Since I compared this movie to another foriegn film, I guess I better describe it also.
"The Fallen" directed by Ari Taub. Released 2006.
Official Website with photos and trailers: http://www.thefallenmovie.com/
This movie relates to the battle of the GOTHIC LINE in Italy in the fall of 1944. The story views the battle a few participants from these four groups: Italian Army, German Army, American Army and Italian civilians, some of which are partisans. Each group is introduced during the lull in the battle and follows them as their lives converge in the final battle. The group of German soldiers is lead by a Captain. Their ally is a group of Italian Alpini soldiers who feel as though they are being mis-treated by the Germans, which results in a confrontation. At the beginning the Americans suffer from an battle and one platoon has to return for a replacement radio. They are befriended by some civilians but are soon back in the battle. An American armored unit also arrives on the scene for support, as the Germans are ordered to fall back.
You can look up reviews of this movie by googling "The Fallen" and "ari taub". One reviewer said it was obviously a low-budge film that distracts from the content. The actors are not very good. If you watch the extra behind-the-scenes part of the DVD, you will see that they really were not actors at all. One even quite the project before their part was finished. They did actually hire Germans to play Germans---probably re-enactors. No scene contained more than 30 actors.
The uniforms are accurate. The equipment---tanks, vehicles---are good. The pyrotechnics are not anything like "El Alamein". But the story line was just too slow and you really didn't get to know any one of the characters. (I'm having a difficult time recalling all of the story.)
Okay to rent. I decided not to buy it.
Steve