Movie: UOMINI CONTRO (1970)

[1886lebel]

I found some neat YouTube clips to the Movie: UOMINI CONTRO (1970), which was on the Italian/Austrian front during World War I, after a disastrous Italian attack upon the Austrian positions leads to a mutiny among the decimated Italian troops.

Bombardment Scene: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLK8liIyZQ0

The Assualt: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5FPHZmmN9I
(I love the Troops in armor ... Tony should do this impression , can you imagine him running across the battlefield in this)

Looks like a good movie, I might have to find myself a copy of the movie, where else you going to see that many Carcano's in a movie
Patrick

[cplcampisi]

That movie is considered something of a classic. I've seen it, and would have to say it's a pretty good movie. There are some errors, and the Italian helmets all appear to have a postwar paint job. There is a scene involving an Austrian cavalry charge. I would guess that the events in the movie take place in 1916-1917 and represent the pre-Caporetto attitudes. Probably my favorite scene has to do with an Austrian sniper and an Italian observation post.

The armor used in the movie is strange, and I'm guessing it was based on some medieval looking bullet-proof armor that was experimented with. The real armor (farina armor), while heavy was much more practical. It was used by engineers in the "companies of death" whose job was indeed to cut the Austrian's wire before an assault (although I think they usually headed out in the pre-dawn darkness). Those units were disbanded by the end of 1916, due to high casualties and the increased availability of heavy artillery and mortars that could blast holes in the wire. However, they are considered part of the development of the Arditi. Farina armor was used by the Belgians on the Western Front! I don't really have any details on their use of it. I think they fielded some as an experiment.

Examples of the armor can be seen on this webpage.
www.landships.freeservers.com/italian_uniforms.htm

[oskar2ndchev]

Interesting snippets on You Tube although the Austrian cavalry charge was a work of fiction. Also, I'm suprised that they didn't send the armored men out in the dark or at least have them not be so obvious- it was like watching Frankenstein walk. Strange.