red).
When the team is trapped behind enemy lines, MacPherson decides to head further into German territory and sabotage a train transporting a huge cannon. The plan looks impossible with a slew of German troops guarding the train and rail lines, and MacPherson’s men don’t exactly welcome a task that could be a suicide mission.
Palance, with his gritted teeth, explosive outbursts, and questionable Scottish accent, is the glue that holds this picture together. With his strut, stiff bearing, and height, Palance’s MacPherson commands the screen. His physicality in large part tells us who he is. But in his attempt to convey that MacPherson is driven to get even with Nazi Col. Ackerman (Wolfgang Preiss, Raid on Rommel), whose soldiers slaughtered his earlier commando team, Palance works too hard and comes off half crazed. Flashbacks show us MacPherson’s earlier dealings with Ackerman. Tough, focused, and courageous, MacPherson is little more than a cliche. It’s sort of fun to watch Palance’s acting choices. Apparently, subtlety never crossed his mind.
The film is clearly modeled on The Dirty Dozen, directed by Robert Aldrich two years earlier. The big difference is that The Dirty Dozen featured a cast of recognizable actors, while Battle of the Commandos was cast—except for Jack Palance—with unknowns. Because director Umberto Lenzi’s priority was action, he paid little attention to characterizing the individual team members. They sort of blend together. Deeper characterization would required more screen time and a slower pace, which Lenzi obviously didn’t want.
The screenplay, by Dario Argento (Suspiria), Rolf Preminger and Eduardo M. Brochero, is more about connecting action sequences together as quickly as possible than developing character. The dialogue is mundane, with little in the way of introspection. These guys speak only when it facilitates achieving their goal.
With all its limitations, Battle of the Commandos is a fast-paced film with production values that make it look like a much more expensive picture than it is. Lenzi must be acknowledged for securing vintage World War II tanks and trucks, as well as a submarine and a destroyer. Usually in a low-budget movie, miniatures stand in for actual ships. The giant cannon and its flatbed carrier are also impressive. Lenzi shot the first scene in London when he found a block, slated for the wrecking ball, containing wartime ruins that were correct to the era. Though the action is staged with little originality, Lenzi occasionally shows the men reloading their weapons, adding a bit of authenticity.
Battle of the Commandos was shot by director of photography Alejandro Ulloa on Eastman 35 mm 2-perf Cromascope (Techniscope) film with anamorphic lenses, processed photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The Blu-ray utilizes a 2023 HD Master by Paramount Pictures from a 4K scan. Clarity and contrast are excellent and far outshine the poor-quality prints of the film shown on TV in the 1970s. Rather than simply bathing scenes in flat light, Ulloa takes time to light carefully, with interesting shadows. Complexions are rendered well and details, such as weapons, the giant cannon, Nazi uniform insignia, and period vehicles are well delineated. Underwater photography as the men defuse mines is somewhat cloudy. Night scenes near the beach blend into total blackness at the sides of the frame and reveal no details at a distance. Explosions in the water and one on land look OK but should have been bigger.
The soundtrack is English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. English SDH subtitles are an available option. The dialogue is clear but has a dubbed, sort of echo sound. With the international cast, maybe the actors were dubbed to provide clearer English. The mouth movements match the dialogue, so the actors were definitely speaking English. Sound effects take center stage with machine gun fire, tank volleys, antiaircraft guns, and explosions. Light ocean waves can be heard when the commandos are close to Normandy beach.
Bonus materials on the Region A Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics include the following:
- Audio Commentary by Troy Howarth, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson
- Attack! Trailer (2:31)
- Ten Seconds to Hell Trailer (2:15)
- Kill a Dragon Trailer (1:44)
- Chato’s Land Trailer (2:10)
- The Hills Run Red Trailer (1:34)
- Navajo Joe Trailer (1:52)
- Nightmare Beach Trailer (2:42)
Audio Commentary – Film historians Troy Howarth, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson share this commentary. Battle of the Commandos was the 23rd film directed by Umberto Lenzi. They note that when Lenzi and crew were filming in London, they “stole a whole bunch of stuff,” meaning they got certain shots without getting the required permits. The opening sets the tone for the film. Jack Palance’s Scottish accent is discussed. Is it more Irish or more Scottish? The film is a “macaroni war movie”—one of the war pictures shot in Europe, often Italy. These are sometimes comical, but not disposable. The commentators observe that “if you’re watching this film for authenticity, you’re watching the wrong picture.” These pictures looked awful on TV, they recall, and seemed crude. Battle of the Commandos began shooting in January, 1969 and was in Italian theaters by August, 1969—a very quick turnaround. Lenzi also directed crime and horror films. The film often seems “zoom crazy” because of the tendency to overuse zoom shots. The character of MacPherson thumbs his nose at authority left and right. The World War II adventure movie became a popular genre in the 1960s. These were small stories, not very deep in character. Lenzi had the ability to avoid making his films look cheap. Many European films were shot in Spain because of available resources and access to locations and extras. There are a number of inaccuracies in Battle of the Commandos in terms of weapons, but this isn’t a major distraction. The film is not a “second class citizen” in terms of quality. “Lenzi is in control of how he wants to make the picture.” Wolfgang Preiss brings a kind of dignity as an old-school German officer. He appeared in Fritz Lang’s last film and was featured in The Boys from Brazil, A Bridge Too Far, and Is Paris Burning? Jack Palance started acting in Italian films in the early 1960s. He could appear in both highbrow and low-budget films. In 1969, Palance made five films in Europe. Some of his American films include Oklahoma Crude, Monte Walsh, Ten Seconds to Hell, The Professionals, and City Slickers. He was also an effective Dracula in a TV production and resembled Vlad Tepes, the warlord on whom the character is based.
For all his efforts, director Umberto Lenzi never raises Battle of the Commandos above routine. The action is plentiful but looks all too familiar. Every now and then, an interesting camera angle will catch the eye but, for the most part Lenzi sacrifices creative shots in favor of quantities of action. Perhaps less action and more suspense would have made for a more interesting—and tension-filled—picture. Jack Palance adds his own brand of overacting to give the film an unintended source of fun.
- Dennis Seuling