Saints and Soldiers

Four American soldiers survive the massacre of prisoners at Malmedy and must trek through enemy-held forest to reach Allied lines, aided by a British reconnaissance pilot. Along the way they clash over faith, vengeance, and survival. The small-scale story reflects the chaos and moral strain of the Ardennes fighting.

The Malmedy massacre occurred on December 17, 1944, when Waffen-SS troops of Kampfgruppe Peiper murdered roughly 84 American POWs during the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge. News of the massacre hardened American resolve and led to postwar war crimes trials of the perpetrators.

The film's central characters are fictional, but it is grounded in the real Malmedy massacre and the harsh winter conditions of the Ardennes campaign.

Germany's last great offensive in the west aimed at Antwerp, struck a thinly held front in winter fog, and was halted short of the Meuse.

American units were overrun or encircled in the first days; the 101st Airborne and attached units held Bastogne until Third Army broke through from the south. Clearing weather returned Allied air power and the salient was eliminated by late January.

Directed by Ryan Little

Cast: Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Kirby Heyborne, Peter Holden

Positioned at December 1944 - January 1945 within the Winter 1944 phase of the war, as part of the Ardennes Offensive. This is entry 131 of 150 in the chronological archive.

• Malmedy massacre
• Battle of the Bulge
• POW
• survival
• independent film

• 

  Battle of the Bulge

  December 16, 1944 - January 25, 1945

• 

  Battleground

  December 19-27, 1944

• 

  A Midnight Clear

  December 20-25, 1944

• 

  The Great Escape

  24–25 March 1944

• 

  Hart's War

  Winter 1944-1945

• 

  Masters of the Air

  1943–1945