Saints and Soldiers

Saints and Soldiers (2003)

4 corrected entries

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Corrected entry: In the massacre scene, an officer has an MG-34 machine gun on the Tiger Tank. This is incorrect, for the MG-34 was put out of action in 1942. This movie takes place in December, 1944. It should be an MG-42 machine gun instead.

reed

Correction: The MG42 was a development of the MG34, specifically to make it easier and cheaper to produce and easier to maintain and more reliable in the field. The MG34 wasn't withdrawn when the MG42 was introduced as it still outclassed all Allied light and medium machine guns and Germany couldn't afford, in the middle of the war, to scrap a proven weapon simply becaue they had an improved version. In fact the MG34 was used as armament on newly built AFVs untill the end of the war.

Corrected entry: While discussing completing the mission, after capturing the half-track, Medic Steven Gould sarcastically says "With a full arsenal of two pistols and a bolt action." At this time he would have known that they had at least two rifles. Then we see them marching through the woods with four rifles.

Correction: They hadn't checked the German vehicle yet. They check it in the next scene and find the additional weapons.

AdmRose

Corrected entry: In the final shootout, the GIs are using at least one semi-automatic American M1 Garand rifle. It is never explained where they got this from, as all they had before were captured German bolt-action Mausers. They are escaped POWs and have been stripped of their own weapons. They have encountered no American corpses or vehicles except an ambulance, which they specifically state has been stripped of everything of use. At one point Gould actually says all they have is a "bolt-action".

Necrothesp

Correction: The escaped POW's ambush a German vehicle at the French woman's home. They found a cache of weapons in the back, including the Garand. It's not unreasonable to think that the Germans had taken a Garand off a dead/wounded/captured American or simply found one somewhere.

AdmRose

Corrected entry: When Flight Sergeant Oberon Winley leaves the others to attempt to complete his mission alone we see him marching through the woods with the snow floating straight down and we hear the wind howling.

Correction: As odd as it may see, this frequently occurs in the woods. Pockets of absolute stillness when the trees are high and with depressions on ground, can be formed even with a storm howling a few hundred meters away. In such cases the snowflakes fall nicely. It surprises me all the time.

Continuity mistake: When they first get into the jeep with the German flag attached to the hood it does not have chains on the front right tire, later it does.

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Question: We all assume, as I did when watching the movie, that the opening scene really was intended to be the Malmedy massacre. Could it have been that they were just hinting towards that, and that the opening scene (with the array of mixed Wehrmacht and SS, 101st Airborne and other which is historically not matching Malmedy) was simply another incident? Did the director ever intend to create a grossly false Malmedy scene? There were quite a lot more atrocities in that area and time, with executions of prisoners by both sides.

Answer: The massacre was intended to be Malmedy. Artistic license was taken with the participants but what happened is a possible version of events that caused the massacre.

AdmRose

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