Very offensive movie.

For what it's worth, I didn't feel that the Italians were "playboys on vacation" - they were simply human beings ordered to go somewhere they didn't want to be and trying to make the most of it. I'm not sure that's an insult.

Additionally, while I never thought I would defend US cinema at any given time, the film is based on the wonderful book by a *British* author...

thats true but most italians didnt like mussolini his popularity with italians was in no way the same as hitlers with the germans and italians didnt want to go to war etc while allot of germans even if they wont admit it today liked hitler.

The Nightrider!!! That is his name...the Nightrider. Remember him when you look at the night sky!

excuse me, said I "all the italian soldiers were good guys!"?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin

Hi gtarna, I have not seen the film yet, but being greek, I'd like to say to all italians in these boards that there are still love stories like that one that inspire books even these last years. I hope you don't really think that things like that never happened ... and in the islands were I'm from, people remember italian soldiers as kind and respectful of others. That said, I should add my love and admiration for that fine mixture of culture and elegance Italy has been to me - cosa mai potrei desiderare dalla vita dopo aver vissuto per 6 anni a Roma ))) Ciao a tutti, e venite alle isole dell'Egeo a trovarci )))

It'a actually a US/UK/French co-production and although it was directed by an Englishman it's so Americanised that it's barely recognisable from the book. So many films are produced primarily for American audiences that it becomes very frustrating for those of us from that master race that I call non-American. It's bad enough that so many of their own films which we're constantly subjected to are so turgid and saccharine, but when they start taking the rest of the world's books/plays/etc and making them American friendly - well that's just plain rude.

And I'm not attacking anyone on this board, so chill.

"Obviously you're not a golfer."

I watched the film again tonight, and I must say I can see nothing offensive to italian soldiers whatsoever !!! Italians left this immage in the Greeks of the time in the Greek islands, the immage of young men who would much prefer sing and dance than make war (or commit atrocities). It's not a matter of what we know or we think about them now, but how Greek people saw them back then. I do not see what was it that some find offensive, sorry.
And the reasons why Mussolini failed could not be that Italian soldiers hadn't weapons !!! Who ever said that ??? Mussolini failed because he made the wrong alliance with the wrong country in the worst time possible. He lost the war long before it ended, even before it started. Please check again your history books and we talk about it sometime soon )))

Even the French beat the Italians in WW2.

In 1940 the Italians invaded Southern France. Within 2 weeks the French annilated them killing and capturing thousands of Italians while losing something like only 300 of their own men.

Hell, in 1936 the Italians couldent even beat the Ethopians when the Italians had tanks and aircraft and they had to use chemical weapons just to beat a few people with spears, yes spears for gods sake almost annilated the Italian Army with tanks. The Ethopians also beat the Italians at the Battle of Adowa in 1896 as well.

1896 - got annilated by the Ethopians in the Battle of Adowa.
1936 - got beaten by Ehopians with spears and few British soliders.
1940 - got beaten by the Greeks, needed the Germans to save them.
1940 - invaded France and got annilated by the French.
1941 - invaded Egypt and got annilated by the British, once again the Germans had to save them.

You also need to remember that Italy was on the winning side of WW1. Germany was fighting for revenge or whatever for the perceived injustices done to them in the Paris Peace Treaty.. The Italians didn't have any of those feelings as they had actually been one of the countries imposing the injustices on Germany.