Saints and Soldiers
In 1944, Allied troops have defeated the Germans after the Battle of the Bulge. In Malmedy, Belgium, they find and uncover the frozen bodies of over 70 American soldiers who were held prisoners and killed by their German captors. Three weeks earlier, the prisoners, members of the 101st and 285th division are rounded up and searched by the German troops while medic Steven Gould (Alexander Niver) tries to help a seriously wounded American soldier. One soldier tries to escape, and is shot dead, causing confusion and fear from the prisoners. The Germans open fire on the prisoners, in what is known as the Malmedy massacre, killing many troops as they try to run away. The soldier Gould tried to save is shot dead and Gould manages to escape with Corporal Nathan 'Deacon' Greer (Corbin Allred). Deacon disarms a German but doesn't shoot him, even at Gould's insistence.
Gould and Deacon are joined by two other survivors, Shirl Kendrick (Larry Bagby), a member in Gould's division, and Deacon's close friend Sergeant Gordon Gunderson (Peter Asle Holden). Gunderson explains it would be better to hide out until the Allies retake the area and the four hide out in an abandoned building. When a German patrol comes along, the soldiers hide under the floor. While there Deacon loosely translates a German message about a downed plane in the area. Leaving after the Germans, the Americans find British pilot Flight Sergeant Oberon Winley (Kirby Heyborne).
Winley explains he has important intelligence photographs he has to get back to the Allies and the group decide to try and reach the Allied lines some 20 miles away. While on point, Deacon has a hallucination and breaks down. Gunderson explains that Deacon had inadvertently, when clearing a building during an earlier mission, killed two women and six children recently. Gould begins to criticize Deacon for not shooting the German and for being religious. Deacon offers him his Bible, which Gould refuses. Deacon says that Gould is asking too many questions for someone who is not interested in religion.
Shortly afterwards, Kendrick falls through the roof of an old building that had been covered by the snow. Looking for shelter, Gunderson enters a house and finds a woman and girl who speak French, Catherine and Sophie Theary. A coming snow storm causes Gunderson to surmise that the Germans will be pinned down and immobilized. He suggests staying the night but Winley insists that he must get the information to the Allied troops and leaves during the storm. The others are sure he will die in the cold.
Catherine brings some bread to the soldiers. While with the soldiers, two Germans arrive and Catherine talks to them. One German starts scouting the building while the other attempts to rape Catherine. She yells and Deacon kills one German and misses the other as he runs into the woods. Winley returns with this German as his prisoner. Deacon recognizes the German as Rudolph, a convert during his mission serving as a minister for his Church in Berlin. Deacon understands then why he, who was well known for never failing to hit what he aimed at, missed Rudolph.
In the morning, Deacon has let Rudolph go, after Rudolph had told him where the Germans lines were and how to get through them. With captured weapons they set out but soon encounter a small group of German soldiers. Gunderson is fatally shot by a sniper, whom Deacon then kills. More Germans attack and Winley is hit in the leg. During the firefight the Allied group is split in two. While carrying Winley, Kendrick is shot in the stomach and dies. Winley kills the German and, trying to hobble away, falls into a river. Deacon and Gould find him. While they care for Winley, Rudolph finds them and tells them where there is a jeep, and an escape route they could use with it closer to the Allied lines, then goes off in the direction of the pursuing Germans.
The three remaining Allied soldiers, now dressed as German soldiers, get in the jeep and head toward the German lines. They manage to talk their way past a German guard (as Deacon speaks fluent German) but when they veer towards the American lines the Germans open fire. Speeding toward the safety of the American lines (where observers work out they are Allied soldiers) the jeep is overturned by mortar fire. Deacon gives covering fire as Gould and Winley head for safety. Deacon is killed by a sniper, and before he dies, he sees the spirits of the women and children he killed one last time. Gould and Winley make it through and the important intelligence is passed on to headquarters. Winley is then transported to a medical station because of his injuries.
As Gould sees Deacon's body being carried away, he takes out Deacon's Book of Mormon, places the photo of Deacon's wife into Deacon's hands and keeps the book, which Deacon had offered to him earlier, and wishes him to rest in peace. After this, he looks up and sees a P-51 Mustang fighter flying over, signaling that the weather is improving, and the turning of the tide in the Battle. Gould encounters a now captured Rudolph, nods to him, with Rudolph answering back in kind, and then helps an injured German soldier whom he recognizes from the massacre at the start of the film.
murder, flashback