When Trumpets Fade

When Trumpets Fade is a 1998 HBO World War Two film directed by John Irvin (Hamburger Hill), the script of which was discovered by Steven Spielberg (who directed that other 1998 WWII movie and produced those other HBO WWII series). Set during the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest in November 1944, the film underlines its heavy casualties and relative obscurity (compared to the subsequent Battle of the Bulge), but is not based on specific details of the campaign. Instead it follows the Character Development of antihero Sergeant Manning, whose attempts to escape the battle ironically only expose his competence and lead him into escalating exploits.

Private David Manning, carrying a wounded comrade in from the line, finds himself the Sole Survivor of his platoon's week in the Hurtgen Forest. This is sufficient reason for Captain Pritchett, whose company has sustained 75% casualties, to give Manning not the psychological discharge he begs for, but a promotion. Placed, to general misgivings, in charge of a squad of naive replacements, Manning makes a deal with Pritchett: he will knock out the artillery threatening the assault on a critical bridge in return for a Section 8.

As the tagline "In the heat of battle, not all soldiers can be heroes" suggests, When Trumpets Fade is set unusually far to the nihilistic end of the Sliding Scale of Cynicism vs. Idealism for an American World War Two film, subverting redemptive tropes like the Band of Brothers and No One Gets Left Behind through the figure of its ambiguous protagonist.

"Sgt. Manning: Look, if I can help you in any way without endangering my own life, I won't hesitate. If you want my opinion, I'll give it to you. But I'm not taking a bullet for anybody. Lt. Lukas: That's not good enough. Sgt. Manning: That's as good as it gets."
 * A Father to His Men: Captain Pritchett is interested in his subordinates' welfare. Manning... isn't.
 * Anti-Hero
 * Anyone Can Die
 * Badass Unintentional: Manning has not the remotest interest in heroics and believes himself to be unfit for duty.
 * Bad Boss: Manning, when unwillingly put in charge of a squad of replacements, endangers their lives for personal gain, loses Sanderson in the woods on his first day and plans to abandon him, bullies Despin, and  Baxter.
 * Band of Brothers: Inverted. Most of the cast is understandably certain that they can't rely on the protagonist.

"Talbot: There isn't anything sacred to you, is there, Manning? Manning: Warm dry feet."
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Mild-mannered nerd Sanderson turns into a Screaming Warrior when properly motivated. (Of course, he also runs away screaming.)
 * Book Ends: Opens with Manning carrying Bobby; closes on Sanderson carrying Manning. Further bookended by period pop songs playing over the beginning and end credits.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Pritchett tolerates Manning's disrespect because he's earned it and they need his experience.
 * Colonel Badass: Colonel Hardass, at least. They call him Lieutenant Colonel, though viewers may know him as Dwight Yoakam.
 * Combat Medic: When conducting unauthorized raids, Chamberlain also moonlights with a bazooka.
 * Crapsack World: The Hurtgen Forest.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Manning.
 * Dirty Coward: Manning, according to Talbot. Ambiguous, since he does in fact expose himself to danger and shrugs off contempt (and death threats.)
 * Due to the Dead: Subverted. The division isn't even evacuating bodies, and while Talbot's accusing Manning of selfishness, Manning is helping himself to their boots.
 * Due to the Dead: Subverted. The division isn't even evacuating bodies, and while Talbot's accusing Manning of selfishness, Manning is helping himself to their boots.

" Manning: I was a private three days ago."
 * Elites Are More Glamorous: Averted. The 28th Infantry is, for the film's purposes, a regular outfit.
 * Ensign Newbie: Lieutenant Lukas, but Manning refuses to be his Sergeant Rock.
 * Establishing Character Moment: The opening scene. Manning carries the mortally-wounded Bobby off the front.
 * Field Promotion

"Talbot: You ! Manning: You're damn right I did... You'd have done the same thing."
 * Home by Christmas: Invoked by Baxter, the newsreel narrator, and Bing Crosby.
 * I Did What I Had to Do
 * I Did What I Had to Do

"Sgt. Talbot: Where's your squad? Sgt. Manning: [points at Sanderson] Over there."
 * I Don't Like the Sound of That Place: The 28th know their section of the front affectionately as "the Death Factory."
 * In the Back:  Actually, it's In The.
 * Ironic Echo: "If I can help you in anyway I can without endangering my own life, I won't hesitate".
 * Kill It with Fire: When life gives you 88mm cannons, you make Manning take them out with flamethrowers.
 * Land Mine Goes Click: Averted when the company enters the minefield; subverted when
 * Least Is First: Sanderson is the first to agree to Manning's plan.
 * Let's Get Dangerous: Talbot, Chamberlain, and Sanderson throw in with Manning's raid; it's also the first time Manning faces danger on his own initiative.
 * Man On Fire: Various German artillerymen.
 * New Meat: Manning's entire squad, namely Privates Sanderson, Despin, Baxter, and Lonnie.
 * No One Gets Left Behind: Played straight, mostly by Sanderson, but also subverted all to hell, mostly by Manning, though the replacements don't cover themselves with glory in this respect either.

"Talbot: See, your little routine isn't as seamless as you think it is. Always hanging back a little, never volunteering. Doing just enough to keep outta trouble, but never enough to really help out."
 * Not in This For Your Revolution: Manning's sole motivation is survival.
 * Ominous Fog: Ubiquitous, but especially atmospheric during the replacements' first patrol and the advance through the minefield.
 * Professional Slacker: Manning.

"Sgt. Manning: This is your first big chance to stay alive. Don't fuck it up."
 * Redshirt Army: The U.S. 28th Infantry Division.
 * : Bobby.
 * Scenery Gorn: On your left, the blasted remains of the Hurtgen Forest. On your right, the medical clearing station. More literally, notice the incidental blood stains on the ground outside the C Company command post and the leg dangling from the cannon barrel. Mind the exploding trees.
 * Sergeant Rock: Sgt. Talbot, who looks out for the replacements and organizes the bridge retreat. Sgt. Manning is a subversion
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran: Manning, who requests a Section 8; more dramatically,.
 * Shoot the Dog :  Manning, of course.
 * Sink or Swim Mentor: Manning to the replacement squad.

"Manning: No more room in hell. Chamberlain: What are you talking about? There's plenty of room. All they gotta do is stack 'em higher."
 * Sole Survivor: Manning, of his platoon after a week in the Hurtgen Forest, and later
 * Soundtrack Dissonance: "Over There", playing over the opening credits, is sandwiched between "Taps" and a scene of retreating survivors; Bing Crosby croons "White Christmas" over the closing credits as the camera pans over snow-topped anti-tank fortifications.
 * Spiritual Successor: Averted with subsequent, better-known, rather less cynical HBO World War II miniseries Band of Brothers and The Pacific. When Trumpets Fade was, however, retitled Hamburger Hill 2 in some markets.
 * Stealth Pun: The somewhat vague title, reduced to an acronym. Accidental? We like to think not.
 * Suicide Mission: Assaulting the Arbaley bridge in the face of 88s and tanks, according to Capt. Pritchett and Manning.
 * Surprisingly Elite Cannon Fodder: Manning starts off as the Sole Survivor of a week in "the Death Factory" and subsequently survives a semi-disastrous exercise a day for the rest of the film, which does not escape his officers' notice.
 * Tank Goodness: Unless you're American.
 * Tempting Fate: The replacements' mantra is "Nobody dies."
 * There Are No Therapists: Subverted. There is a mechanism for psychological help, the Section 8 discharge. They're just difficult to get.
 * Unfriendly Fire: Talbot threatens to frag Manning if he lets his replacements get killed. Manning
 * War Is Hell: Lampshaded:
 * War Is Hell: Lampshaded:

"Manning: You're just a bunch of guys in line to get shot, so they can send in a bunch of other guys. See how that works?"
 * We Have Reserves: The commanders of the 28th Infantry Division, in the view of Chamberlain and Manning.