Militiaman Bruggler: A Dusty Bit of Mountain Warfare

Is this thing worth a watch?

If you like your war movies dusty, earnest, and smelling of vintage celluloid, sure. If you need pacing that doesn't feel like a brisk hike uphill in heavy boots, you’re probably gonna hate it. It’s for the folks who like history, not necessarily the ones who need a thrill.

The whole thing feels like it was filmed on a very steep, very uncomfortable slope. You get these young guys, fresh out of school, looking like they’ve never held a rifle before in their lives. And honestly, they probably hadn't. The way they hold their gear is so rigid it makes my own shoulders ache just watching.

The Tyrol isn't a playground

There’s this one sequence where the mountains just look... endless. It’s not beautiful in a postcard way, more like a suffocating way. You can almost feel the thin air. The performances are as stiff as a board, but maybe that’s the point? They’re terrified kids playing soldier.

Gustl Gstettenbaur really carries the weight of the thing. He’s got that look of a guy who realized five minutes too late that he’s in way over his head. It reminded me a bit of the heavy, somber mood in Via Crucis, though the subject matter is worlds apart.

Odd bits and pieces

• The uniforms look surprisingly itchy. Like, world-war-one-wool-level itchy.
• The dialogue is very... proper. Nobody speaks like this in a foxhole.
• Why is there so much focus on the hats? I counted three different types of headwear in one scene.

The film shifts gears when the Germans show up. It stops being a local scramble and starts feeling like a real, heavy-handed war drama. It loses some of its charm there, if you can call a movie about border wars charming. It gets way too serious about its own politics. It doesn't have the light touch of My Pal, the King, that’s for sure.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even a great movie by modern standards. But there’s something about the way it captures the isolation of the Tyrol front that sticks with you. You finish it and you feel like you need a glass of water and a long nap. Maybe just skip it if you're looking for action. Stay for the scenery, leave when the speeches start.