Friday, October 10, 2008

Die zwölfte Isonzo Schlacht

Die zwölfte Isonzo Schlacht. Militärisch-amtlicher Film des Bild und Filmamts. AT 1917. PC: Sascha Film. 724 m /16 fps/ 40 min. - Print: Filmarchiv Austria, Wien. Preserved from a nitrate print from Helsinki (Kansallinen audiovisuaalinen arkisto). Original in German with Italian e-subtitles, grand piano: Günter A. Buchwald. Viewed at Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, Pordenone, Ridotto del Verdi, 9 September, 2008. - Nikolaus Wostry: "The horrors of the Isonzo battles are not shown; what we see is rather the pride of the Austrian and German conquerors at being in Italy. An outstanding document, of great interest especially for Italy." Nikolaus Wostry. - The print looks good. - I saw but the end. There are marching troops, ruins, wrecked weapons and airplanes, an abandoned Red Cross truck (Croce Rosse Britannica), huge marching crowds of evacuees, magnificent landscapes, Napoleon's house in Campoformido, wrecked bridges and railways, huge military transports, views from a machine gunner's aperture, scenes at the Piave. No military action. Beautiful cinematography.

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