Militiaman Bruggler

This Ufa production was filmed on location in the Italian Dolomites and the Austrian Tyrol. It chronicles the Alpine war experiences of young Toni Bruggler (Ludwig Kerscher), a Tyrolean-German member of the Standschützen (militiamen), comprised of those who are too young or old to fight in the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg army. When Italy declares war on the Austrians, the Tyrol becomes a war zone. The Italians launch a surprise attack against the Austrians in a literally explosive, snowswept storm scene—reinforced by Herbert Windt’s rousing musical score and Sepp Allgeier’s breathtaking Alpine cinematography and combat footage he also photographed Berge in Flammen and Der Rebell). As most of the picture unfolds in the Tyrolean Alps, it is both a Bergfilm (mountain film), a genre unique to German cinema, and a suspenseful war film that delivers visually stunning battles in the snow.