Well done on creating a short film project, making a short film is difficult and expensive process. If the aim of the project is to just complete a short film and tell a story, then I suggest moving forward as planned and continuing as you are. You will learn valuable insights and skills for your next project. However, if you are attempting to ‘depict the true nature of warfare and firefight engagements’ in Italy in late 1943, then you may have some challenges ahead of you.

I have some ‘areas for improvement’ regarding the film so far, as it relates to WW2. Films about the war really benefit from authenticity and the more people learn about the war, the more they come to expect from media about the war. WW2 films come under criticism if they are not accurate enough for their audience.

I understand the film is a fragment of a larger project, and some of the issues I raise may be addressed elsewhere in the film. These are not criticisms, but observations made in the context of your question. This is also just feedback on the first film segment.

Uniforms: The US soldiers appear to wearing 1941 era uniforms, whereas the 1943 era uniform would be more likely. The US soldiers would belong to a specific unit, involved in the battle. This may mean that they may have unit patches on their shoulders. Their uniforms may have peculiarities to that unit and have post 1943 uniform features, which vary due to the time of year. Their uniforms appear to be very clean as well, and the helmets are very shiny. M1 helmets of this era would have sand or other similar substance mixed with the paint, in order to reduce shine. The Captain wears the helmet with the chin strap hanging loose. This would catch on the field jacket epaulette. The Captain, also wears a blue shirt. Officers would purchase their own shirts, but this would be limited to ‘olive-drab’ or ‘khaki’. The Captain wears a webbing belt, designed for the M1 Garand rifle ammo and not the Thompson sub machine gun which he carries. He also shows modern-day trigger discipline. The Captain also has rank markings which are very shiny and in the wrong place. The second US soldier also appears to have the M1 Garand webbing, despite carrying an M1 carbine. The US soldiers appear to have empty packs, with no entrenching tools.

The Germans appear to wearing full dress, ceremonial uniforms. This would be like wearing a tuxedo on the battlefield. In reality, they would be wearing field uniforms. One of the Germans appear to be very high in rank, appearing to be a Obersturmbannführer, or the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel. This would be a battalion commander in other armies, and have a considerable staff and responsibility. It is unlikely that a battalion commander would be out in the field like this, with just one other rank. The wearing of a beard by this officer is also unrealistic. The other soldier appears to be a Untersturmführer or Second Lieutenant. Both Germans wear webbing suited to the Kar98 rifle, but carry an MP40 or a Mauser pistol.

Map Reading: the US Captain reads a map. Map reading is a very specific task and it is unclear if he is obtaining his positon or finding a direction. It is very likely that he would carry the map himself, in a map case, as well as carrying the compass. It is procedure to remove the helmet and put any guns aside when reading a map while using a magnetic compass, as metal interferes with finding an accurate bearing.

Fire fight: The action depicted appears to be a meeting engagement, with the US soldiers spotting the Germans first. It is unclear why the US soldiers don’t fire upon the Germans from their initial position. The Captain instead advances over open terrain, to close with the enemy, and orders the other soldier to flank right. He gives a vague hand signal, which does not signify a specific Visual Signal in accordance to the Infantry Drill Regulations. The Captain does not fire on the Germans and the soldier flanking them does not provide covering fire during the fire fight, instead he fires and displaces, and is himself shot. He appears to be shot in the leg, but is still able to run. The Captain is presumably shot off camera, without engaging the enemy. In reality a separated two-man patrol would not engage an enemy unit unless they had too, they would conduct recon as best they could and then leave the area and attempt to return to their unit. If they had to attack the ideal scenario would be a base of fire to engage the enemy and a flanking move to reduce them once they were engaged. This is very risky, as the likelihood of the Germans being a part of a larger unit is highly probable.

Paperwork: The German soldier is apparently reviewing some kind of Identity card. From what I can read the document reads as an ownership document to a German Army Wound Badge, and not an actual ID. It is unclear if the prisoners are German or Italian. If they were German, they would have a Passport and a German Identity card and maybe a Driver’s License and a Certificate of Conduct. It is unclear if the prisoners are Italian. The other document appears hand written on one leaf, but printed on the other. The frequent use of staples is not anachronistic, but ID cards and Passports usually had rivets instead of staples.

Also, it may be worth reading ‘FROM THE VOLTURNO TO THE WINTER LINE 6 October - 15 November 1943’, which is freely available online.

I hope you have found the feedback useful, and not a criticism of your project as a whole.

Sources: GI: The US Infantryman in WW2 by Robert S Rush. The US Army 1941-45 by Phillip Katcher. World War Two Infantry Tactics: Squad and Platoon. By Dr Stephen Bull Uniforms of the SS by Hugh Page Taylor. The German Army 1939-1945 (1) by Nigel Thomas. The German Army Elite Units 1939-1945 By Gordon Williamson. The German National Registration System As Means of Police Control of Population by Robert M. W. Kempner FM 22-5 Infantry Drill Regulations, 1939 FM 7-5 Infantry Field Manual, Organization and Tactics of Infantry - The Rifle Battalion FM 7-40 Infantry Field Manual, Rifle Regiment, 1942 FM 21-75 Scouting, Patrolling and Sniping 1944