The Battle of Sutjeska - 1973

Some English spoken during the film.

This film has PERMANENT ENGLISH SUBTITLES ON THE SCREEN and the main language spoken during the film is Yugoslav with some small scenes in English.

The Battle of Sutjeska ( USA title ) (pronounced soot-yes-car) AKA - Sutjeska , The Fifth Offensive , Die Fünfte Offensive . Quinta ofensiva , La.

One of the most exepensive films in the history of former Yugoslavia, was made in 1973 for the 30th anniversary of Battle of Sutjeska - the toughest battle Yugoslav Partizans had to fight in WWII.

Richard Burton plays Partisan leader Josip Broz Tito, who leads the Yugoslav Partisans on a trek to safety, culminating in a huge battle at the Sutjeska River.

Convinced that the Allies will land right on the Balkans, Hitler orders his two generals Von Lohr and Luters a new offensive against the partisan forces. Because of the critical conditions of the fronts and to prepare the forces for future battles, in the Balkan and in Europe, it is necessary at any cost to deal a lethal blow to the Yugoslav partisans and once and for all eliminate the dangerous Balkan battlefield.

The Axis gathered 127,000 soldiers and over 300 airplanes against 18,000 soldiers of Yugoslav National Liberation Army(partisans) with only one goal, to destroy partisan HQ and kill or capture the partisan leader Tito.

The film features a number of big battle scenes with a good number of extras, a few Russian tanks, plenty of explosions and some vintage aircraft. It's all set to a great, rousing musical score, made up of actual Partisan chants (one of which was used for HELL RIVER a year later)
There are also some rather graphic attack-dog maulings thrown in for good measure. The scenery, as with all Yugoslav war films, is breathtaking.