THE LAST BLITZKRIEG works as it offers something a little different from the usual American WW2 film in terms of plot. The main characters in the movie are actually Nazi soldiers who are disguised as American troops and sent on an intelligence-gathering mission during the Battle of the Bulge. Therefore the characters we have to identify with are actually antiheroes and even the bad guys while the heroes are the enemy.

The film was shot on a low budget in the Netherlands by producer Sam Katzman so it has more authenticity to it than most. Van Johnson is the lead actor and does well with a complex role; that he comes off kindly and likable despite everything is a testament to his acting prowess. Kerwin Mathews is also here too and playing a slimy villain; in every other film I’ve seen him playing heroic characters so it made a nice change of pace for the actor.

This film has a short running time which flies past without ever flagging and there’s plenty of suspense inherent in the set-up. Some have criticised the climax as being unrealistic but I found it quite fitting even if it is morally heavy-handed. War fans looking for something a little out of the ordinary are sure to enjoy the plot twists and turns of THE LAST BLITZKRIEG.