Movie Review: ****Saints and Soldiers (2003)

This movie is very intense.  It is almost as intense as "Saving Private Ryan."  It starts with a group of American POWs, who are being guarded by a group of Germans.  Things get out of hand, and the Germans open fire on the Americans, in the confusion, a small group of Americans gets away.  They manage to get one gun.  However they are well behind enemy lines. Deacon is a sharp shooter, but he is suffering from lack of sleep and war trauma.  He tossed a grenade into a home, which turned out to be full of women and children.  This is now haunting him.  He sometimes has visions of the women or the children.  He is also LDS, a former missionary to Germany.  They rescue a British pilot, who says he has important information.  He needs to be taken to where he can report and give this information.  They are behind enemy lines, but start making their way to where he can report.  However they get snowed in.   They come upon a French home, and are able to take a meal but are snowbound. The English pilot decides he cannot wait for the storm, and leaves the party.  However a couple German soldier also chance by.  They surprise them.  One is killed, but our soldier who never misses, misses and the other gets away.  The Englishman brings him back.  He had gotten cold and decided to turn around, and was able to capture him.  Turns out he is known to our German missionary, who taught his family.  They talk, sharing old times, but the soldier lets him escape during the night, but not before they get some information about where to go to avoid the German soldiers.  The Medic confronts him for being too close to the enemy.  The talk about the Book of Mormon and religious beliefs.   This works for a while, but eventually they are in an area with many Germans, and they are in the midst of a fire fight.  Again they come upon the German friend who helps them.  They are able to command a jeep, with German uniforms, and go through a roadblock.  The Germans are now onto them and the front, but so are the Americans, who quickly realize their mistake.  Deacon holds them off, while the medic makes it back to the American lines with the pilot.  After the medic seeks out Deacon's body, and removes the Book of Mormon from him.