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Martin Ritt who partnered with Paul Newman in such films as The Long Hot Summer, Hud, and Hombre did this rather unknown work that was critically well received back in the day, but remains fairly unknown to today's filmgoers. I remember well seeing 5 Branded Women in theater back in the day and never saw it again until very recently.

The women are Yugoslavs who have all been seduced and abandoned by one German sergeant played by Steve Forrest. All slept with him for various reasons, all are trying to survive the best way they can. After partisans capture Forrest with one of them, all of them are shorn of their hair as reminders of what fraternization with the enemy means. The five woman so branded are Silvana Mangano, Jeanne Moreau, Vera Miles, Barbara Bed Geddes, and Carla Gravina. Gravina is pregnant by Forrest. The Germans banish the women because they remain walking symbols of partisan reprisals. As for Forrest that son of the fatherland is shorn of something that doesn't grow back.

The women stick together because all they have now is each other. Not for long because when a partisan band headed by Van Heflin sees the now armed women deal with a Nazi patrol, they get accepted in the band. But their rules are pretty strict as they all find out.

War is a brutal business and guerrillas fighting occupiers make it the most brutal kind of war. The mixed feelings that director Ritt leaves you with, you are supposed to have. You watch 5 Branded Women and especially if you are a woman you wonder what you might do to survive.

5 Branded Women is both an anti-war film and a film that shows you just what you might have to do to repel an invader. Nice ensemble performances from the whole cast and a strong if mixed message is delivered.

This relatively unknown gathers a very impressive cast of both European and American actors and actresses. Silvia Mangano gives a fine performance as the leader of the titled women. These women are casted away from a little town in Yugoslavia 1943 because they have slept with a Nazi Sargent (except innocent Vera Miles who didn't go beyond kissing but anyway is accused as the others), not before they are humiliated by their own people by cropping their hair.

The girls bound together and they wander around the country until they resolve to join the partisans despite their initial resilience. The women will form relationships with the partisans and a captured German Captain (R. Basehart).

But it's wartime and this is no Hollywood movie: there are no happy endings or black and white feelings or situations. The movie is gritty and somehow cruel. The movie has its flaws, the pacing could be better and some characters feel underdeveloped, but all things considered, this is a very good movie. It's not released on DVD, but you can find it over the Internet. It's well worth the search.

5 Branded Women (1960)

This is a pretty amazing film right from the start, and it doesn't let up. It's a horrifying war movie with five women the victims and sometimes heroes in it. It shows the brutality of guerrilla fighters against the German army, and it shows WWII in Yugoslavia, without an American or Russian in sight. It's even well made, filmed in wide screen black and white in 1960, and it stars several absolute marquee actresses.

In many ways this is an unusual and necessary and brave movie, and the American director, Martin Ritt, had already proved his abilities with serious themes. So why does it have such a low reputation? Yes, it gets a little preachy sometimes, and it doesn't seem completely believable in a few instances of high drama. There is a good but merely good directing and editing, so the events are sometimes oddly lackluster, or maybe held at a distance and made slightly false.

But some of these complaints are only moderately true. And even more, there are themes here that are completely counterbalancing and make it worth the viewing. I don't mean for action film war scenes, but for the interior of war, and for another side to the rotten, expansive Nazi decade. This does not romanticize the situation, and in fact there is no romance to hook the viewer at all (which is no flaw, but may explain a certain lack of success with audiences). That is, it's not actually a very warm or entertaining movie. If you take at all seriously what is happening to these women you'll be horrified, and for a Hays Code era movie (though an Italian Dino de Laurentiis production, which helped), it pushes the tender envelope just enough.

To be sure, there is some really good acting here. The lead male is the unlikely leading male actor who I have grown to really like, Van Heflin. When he first appears he seems overblown, but as the movie continues he settles into his role as a weary, determined rebel leader in the mountains really well. (The one other man plays a German, Richard Baseheart, and he doesn't get enough to do, unfortunately, because his presence if important.)

The five women have all been accused of "sleeping with the enemy," loosely called fraternizing. I won't even give away the start of the movie here because it comes as a shock, but it's fair to say the women are forced into a world of their own. They don't trust each other in particular, but they gradually come to need each other to survive. Among them are some huge talents: Jeanne Moreau (between her two most famous films, "Elevator to the Gallows" and "Jules and Jim") and Barbara Bel Geddes (famous as the second woman in "Vertigo" but more amazing in the great Ophuls film, "Caught").

But it's the less known Italian actress Silvana Mangano (married to the producer) who has the leading part and who gives the most involved and critical performance--she represents the trap of young women in the war the best, wanting love, hanging on the idealism, not understanding (or refusing to accept) the brutality that comes with war beyond the front lines.

As the war moves from the town to camps in the hills (it was filmed in Italy and Austria) to run-ins with the enemy and back to town for a big finale, the drama is great. Maybe the overall theme was so huge and so laced with forbidden elements it was impossible, in 1960, to make a truly fair and wrenching movie. But Ritt has tried. If this isn't a lost masterpiece, it's still a really excellent WWII film and should be on short lists along with the usual films that also, on close watching, have their limitations.

You could easily slam the content here for what it doesn't do, for the things Ritt doesn't say through the story. (The New York Times review from 1960 does exactly that, very nicely.) In fact, the story is begging to be remade, without limitations, and we'd get a harrowing and beautiful story that really bothers the viewer directly. Instead, so far, we have a movie whose ideas bother the viewer, which is something a little more indirect.

I saw this film on television when I was about 11 or 12 and it made a deep impression on me. While I had little understanding of war and certainly no personal experience of it, it pointed out the danger of isolation in the midst of endless violence and the horror of rejection for what would in peacetime have been regarded as a youthful transgression.

The casting of Vera Miles and Barbara Bel Geddes among the European actresses was a clear ploy to make this film resonate with American audiences whom during this period were more accustomed to light, frivolous films. Films of a more serious and thoughtful nature were mostly coming from Europe. At the dawn of the 60s this was a shocking exploitation film, preying on women's feelings of vanity, Americans' collective puritanism about sex, and our waning jingoism. It would be interesting to see how audiences would react to it now.

This film is one of the least known gems to come from producer Dino de Laurentiis. Five women in war-torn Yugoslavia have their heads shaved for having intimate relations with a German soldier. The five bond and eventually join the partisan group who punished them back in their village. The film documents their fight against the enemy of their homeland, and their internal feelings of remorse, love, and hate. The women all give stellar performances--Silvana Mangano, Barbara Bel Geddes, Vera Miles, Jeanne Moreau, and young Carla Gravina. Van Heflin and Harry Guardino also deliver fine performances, as the leader of the Yugoslav partisan group and the troublemaker of the partisans, respectively. But perhaps the most touching performance comes from Richard Basehart as the German Captain Erich Reinhardt. In the little screen time he has, Mr. Basehart delivers a gem, bringing poignantly to life a gentle widower, plucked from his comfortable life as a university professor to fight in the war. He is captured by the partisans, and bonds with the 5 Branded Women who have been accepted into their group. He had shown sympathy for the women in the beginning of the film after their disgrace was made public, and in captivity, he bonds with them, particularly Mira (Carla Gravina),(whose baby he delivers) and Ljuba (Jeanne Moreau),(who finds herself in danger of falling for him). It takes a special talent to make you care for a character who is supposed to be a "bad guy", and to do it in less than ten minutes of total screen time is an art form. Mr. Basehart was indeed an artist. This is just one touching instance of the emotional exploration of the characters in this movie. Each character comes to life. A very little known film, but a must see. The action and emotion is raw and realistic throughout.

This film essentially begins with a German soldier named "Sergeant Paul Keller" (Steve Forrest) carrying on a romantic relationship with a young Yugoslavian by the name of "Jovanka" (Silvana Mangano) while both countries are at war with one another. Not long afterward, the two of them are caught by a partisan group while embracing each other in the woods and each are subsequently punished with Sergeant Keller being castrated on the spot while Jovanka has her head shaved as punishment for fraternizing with the enemy. The scene then shifts to Jovanka and four other women being herded into the public square by German soldiers and ordered by the commander "Captain Eric Reinhardt" (Richard Basehart) to reveal the identities of the partisans who humiliated them in that manner. Fearing reprisal, all five women remain silent and as a result they are expelled from the city with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. Feeling betrayed, they then decide to take up arms against the Germans and in the course of this action they are admitted into the partisan movement. Yet as much as they hate the Germans, what they don't realize is the degree of savagery the commander of the partisans named "Velko" (Van Heflin) is willing to inflict upon his enemies--and he has no tolerance for those who question his authority. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be a better movie than I anticipated due in large part to the intense plot and the excellent performances of Van Heflin, Silvana Mangano and Vera Miles (as "Daniza"). Admittedly, it is somewhat dated and doesn't have the special effects or CGI that more modern films typically have. But even so, it has held up pretty well through the course of time and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

Just short of two hours is lengthy for 1960. This melodrama is set in Middle Europe during WW2 and does have its moments. Five young women are scorned and humiliated for consorting with Nazis. Now with shaved heads, they band together to prove their patriotism and set out to fight the Germans. The resistance fighters don't want their help; so they seem to be fighting both forces...plus themselves. Strange casting is very obvious; and this moody movie may be hard for some to get into. War buffs will watch. I watched because of the enticing Vera Miles. Beside Miss Miles the very diverse cast includes: Barbara Bel Geddes, Silvana Mangano, Van Heflin, Richard Basehart, Jeanne Moreau and Steve Forrest. War causes people to do regrettable things.

This is a masterful grim piece of eloquence all the way, with outstanding acting by above all Silvana Mangano and Van Heflin, but also Jeanne Moreau and Richard Baseheart make unforgettable characters. The war story could hardly be more grim: under German occupation of Yugoslavia, five women are seduced by a German officer and punished for it by getting their heads shaved and chased out of town, where they have to survive as thieves and parasites in the wild until fate unites them with partisans, led by Van Heflin. A German officer is taken prisoner (Richard Baseheart) under the care of Jeanne Moreau, and another of the five women is helplessly pregnant. Love and sexual relationships are forbidden among the partisans, and violation of that rule means instant execution. Martin Ritt's direction is impressing in its very sinister strictness, while only the music offers some relief and relaxation and some enjoyment of beauty. The photography is also execellent. In brief, this is an important film in its thorough insight into the conditions of women at war seduced by Germans. They are fully aware of their shame and extremely difficult condition and situation, but you could say that they survive by just being women. The film is full of precious moments, and even a little baby is allowed to join the party. This is a jewel of a most unusual war film of great dramatic intensity all through.

As was traditional during wartime, women who were accused of collaborating with the Nazis had their heads rather brutally shorn so as to clearly brand them for all to see. Based on Ugo Pirro's quite interesting book "Jovanka e le altre" this tells the story of five such women, cast out by their Yugoslav community, who set about finding their own way of avenging themselves upon their oppressors - both foreign and domestic. Silvana Mangano ("Jovanka") leads the band of ladies who include Barbara Bel Geddes ("Maria"), Jeanne Moreau ("Ljuba") and Vera Miles ("Daniza") as they prove just as effective at carrying out their tasks as their menfolk - led by "Velko" (Van Heflin). This is one of those, quite rare, stories that demonstrates that women were no push over when it came to ruthlessness - and even though some co-operated with the soldiers more willingly than others, none did so without the permanent fear for the lives of themselves and their children - a series of scenarios well depicted here by a strong cast under good direction from Martin Ritt. It has it's fair share of ambushes, and plenty of action and double-crosses to keep the thing alive and engaging. Only a tiny bit of romance - and even that seems to engender a rather unpalatable degree of punishment - gets in the way of this plausible and at times quite gripping tale of freedom fighting.

There were a few similarly themed films in the mid-century about female war refugees, and I accidentally watched 5 Branded Women twice without remembering it was the same movie. Don't take it as an insult to the film, for if you like this subgenre and films like Carve Her Name with Pride or 7 Women from Hell, you should probably add this to your list. In this one, Richard Basehart is still in his Italian career phase. Van Heflin also joins him abroad, which is why I thought it might be worth watching. With Richard and Hef, and also Vera Miles, it couldn't be too European, right?

The titular five women are publicly shamed for consorting with Nazi officers, then banished from their village with nothing but the clothes on their backs - which they quickly convert into shawls to cover their shaved heads. Part of the film can be upsetting to some viewers, since it shows how quickly people can turn on each other, and how victimized women can become through no fault of their own. It's not these women's faults that the Nazi officers found them attractive, nor do they welcome the attentions of other soldiers and rebels along their journey through the mountains and canyons. However, I would think that they might be more discerning and refrain from bathing nude in broad daylight while giggling and taking turns testing out the waterfall. After all they'd been through, getting ambushed by random men while they're completely naked and trapped in a lake might not be an ideal situation. Still, if a bunch of female empowerment during a wartime setting appeals to you, and you don't mind it being too European, you can try it out.

Just watched this World War II drama directed by Martin Ritt on Netflix streaming. The title characters are played by Silvana Mangano, Jeanne Moreau, Carla Gravina, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Vera Miles. They've all been involved with the Nazi soldier played by Steve Forrest though one of them had only kissed him. As a result, they all got their hair shorn by the men who think they're the lowest of the low for sleeping with the enemy. But they start redeeming themselves when they shoot many Nazi soldiers in an attempted raid of a sheep ranch. I'll stop there and just say this was quite a compelling movie that addressed the complexities of the way men and women acted during wartime that got them certain punishments they wouldn't have otherwise during a time of peace. And the performances of the above are all greatly done especially that of Ms. Mangano as well as that of Van Heflin who plays the reluctant commanding officer who accepts these women into his unit. Among the other male supporting cast, Harry Guardino and Richard Basehart also deserve kudos for their performances. Really, all I'll say now is I highly recommend 5 Branded Women.

From the same director who brought us "Norma Rae" this classic World War II "resistance band fights guerilla warfare against Nazis in the snowywoods" has an interesting twist: they're all women and decked out in leather bomber jackets, crew cuts and machine guns.

Jeanne Moreau, Barbara Bel Geddes, Silvana Mangano, and Vera Miles - all shaved, humiliated, and thrown out of their peasant villages for sleeping with the enemy - now have taken arms against that enemy, but the "real" resistance doesn't want them. So these women must fight the men who are against them AND the men who are supposedly on their side, as well as each other.

Melodrama, to be sure, but different enough and with a fascinating sub-text, that it has become a "guilty" pleasure.

I have not seen this movie in many years. But I remember it being very interesting. I always love Barbara Bel Geddes. She is one of the most overlooked actresses of our time. When I saw those women walking down the street with their heads shaved, it was a shock for a little boy. I was about 10 when I saw this movie, but it left an impression on me.

I can remember walking past the uk poster hoarding in1960 for this movie,really wanted to see it but as an eleven year old was taken to see something more appropiate, when the time came for my weeky cinema treat... however i never forgot this movie.i did eventually catch up with it on uk tv in1978 on late ,and as far as i know never shown again. the film itself is excellent and typical of the war product that was coming out of the de laurentiis studios a that time. it has an extraordinary number of famous and talented american and italian and french actors.i love this movie and cannot believe the negative reviews it had over the years. jeanne moreau is quoted as saying she only made it to pay her tax bill !! i have a number of public domain copies obtained over the years, but it should be re-mastered ...originally released by paramount,but i guess the key to this now lies with the de laurentiis organisation.

The subject matter of "5 Branded Women" is unusual and the dark tone of the film is clearly one you wouldn't have seen had it been made during WWII. The story is set in Yugoslavia in 1943 during the Nazi occupation. It begins with five women who were sleeping with German soldiers having their heads shaved in shame by the partisans...a common practice throughout Europe for any woman having sexual relations with the enemy...even if, in many cases, the women had no choice. But these five are plucky and after having their heads shaved and being forced to leave town, they decide to become partisans themselves and they attack a convoy of German soldiers. Soon, the actual partisans join in the attack. Later, they know the women's loyalty and ask them to join their group of guerilla fighters. This story is about what follows.

The film has a most unusual group of American actors, such as Van Heflin, Barbara Bel Geddes and Richard Basehart. But there also are some international film actors, such as Jeanne Moreau as well as many Italians in supporting roles. It also is excellent because it is so realistic...not some gung ho sort of movie but one showing how awful this sort of life was. Well worth seeing...and a very tough and entertaining film.

Why this film is not on Bluray or even DVD I'll never know, it deserves to be on the top of every feminist film list, and is bound to blow the minds and empower many young audiences today.