‘Company K’, a gripping and emotion-charged story of a unit of American marines in World War 1, is being released on retail DVD by Scanbox Entertainment on July 26.
It is based on the classic novel by William March and his own personal WW1 experiences in the trenches of Frances. March’s book has long been considered one of the greatest war novels by an American author.
The cast is headed by Ari Fliakos, Steve Cuiffo and Joe Delafield and the film is a stark reminder of the carnage and horrors of war in the First World War trenches.
Sergeant Joseph Delaney (Ari Fliakos) signs on for service with the US Marine Corps and the unit is shipped off to the front line at Verdun, France. On arrival the unit immediately comes under attack firstly from a German biplane bomber and then from the dreaded mustard gas which is thrown at the Americans as they enter the trenches.
Delaney is ordered to stay on his feet and move forward but when the fighting subsides he’s taken off to spend time at a hospital behind the lines for treatment to his injuries.
Meanwhile, back in the trenches a new lieutenant arrives who soon senses the men have no respect for him. Brashly he orders one of his sergeants to take some soldiers, advance to a clump of trees and set-up a machine gun nest, despite being warned against it.
The Germans see the men crawling across No Man’s Land and open fire, realising that the Marines have no chance of retreating back to their own lines.
The incident subsequently turns many of the men in Company K against their officers and for them the war becomes more and more of a test of sanity and survival which comes to a head when Delaney’s best friend Private Edward Carter (Steve Cuiffo) murders an officer.
When the war ends Delaney has his own burden of guilt to bear - a German soldier he killed in a forest when he knows he could have taken him prisoner instead.
Delaney, Carter and their friend Private Emile Ayres (Joe Delafield) must now learn to live the quiet life as civilians but they find its not as easy as they thought it would be to leave the memories of the war behind.
“I have watched the reactions of many men to pain, hunger and death but all I have learned is that no two men react alike and that no one man comes through the experience unchanged”
Bonus Features :
- Three trailers
- Five deleted scenes
- William March Documentary
- Audio Commentary with Director Robert Clem
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio