When Trumpets Fade

"Heroes are born when bullets fly,when earth explodes,when cannons roar...When trumpets fade"

1998 1h 35m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 155

DramaWarTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In WWII Western Germany, Private David Manning reluctantly leaves behind a mortally wounded fellow soldier and searches for survivors from his platoon, only to learn from commanding officer Captain Pritchett that they have all been killed in action. Despite requesting a discharge on the grounds of mental disability, Manning is promoted to sergeant and assigned to lead a new platoon of young inductees.

“Heroes are born when bullets fly,when earth explodes,when cannons roar...When trumpets fade”

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Cast

Ron Eldard
Manning
Zak Orth
Warren
Frank Whaley
Medic Chamberlain
Dylan Bruno
Sgt. Talbot
Devon Gummersall
Lonnie
Dan Futterman
Despin
Bobby Cannavale
Captain Zenek
Martin Donovan
Captain Pritchett

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Irvin
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Irvin, shot by Thomas Burstyn. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ian Crafford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Ron Eldard and Zak Orth and Frank Whaley carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Heroes are born when bullets fly,when earth explodes,when cannons roar...When trumpets fade".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0135706 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Irvin directs. Thomas Burstyn behind the camera. Ian Crafford cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

128 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by John Irvin, shot by Thomas Burstyn. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Ian Crafford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Ron Eldard and Zak Orth and Frank Whaley carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "Heroes are born when bullets fly,when earth explodes,when cannons roar...When trumpets fade".
6IMDB entry: tt0135706 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Thomas Burstyn
Editing: Ian Crafford
Production design: László Rajk
Costume design: György Homonnay
Makeup / hair: Judit Jánosi
Sound: David E. Fluhr
Stunt coordinator: Béla Unger
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: When Trumpets Fade (1998)

Also by

John Irvin

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2025-10-24
★ 7/10
A few days of the Battle of Hurtgen Forest in November’s gloom Released in 1998, the events take place entirely in the woods along the border of Belgium and Germany in 1944. This makes the movie one-dimensional, unlike, say, “The Big Red One,” which took place in no less than six different countries in the Mediterranean and Europe. Everything looks authentic and the hardships are well detailed, as well as the tensions between the men. In contrast to 1965’s “Battle of the Bulge,” which was shot in the heart of friggin’ Spain, this was filmed in areas similar to the actual locations in Hurtgen Forest; specifically, Lake Balaton, Hungary, which is an hour’s drive southwest of Budapest. It runs about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Additional stuff was done in Calgary, Alberta. GRADE: B/B-

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