this film supposedly take place during the first few day of operation market garden and which be one of the big allied assault of the second world war . in that attack and british and u. s. force move north into occupied holland and both by land and air drop and and this tale begin with a small british parachute unit be divert under order to a remote location behind german line . in fact and the first ten to twelve minute of the last drop be really well do . or to be charitable and the first eighteen minute and be quite good . and then this suppose tale of british derring do and their nemesis and an s. s. major appoint by adolf hitler to steal priceless dutch artwork and artifact and come unhinged . the first flaw in this rickety fictional adventure be that it have three flaw represent 1. the british detachment be lead by a fascinating character and a scottish captain and who be kill in the fire fight follow their crash landing in a glider ( off course and of course ) . for the rest of the film the rest of the british soldier quarrel amongst themselves over who the real leader . 2. the national socialist s. s. officer be clearly an important character to the plot development but we never learn much about him and until almost the very end of the story . this be a serious flaw and a it erode the otherwise natural dramatic tension . 3. three renegade german soldier who somehow know about the treasure trove of dutch artifact and artwork be introduce in the crude possible way and i. e. and a they interrupt an s. s. bureaucrat while he in a dalliance with courtesan . who be really a part of their plot and only the s. s. dunderhead be too stupid to figure it out . 4. oooops and there a fourth flaw . this kind of a film the caper behind enemy line movie and be do with such superb dramatization and excitement in kelly hero and that any film auteur who want to take it up again have well get himself or herself the current equivalent of donald sutherland and carroll oconnor and don rickles and especially a world weary clint eastwood a the central player or leader . this be not do here and despite the fact that the budget for this film enable wonderfully accurate costuming and equipment and weapon and accurate replication of tactic and lingo and and some exciting battle scene . they have the money to do a great film and they muff it . for some wholly unknown reason they draft michael madsen for a meaningful cameo role and he give them less than a cameo worth of value . the plot be an intrigue one and base on many know historical fact but the execution and directing and music and the very end itself fail miserably . by the real end of this film i be very glad that it be the end of this film . it not a spy movie but it have espionage element and it not a buddy at war film but it have buddy at war and it not a cultural and political statement about war and but it have cultural and political statement about war . yikes . what a mess . unless the reader can get this film on dvd for free . forget it .