This truly spectacular war epic is almost on a par with Patton, though its original widescreen impact is sorely diminished when shown on TV. Based on the last German offensive in 1944, when thousands of tanks smashed their way through the snowy pine forests of the Ardennes, it's a study of resolve on both the American and the German sides. Representing Uncle Sam are Robert Ryan and Dana Andrews, with Henry Fonda as the only man who sees the German tactic months before it happens. But the picture is dominated by Robert Shaw as the German colonel, a riveting portrait of military genius infested with paranoia. The climax is High Noon with tanks.

In the winter of 1944, the Allied Armies stand ready to invade Germany at the coming of a New Year. To prevent it, Hitler orders an all-out offensive to re-take French territory and capture the major port city of Antwerp.