jjsemple People keep comparing this film with "A Fairwell To Arms" (1932). If that is true, then it can also be seen as a stepping stone to "The Americanization of Emily" (1964) — highlighting how changing American attitudes toward war have become gradually more cynical.Seems like the "Emily" team — writers and director — might have been influenced by Sgt. Joe 'Pete' Peterson (Holden character), transposing Garner's Charlie Madison to be an updated version of same. 1932 > 1951 > 1964.All three successfully integrate Romance and War, ably supporting the theme that Love is the stronger force. So why do we keep on making war?

SimonJack There are times when the most accurate, realistic portrayal of something in a non-comedy movie may be boring to some people. Maybe even most. Hollywood has known that for ages. Things that otherwise may be humdrum or so-so need to be spiced up. Often times, that's to the point of scenarios hardly resembling reality at all. "If that's what the public likes, give it to them," often seems the attitude in Hollywood. At other times, Hollywood and certain producers, directors or writers, strive for realism, against the pressures for greatest box office appeal. I think "Force of Arms" is one such film. Oh, it has a fair share of reviewers who would have liked more blood and guts action, or hot romance with a local Italian, or something else. But I agree with those who appreciated this film for its realism and for its strong portrayals by the leads. There aren't many top stars here, but that seems to be how the plot was intended. This is a story about one GI, and how he advances through the ranks leading his men from the early involvement of the U.S. in WW II Africa and into Italy. Then it becomes a story of two people --- the GI and an American female officer (WAC), and a deep love that blossoms between them. Then it is a story about their love surviving through the 5th Army's push to liberate Rome. I agree with others who saw William Holden's portrayal as superb. He goes from Sergeant to Lieutenant Joe "Pete" Peterson. It is one of the best performances of his career. Nancy Olson is very good as Lt. Eleanor MacKay, and Frank Lovejoy is very good as Major Blackford. Whether or not the story was an imitation of Ernest Hemingway's "Farewell to Arms" about WWI, "Force of Arms" is a very good account of the Italian campaign in WW II. It follows the U.S. 5th Army in Italy. Peterson's 36th Infantry Division was actually there and did the things the film covers. At one point toward the end of the movie, the 36th is moving up to again try to cross the Rapido River. During that action in 1944, the 36th Division lost a large number of its men in two of its three regiments.The battle scenes and action are gritty and very realistic in "Force of Arms." The romance that blossoms is not far-fetched because during the Italian campaign, forward units were replaced for R and R. And, because they were near cities, the GIs behind the lines were able to see women in bars, cafes and shops. Some, mostly officers, no doubt fraternized with Army nurses and other WAC officers. That is the case in this film, with Pete and Eleanor.Another realistic aspect of this film was Pete getting a battlefield commission. That happened quite a lot in the European theater, but few movies show it. My father received a battlefield commission while serving in the 5th Army in Europe. He later returned to the States and went through OCS (Officer Candidate School). It's interesting that the Major himself was a product of OCS. So, he would have been one of the early active Army GIs well before the U.S. entered the war. And, he would have been promoted as officers above him were taken out of action. About the only questionable scene in this movie was the major leading a tank assault. Blackford was an infantry officer, and was CO of a battalion or regiment. There's no way that an infantry officer was going to command or lead an armored assault. That was stretching credibility too far. The only other unreal aspect was in the script when Pete talked to Blackford on the radio. The Army never used the expression, "Over and out." It's contradictory. A person who expects a reply says, "Over!" One who is ending the conversation says, "Out!."This is a very good and gritty picture of the Americans fighting in the Italian Campaign during WW II. It's also a nice wartime romance and love story.

zardoz-13 Battle-torn Italy in World War II provides the rugged life and death setting for "Casablanca" director Michael Curtiz's "Force of Arms," a compelling action romance yarn with William Holden and Nancy Olsen lovers. This above-average 1951 World War II movie about the U.S. Army tangling with the entrenched Wehrmacht during the explosive Italian campaign might alienate hardened armchair warriors who prefer their olive-drab heroes in action against the enemy instead of kicking back to cuddle with a babe lieutenant. Indeed, you'll get your fill of combat scenes. Artillery punches holes in the terrain and our guys scramble for cover. Farmhouse concern machine gun nests and our guys scramble for cover. The romance takes the back seat in the preliminary part, but the lovey-dovey stuff dominates the middle part, and two share in the finale. The good news is that the ever-reliable Curtiz knows how to stage close-quarters combat scenes and lenser Ted McCord is as much an expert at shooting these battlefield episodes. McCord's black & white photography captures the gritty realism that stands out of "Mr. Soft Touch" scenarist Orin Janning's screenplay that features some first-rate dialogue. Frank Lovejoy co-stars as Major Blackford, a tough-as-nails major while Gene Evans is equally tough as an NCO, Sergeant Smiley 'Mac' McFee, who isn't getting mail from his wife back home. Let's not forget Dick Wesson as Kleiner. The supporting cast isn't too shabby.This is a traditional World War II combat actioneer where officers are treated like royalty and our NCO hero wins a promotion from sergeant to lieutenant because his company commander got bitten by a Kraut bullet. The German enemy is portrayed from afar. In other words, you don't see any Nazis tearing about the landscape. Basically, you see the enemy in long shots, but never up close and personal. There are no portraits of Adolf Hitler and you never see any high ranking Nazi field marshals. William Holden delivers another fine anti-heroic performance as an NCO Sergeant Joe 'Pete' Peterson who receives a battlefield commission and meets a WAC. Nancy Olsen is appropriately doe-eyed as the sweet WAC, Lieutenant Eleanor MacKay. Indeed, Olsen looks cute in her brown uniform with all those buttons. The romance probably is as misty-eyed as the soap opera crowd prefers, but the film doesn't waste any of its 99 minutes. Of course, it is obvious when genuine battlefield footage is integrated into the conventional material.The first-act shows Pete being baptized in combat and covered with valor. He and his unit are behind the 8-ball, but they survive a savage attack to save the day. During the action, Pete's company commander dies and he takes over. Pete's unit is pulled off the line and he recuperates only to discover that he has been promoted to lieutenant. The night before in a graveyard, he stumbled into a WAC lieutenant. Later, when they meet again, the attraction begins obvious. In the middle, the attraction is the attraction and they fall in love and wed. During the next part, Pete turns gunshy because he is thinking about staying alive and he gets Major Blackford killed during an artillery attack on a tank column. Frank Lovejoy makes the most of this role. Our hero winds up in a hospital and awakens 15 days later. Initially,he doesn't want to see her. Afterward, they get tight, get married on a three day leave and Pete gets to see Eleanor out of uniform. Pete maanges to swing a desk job behind the lines, but the Major's death haunts him so he decides to go back onto the frontlines. He is cut out from his unit during a tank attack (the tanks are all off-screen)and is taken prisoner. Predictably, everybody but Eleanor presumes that he is dead. The girl has got pluck and she goes in search of him. She finally catches up with him in Rome.Altogther, the bullets outnumber the kisses.

dinky-4 Some have called this an updated version of "A Farewell to Arms," but if the time has been moved forward from World War I Italy to World War II Italy, the quality has also been moved down from "memorable" to "routine." There's really nothing much wrong with this production but there's little to distinguish it, either, and one sometimes gets the uncomfortable feeling that the death and destruction of the greatest war in human history is simply being used as the background for yet another boy-meets-girl story.William Holden has a shower scene which shows he was still, at this point in his career, in his "hairy-chested" mode. Just a few years later, beginning with "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing," he entered his "shaved chest" period.Dick Wesson supplies some "comic relief" which is just as grating as his work in "Destination Moon."