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1963 - COMBAT!: – The Wounded Don't Cry
Writer: James Landis
Dir.: James Komack
Lt. Hanley: Rick Jason
Sgt. Saunders: Vic Morrow
Sgt. Hugo Bauer: Karl Boehm
Pvt. Neumann: Leonard
Nimoy
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During World War II an American battalion takes a German outpost. Easily they enter and take
the buildings.
Pvt. Neumann
is asked to translate. First the Americans want
to know who's in
charge. "Wer ist der Kommandant?" Neumann asks and the highest in rank turns
out to be a doctor. "Sind hier bewaffnete Soldaten?" Neumann translates next.
He finds out that there are no armed soldiers around because it is a battalion aid
station and all the armed soldiers have left.
Searching the soldiers for weapons as the sergeant has ordered they come across two
SS men.
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A knife is found which
says: "Getreu bis in den Tod". "Faithful until death" Neumann translates.
Searching them again the sergeant finds a gun. Ashamed the soldier who
has searched them lowers his head. Both of them do not find the explosives
the SS men hide behind their dishes on the ground, the only search their bodies.
Finding several papers Neumann tells the sergeant that more than 500
people have been wounded on the German side in this area. It seems kind
of strange to the sergeant that Neumann refers to them as "human beings" for
they are the enemy. In vain Neumann tries to point out that there is a
difference between the SS and the "Wehrmacht", the ordinary soldiers.
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Another soldier is brought in: Sergeant Bauer. Thinking that he wanted to
escape the soldier brings him in front of his sergeant. )
Bauer speaks English
and tries to convince the sergeant that he was trying to bring plasma to the
wounded near by, but the sergeant does not believe him.
When the doctor sees that Bauer is caught he approaches him and confronts
him why he did not leave to get the plasma. Learning that he was caught he
pleads that they let him go to save three men in the aid station. Neumann
states to his sergeant that the doctor is pleading on humanitarian grounds.
"Don't give me that, Neumann” the sergeant rebukes him and stays firm not
allowing the sergeant to leave for plasma. Neumann runs after him. Again
he cannot convince the sergeant to let the doctor do his job: To save lives.
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Listening to the sergeant he learns that the man he replaced has died because
he'd been trusting.
Meaning well another soldier talks to Neumann and tries to believe in what
the sergeant has said. )
"Sorry, I can't show hate for guys who are dying or see a plot in any act of mercy,"
Neumann replies.
While watching the Americans intensively the SS men plan to attack.
But they are seen by a soldier who's wounds Neumann is attending to.
The weak man raises his arm and makes Neumann aware of the SS man behind him.
When Neumann draws his gun, the SS man is ready to throw the explosive.
Dashing towards him Neumann fights the man and shields the explosive trying
to save the other men in the aid station. Both men are heavily wounded by the
explosion but keep on fighting.
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Now the other soldiers shoot the SS men and
the doctor rushes towards Neumann. The German sergeant translates that he has
a very bad abdominal wound.
Three men can donate blood for Neumann and do so. This soon proves not to
be enough. Knowing he has risked his life to save them the sergeant changes
his mind: He's ready to let Bauer go – and goes along with him.
In a truck they get to a bridge. )
Bauer stops and warns the sergeant of
mines. No mines are found but behind the bridge the truck get stuck in the mud.
Overcoming this and other obstacles they get closer to each other. At least,
having arrived at the place where the medical truck had been hit, they manage
to find the plasma.
From one truck to the other Bauer moves the boxes – and finds a gun.
In this moment they witness a movement of tanks in the background which
looks like a whole regiment. Now the sergeant hurries to get back. )
Bauer wonders
whether he's up to hand on the information to destroy the German regiment.
"They are going to destroy an American regiment, aren't they?" the sergeant asks.
Bauer points the gun at him and forces him to move away. He does not want the
information to be known. "How do you know they are not discovered yet?"
the sergeant asks. "They would be fought right now," Bauer states. Suddenly
they hear the sounds of war from the direction the regiment was heading.
When a German car approaches both fight together, risking their lives for each other.
Neumann and the others are saved by the plasma they bring in.
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