"Saints and Soldiers" tells story of Mormon hero in WWII

It may smack of sour grapes to say that modern World War II classics like "Saving Private Ryan" and the HBO series "Band of Brothers" have devalued worthy but lesser screen stories of their intended impact.

But that is precisely the case with "Saints and Soldiers," a small, well-intentioned story about a band of GIs trapped behind enemy lines in the snowy outback of Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. It is intended as a propaganda piece for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the messages are very subtle, and the movie does have a place in the new WWII genre.

The story unfolds after the massacre of American soldiers at Malmédy, a little-known part of the siege that lasted in the bitter cold and snow from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 28, 1945.

Movie review

Showtimes and trailer

"Saints and Soldiers," with Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Peter Holden, Kirby Heybourne, Lawrence Bagby. Directed by Ryan Little, from a screenplay by Geoffrey Panos and Matt Whitaker. 103 minutes. Rated PG-13 for war violence and related images. Several theaters.

A handful of the soldiers survive by lucky escape or by playing dead, and the rest of the movie tells of their harsh endurance through shellshock, Nazi close encounters and lapses of faith. Also critical is their rescue of a wayward British paratrooper who carries crucial enemy intelligence.

All this unfolds in the snowy mountains of Utah, which often makes a poor substitute for the Belgian landscape. This is just one element of obvious budgetary limitations, although a lot of attention is clearly given to authenticity in other details of the art direction.

The cinematography is good, but there's an overall lack of artistry and style. The unknown actors are fine, but there are some rather serious casting blunders.

There also are a lot of war-movie clichés. The Germans are far too one-dimensional in their villainous immorality. This feels wrong for a movie that otherwise advocates a specialized brand of tolerance. There is one "good" German character who turns out to be a missionary colleague of the story's Mormon hero from before the world was at war.

Several action sequences are powerfully violent and occur in shocking bursts without warning, just like they would in a real war. The pyrotechnics and practical special effects in these scenes are admirable for such a modest production.

As for the Mormon "message," the preaching is understated. There are a few moments of charismatic philosophizing, and the movie stalls during these talky segments. But for the most part, "Saints and Soldiers," which is playing at several theaters and won numerous awards at small festivals, is a worthy effort that's entirely appropriate for mainstream audiences.

Ted Fry: tedfry@earthlink.net

Stars are granted by reviewers on a scale of zero to four.