Battle of Neretva (film)

The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of World War II in Yugoslavia, depicting the dynamics between German forces, Italian units, Chetniks (supporters of the Royal Yugoslav government), and Partisans (supporters of the People's Republic of Yugoslavia led by Tito).

The story begins with a German tank column advancing into Yugoslavia, while Partisan supporters march through the streets. Three siblings, Danica, Novak, and Vuko, are caught in the midst of the conflict. General Lohring briefs his commanders on battle plans, emphasizing the importance of attacking from the north.

The Partisans face fierce resistance, leading to retreat plans. They aim to cross the Neretva river to the east while rescuing the wounded and sick. Meanwhile, German and Italian forces intensify their attacks, leading to civilian casualties and refugee crises.

The narrative highlights the moral conflict within the Italian army, as Capitano Rossi questions their role as aggressors. Eventually, he defects to the Partisans. Battles ensue in Prozor and Jablanica, with successes and losses on both sides.

General Lohring seeks to annihilate the Partisans quickly, but they continue to evade capture. The destruction of the Neretva bridge bewilders the Germans, and they realise the Partisans are advancing north. Colonel Krenzer's division faces intense combat, while the Partisans prepare to encircle the Chetniks.

In a decisive battle at the old cemetery, many Partisans, including Danica and Novak, sacrifice their lives to encircle and force the surrender of the Chetniks. The Partisans retreat eastward, leaving heavy equipment behind. The journey is arduous, with many succumbing to exhaustion and illness along the way.

{{castlist|

• Sergei Bondarchuk as Martin
• Yul Brynner as Vlado (Vladimir Smirnov)
• Curt Jürgens as Gen. Lohring
• Bata Živojinović as Stole
• Sylva Koscina as Danica
• Boris Dvornik as Stipe
• Hardy Krüger as Col. Kranzer
• Franco Nero as Capt. Michele Riva
• Lojze Rozman as Ivan
• Ljubiša Samardžić as Novak
• Orson Welles as Chetnik senator
• Milena Dravić as Nada
• Špela Rozin as Vlado's aide
• Pavle Vuisić as Jordan
• Fabijan Šovagović as Mad Boško
• Anthony Dawson as Gen. Morelli
• Dušan Bulajić as Chetnik Commander
• Renato Rossini as Sgt. Mario
• Oleg Vidov as Nikola
• Kole Angelovski as Žika
• Stole Aranđelović as Šumadinac
• Demeter Bitenc as Capt. Schröder
• Ralph Persson as Lt. Horst
• Radko Polič as Vuko
• Miha Baloh as Ustasha Commander
• Faruk Begolli as Stevo
• Zaim Muzaferija as tall peasant in the Partisans column
• Hajrudin Hadžikarić as Vladimir Nazor

}}

Image:Neretva most.jpg river, built and twice-destroyed during the shooting of the film.]]

Battle of Neretva was the first of a series of huge state-sponsored World War II film productions. It had a staggering budget approved by Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito. Different sources put it anywhere between $4.5 million and $12 million. Global stars such as Sergei Bondarchuk, Yul Brynner, Franco Nero, Orson Welles, etc. flocked to communist Yugoslavia attracted by the huge sums of money being offered.

Shot over 16 months with funds put up in largest part by over 58 self-managed companies in Yugoslavia, the movie featured a combined battalion of 10,000 Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) soldiers. Four villages and a fortress were constructed for the film and destroyed. Several JNA-inventory Soviet T-34 tanks, touched up to look like German Panzers, met the same fate. Even used several Yugoslavian planes Soko 522 like germans luftwaffe planes with Balkenkreuz on the wings.

A railway bridge over the Neretva in Jablanica was destroyed.Location of the Neretva Bridge {{nowrap|{{coord|43.654|N|17.762|E|scale:5000|name=Location of the Neretva Bridge}}}} Director Bulajić's justification for demolishing the bridge rather than getting the shots in studio was that it would become a tourist attraction. The bridge was thus blown but because none of the footage was usable due to the billowing smoke that made it impossible to see anything, it was decided that the bridge should be repaired and destroyed again. The problem with the excessive smoke occurred again and the scenes of the bridge being blown up in the film were shot using a table-size replica at a sound stage in Prague. The Yugoslav public was updated on the shooting progress via pieces in the country's print media.[http://yugopapir.blogspot.ca/2013/04/kako-je-snimana-bitka-na-neretvi-1-deo.html Glumci na služenju vojske!];Plavi vjesnik, July 1968[http://yugopapir.blogspot.ca/2013/04/kako-je-snimana-bitka-na-neretvi-2-deo.html Najveći honorari Bati i Ljubiši!];Plavi vjesnik, July 1968

The film has been edited in to numerous versions. Runtimes vary by location, the regional prints also change the story due to edits that add or remove scenes:

• North America: 106 minutes
• Spanish: 113 minutes
• European: 127 minutes
• UK/Australia: 127 minutes
• Germany and Croatia: 142 minutes each, although they are not the same print.
• Serbia: 160 minutes

Most of the actors spoke their native language and subtitled in the original release. Afterwards the film was dubbed in English and distributed world-wide with subtitles for some scenes. The English dubbed versions, running between 106 and 127 minutes, were rescored by Bernard Hermann as the original film score by Vladmir Kraus Rajteric had been damaged in the redubbing process. However, the German and Croat-language releases contain the original score.{{cite book|ISBN= 9780810883987|year= 2013|publisher= Scarecrow Press|first=Laurence E.|last= MacDonald |title=The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History|page=255}}

File:Stevan Kragujevic, Sergei Bondarchuk and Orson Welles, Sarajevo, 29. november 1969. Movie premier Battle of Neretva.JPG and Orson Welles at the premiere in Sarajevo on 29 November 1969.]]

In 1999, a poll of Croatian film fans found it to be one of the best Yugoslavian films ever made.{{cite news | url = http://arhiv.slobodnadalmacija.hr/19991128/kultura.htm | language = hr | newspaper = Slobodna Dalmacija | title = "Tko pjeva, zlo ne misli" najbolji hrvatski film svih vremena! | date = 1999-11-28 | access-date = 2013-02-08}}

• Force 10 from Navarone, a fictional account of part of the battle
• List of Yugoslav films
• List of most expensive non-English language films
• List of submissions to the 42nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Yugoslav submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Bitka na Neretvi (1969 film)}}

• {{IMDb title|id=0064091|title=Bitka na Neretvi}}
• {{TCMDb title|id=68204}}
• {{AFI film|54699}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090316205413/http://www.corner.hr/film/razgovori.asp?id=2455 Razgovor s Veljkom Bulajićem] {{in lang|hr}}

{{Veljko Bulajić}}

{{Yugoslav submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Neretva, The}}

Category:1969 films

Category:1969 war films

Category:West German films

Category:Serbo-Croatian-language films

Category:1960s English-language films

Category:English-language Yugoslav films

Category:English-language German films

Category:English-language Italian films

Category:World War II films based on actual events

Category:Films set in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Category:Partisan films

Category:Films directed by Veljko Bulajić

Category:Films scored by Bernard Herrmann

Category:Films with screenplays by Ugo Pirro

Category:War epic films

Category:Films about bridges

Category:Films about fascists

Category:American World War II films

Category:German World War II films

Category:Italian World War II films

Category:1960s American films

Category:1960s Italian films

Category:1960s German films

Category:Jadran Film films

Category:Films about Yugoslav Resistance

Category:English-language war films