***The Franco-American Allies who fought Germans in the forests of Alsace, France, during the winter of ’45*** Seven months after D-Day, French and American soldiers join forces in the woods near Jebsheim to free northeastern France from German occupation (Jebsheim is situated approximately 5 to 6 miles west of the German border). "The Frozen Front" (2017), initially called “Winter War,” is a French independent film honoring the Franco-American allies who secured the forests bordering Jebsheim in preparation for The Battle of Jebsheim, which took place from January 24 to February 2, 1945. Its low budget filmmaking style resembles "Straight into Darkness" (2004), but it’s more direct and less surrealistic, though not quite as good. It's similar to a more dramatic version of “When Trumpets Fade” (1998) with English dialogue—though originally in French—but made on a much smaller budget and with a less engaging narrative. Critics often fault the movie due to issues with the English dubbing, where some lines are not synchronized with the actors’ lip movements; you'll see their mouths moving but hear no sound. If you can overlook this problem, "The Frozen Front" effectively portrays what it was like for those soldiers who took control of the forests outside the village in January 1945. The performances are surprisingly believable despite criticisms and the English dialogue suits the characters, even with the dubbing issues. The hardships and terrors of war in a winter wilderness are depicted: the extreme cold, limited food supplies, living in trenches, sudden acts of violence, severe injuries, the loss of comrades, rudimentary medical treatment, hopelessness, determination, chaplains, conflict between brothers, and the expectation of victory. The writer/director deliberately paces his commemorative story, which I appreciate. This film is essentially about men fighting in snowy woods during World War II, a concept that might feel too narrow for some viewers, not to mention it’s roughly an hour too long. The dubbing remains a significant problem as well. The movie has a runtime of 2 hours and 22 minutes and was likely filmed in France (it was definitely shot somewhere in mainland Europe, but I couldn't find specific details). GRADE: C

Source on TMDB