Battle of Neretva (Serbo-Croatian: Bitka na Neretvi, Битка на Неретви) is a 1969 Yugoslavian epic partisan film. Written by Stevan Bulajić and Veljko Bulajić, and directed by Veljko Bulajić, it is based on the true events of World War II. The Battle of the Neretva was due to a strategic plan for a combined Axis powers attack in 1943 against the Yugoslav Partisans. The plan was also known as the Fourth Enemy Offensive and occurred in the area of the Neretva river in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Battle of Neretva is the most expensive motion picture made in the SFR Yugoslavia. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the year after Sergei Bondarchuk (playing the role of Martin in Neretva) won the honour for War and Peace. The score for the English-speaking versions was composed by Bernard Herrmann. Its soundtrack was released by Entr acte Recording Society in 1974. It was re-released on Southern Cross Records on CD.

One of the original posters for the English version of the movie was made by Pablo Picasso, which, according to Bulajić, the famous painter agreed to do without monetary payment, only requesting a case of the best Yugoslav wines.

Synopsis

In 1943, Adolf Hitler orders the final destruction of the Yugoslav Partisans. This forces them and thousands of refugees to begin a trek northward through the Bosnian Mountains. Their goal is to reach the bridge at Neretva in order to escape. Their trip is fraught with danger every step of the way and they have to face German tanks, Italian infantry, Chetnik Cavalry, strafing airplanes, disease and natural elements.

Cast

• Sergei Bondarchuk as Martin
• Yul Brynner as Vlado (Vladimir Smirnov)
• Curt Jürgens as Gen. Lohring
• Bata Živojinović as Stole
• Sylva Koscina as Danica
• Boris Dvornik as Stipe
• Hardy Krüger as Col. Kranzer
• Franco Nero as Capt. Michele Riva
• Lojze Rozman as Ivan
• Ljubiša Samardžić as Novak
• Orson Welles as Chetnik senator
• Milena Dravić as Nada
• Špela Rozin as Vlado s aide
• Pavle Vuisić as Jordan
• Fabijan Šovagović as Mad Boško
• Anthony Dawson as Gen. Morelli
• Dušan Bulajić as Chetnik Commander
• Renato Rossini as Sgt. Mario
• Oleg Vidov as Nikola
• Kole Angelovski as Žika
• Stole Aranđelović as Šumadinac
• Demeter Bitenc as Capt. Schröder
• Ralph Persson as Lt. Horst
• Radko Polič as Vuko
• Miha Baloh as Ustasha Commander
• Faruk Begolli as Stevo
• Zaim Muzaferija as tall peasant in the Partisans column
• Hajrudin Hadžikarić as Vladimir Nazor

Production

Battle of Neretva was the first of a series of huge state-sponsored World War II film productions. It had a staggering budget approved by Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito. Different sources put it anywhere between $4.5 million and $12 million. Global stars such as Sergei Bondarchuk, Yul Brynner, Franco Nero, Orson Welles, etc. flocked to communist Yugoslavia attracted by the huge sums of money being offered.

Shot over 16 months with funds put up in largest part by over 58 self-managed companies in Yugoslavia, the movie featured a combined battalion of 10,000 Yugoslav People s Army (JNA) soldiers. Four villages and a fortress were constructed for the film and destroyed. Several JNA-inventory Soviet T-34 tanks, touched up to look like German Panzers, met the same fate. Even used several Yugoslavian planes Soko 522 like germans luftwaffe planes with Balkenkreuz on the wings.

A railway bridge over the Neretva in Jablanica was destroyed. Director Bulajić s justification for demolishing the bridge rather than getting the shots in studio was that it would become a tourist attraction. The bridge was thus blown but because none of the footage was usable due to the billowing smoke that made it impossible to see anything, it was decided that the bridge should be repaired and destroyed again. The problem with the excessive smoke occurred again and the scenes of the bridge being blown up in the film were shot using a table-size replica at a sound stage in Prague. The Yugoslav public was updated on the shooting progress via pieces in the country s print media.

Release

The film has been edited in to numerous versions. Runtimes vary by location, the regional prints also change the story due to edits that add or remove scenes:

• North America: 106 minutes
• Spanish: 113 minutes
• European: 127 minutes
• UK/Australia: 127 minutes
• Germany and Croatia: 142 minutes each, although they are not the same print.
• Serbia: 160 minutes

Most of the actors spoke their native language and subtitled in the original release. Afterwards the film was dubbed in English and distributed world-wide with subtitles for some scenes. The English dubbed versions, running between 106 and 127 minutes, were rescored by Bernard Hermann as the original film score by Vladmir Kraus Rajteric had been damaged in the redubbing process. However, the German and Croat-language releases contain the original score.

Reception

In 1999, a poll of Croatian film fans found it to be one of the best Yugoslavian films ever made.

Year	1969
ReleaseDate	1969-10-07
RuntimeMins	105
RuntimeStr	1h 45min
Plot	World war two drama about the 1943 battle around the Neretva River between Axis forces and Yugoslav partisan units.
Awards	Nominated for 1 Oscar, 1 win & 1 nomination total
Directors	Veljko Bulajic
Writers	Stevan Bulajic, Ratko Djurovic, Veljko Bulajic
Stars	Yul Brynner, Hardy Krüger, Franco Nero
Produced by	Steve Previn, Anthony B. Unger, Henry T. Weinstein
Music by	Bernard Herrmann, Vladimir Kraus-Rajteric
Cinematography by	Tomislav Pinter
Film Editing by	Vojislav Bjenjas, Roberto Perpignani
Production Design by	Dusan Jericevic, Vladimir Tadej
Set Decoration by	Dusan Jericevic, Vladimir Tadej
Costume Design by	Vladimir Tadej
Makeup Department	Saveta Kovac, Mirko Mackic, Berta Meglic, Sukrija Sarkic
Production Management	Milan Cvetkovic-Ciga, Zdravko Mihalic, Nikola Popovic
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director	Stipe Delic, Gojko Kastratovic, Dragan Kresoja, Krsto Petanjek, Ljubomir Sikic
Art Department	Pablo Picasso
Sound Department	Italo Cameracanna, Jean Nény, Mladen Prebil, Alex Pront, Eva Zora
Stunts	Slavoljub Plavsic-Zvonce, Dragomir Stanojevic
Camera and Electrical Department	Djordje Jolic, Velja Sakota
Animation Department	Pablo Picasso
Costume and Wardrobe Department	Borka Subaranovic
Editorial Department	J.P. Besnard, Jelena Bjenjas, Roger Dwyre, Michèle Neny
Music Department	Peter Pitt, Bob Auger, Bernard Herrmann
Additional Crew	Alfred Hayes
Genres	Drama, History, War
Companies	Bosna Film, Jadran Film, Kinema Sarajevo
Countries	Yugoslavia, Italy, West Germany, USA, France
Languages	Serbo-Croatian, German, Italian, English, French
ContentRating	G
ImDbRating	7
ImDbRatingVotes	3778
Keywords	epic history,partisan,battle,offensive,river