The Battle of Neretva (1969) on Netflix
In January 1943 German forces attack Yugoslav Partisans in western Bosnia. Outnumbered, the Partisans must protect thousands of refugees and reach the only bridge over the Neretva.
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- Netflix3.5/5
- IMDb7.0/104,499 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
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Plot summary
The Fourth Enemy Offensive opens in western Bosnia in January 1943. The German army, fearing an Allied landing in the Balkans, moves against the Yugoslav Partisans. The Partisans are outgunned and outnumbered. They must defend themselves and protect thousands of refugees. The German force advances toward the only bridge left over the Neretva river. The Partisans intend to cross there and evacuate their wounded into free territory. Three siblings, Danica, Novak and Vuko, are caught in the conflict.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Battle of Neretva (1969)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Pablo Picasso made one of the original posters for the English version of the film and, according to director Veljko Bulajić, took no money for it, asking instead for a case of the best Yugoslav wines.
- The railway bridge at Jablanica was blown up for real, but billowing smoke ruined the footage; it was repaired and blown up a second time, still uselessly, and director Veljko Bulajić finally got the shot with a model on a Prague soundstage.
- Four villages and a fortress were built only to be destroyed on camera, along with Yugoslav army T-34 tanks repainted as German Panzers and Soko 522 planes marked with Balkenkreuz as Luftwaffe aircraft.
- Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito approved the film's staggering budget, which different sources put anywhere between $4.5 million and $12 million, around $40.5 million to $109.5 million in 2026 terms.
- The original score by Vladmir Kraus Rajteric was damaged during redubbing, so the English-language versions were rescored by Bernard Herrmann, while the German and Croatian releases kept the original music.
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