WELLSBURG- It’s hard to imagine a more “Only in America” story than two German immigrants living in Wellsburg, Iowa, being called out to Hollywood to work on a movie and provide their own expertise on the subject matter, but that’s exactly what’s happening for Jorg Rochlitzer and Bernd Wittneben.
The title of the short film is “Reveille,” adapted from a chapter in the memoir of war hero turned star actor Audie Murphy, and if it succeeds, it could be developed into a feature length production somewhere down the road. But if you’re hoping for a violent, bloody shoot ‘em up, “Reveille,” you’ll have to search elsewhere. Most of the plot unfolds in a cave where American soldiers have taken Germans as prisoners, and actual combat is only portrayed for about 15 seconds.
As readers may have guessed, the story centers on a WWII battle between German and American soldiers along the “Winter Line” in Italy late in 1943, and as military veterans of the Bundeswehr themselves (Wittneben served West Germany before the reunification of the country, and Rochlitzer served afterward), they bring a unique set of bona fides to the project, which is written and directed by Michael Akkerman.
For Rochlitzer, a professor at Ellsworth Community College, the journey started a few years ago when he was invited to California to lead a demonstration on old movies and cameras. He also knew a man who specialized in tinted photography and did retro still pictures for the Coen Brothers’ 2010 remake of “True Grit” and Seth McFarlane’s 2014 western satire “A Million Ways to Die in the West.”
From there, he met some war re-enactors and first became aware of “Reveille.” Although it was mentioned as something he might be interested in, Rochlitzer admits, however, that he wasn’t immediately head over heels for the idea.
“I thought, well, another one, just a glorifying little production with no meaning,” he said. “But then I looked at the script, and they did some really good German stuff. It was really good, really detailed, really raw and to the point. It’s not really a glorifying war movie where everybody yells ‘Hoo-rah!’ and the big generals. It’s very detailed.”
Rochlitzer was brought on as a German advisor, and he then approached Wittneben, who runs Bernd’s Pond in Wellsburg, about joining him. It should be noted that the two men owe their connection to Burdette Walters, who is Rochlitzer’s godfather and is also involved in running Bernd’s Pond with Wittneben.
Wittneben, who had a background of his own in regional re-enactments in this area, calls himself a “no-nonsense guy,” and he didn’t want to waste time on a project he didn’t fully believe in. Upon reading the script, he had the same reaction as Rochlitzer.
“The movie is not going in any motivation like ‘All Germans are Nazis and bad,’ and stuff like that. No, the movie is about soldiers,” he said. “The movie doesn’t glorify the later victors, the Americans, or demonize the Germans. It really keeps it very equal, and it shows the cruelty which war actually is. This is, in my opinion, a true anti-war movie, and that is what hooked me.”
Akkerman saw Wittneben in a meeting and eventually called on him to play the lead German role, that of squad leader Walter Brander. In order to improve the authenticity of the film, both Wittneben and Rochlitzer reached out to German WWII veterans who are still alive and did months of research to nail down the dialogue, mannerisms and culture of the time period. One veteran of the North African campaign loved the script so much that he gifted them two pairs of binoculars to use in the movie.
One of the details they’re hoping to nail down is the dialect (as well as the off the cuff, informal barbs that soldiers are known to throw at each other), so viewers will hear different versions of German as well as Austrian, Polish and English. Rochlitzer also explained that the German and American actors would not meet each other until their scenes require it in order to avoid creating natural sympathy between them.
“We’re not looking for acting. We’re looking for them playing themselves,” he said. “When you’re exhausted, when you’re out there, you’re sweaty, you’re uncomfortable actually walking and watching for a couple days out there, you’re just yourself.”
As German natives living in the U.S., both Rochlitzer and Wittneben have seen firsthand how American filmmakers portray WWII in the movies, and they believe that “Reveille” will serve as a corrective to some of the most hyperbolic caricatures, citing 1950s and ‘60s war dramas and the work of famed director Steven Spielberg as prime examples. Instead, they recommend the 1959 West German film “Die Brucke,” which translates to “The Bridge.”
“When you hear WWII German, the first thing everybody has in mind is Nazis. That is of course true, and the concentration camps are the worst part of German history. There is no denial of that,” Wittneben said. “But the misconception (we want to clear up) is that a lot of the soldiers were not Nazis. They were soldiers. They did the same thing American soldiers did. They fought for their country and their families… Basically every Hollywood and big screen movie is driving this misconception.”
Both men have their own personal connections to the conflict: all three of Wittneben’s grandfathers were involved (his step-grandfather was a socialist who was in and out of the camps but survived due to his machinist skills), and Rochlitzer’s grandfather went from France to Russia and back as a soldier.
If “Reveille” is successful, it could be a launching pad for Wittneben as an actor and Akkerman, who’s best known for his “Plastic Apocalypse” war re-enactments on YouTube, as a writer/director. Wittneben and Rochlitzer would like to continue to work in the background on productions to help ensure that period details are actually correct.
Both Rochlitzer and Wittneben still can’t quite believe just how much their wildest dreams have come true, and they can’t wait to share the finished product with the world.
“I always say that every little boy or girl dreams at some point to play in a movie in Hollywood. I’m coming to America, I start a successful business, I’m running my business, and suddenly this opportunity comes along,” Wittneben said. “It’s just amazing, and I would say ‘Only in America.’ That’s just what it is, living the American Dream.”
And as the only two individuals involved in the production that don’t live in the Los Angeles area, they’re also full of Iowa pride.
“We are not just U.S. citizens, we are Iowa citizens, and wherever we go, we take a piece of our new home with us,” Rochlitzer said.
To learn more about “Reveille” and/or contribute to the film, visit www.reveilleshortfilm.com.
