There were a few similarly themed films in the mid-century about female war refugees, and I accidentally watched 5 Branded Women twice without remembering it was the same movie. Don't take it as an insult to the film, for if you like this subgenre and films like Carve Her Name with Pride or 7 Women from Hell, you should probably add this to your list. In this one, Richard Basehart is still in his Italian career phase. Van Heflin also joins him abroad, which is why I thought it might be worth watching. With Richard and Hef, and also Vera Miles, it couldn't be too European, right?
The titular five women are publicly shamed for consorting with Nazi officers, then banished from their village with nothing but the clothes on their backs - which they quickly convert into shawls to cover their shaved heads. Part of the film can be upsetting to some viewers, since it shows how quickly people can turn on each other, and how victimized women can become through no fault of their own. It's not these women's faults that the Nazi officers found them attractive, nor do they welcome the attentions of other soldiers and rebels along their journey through the mountains and canyons. However, I would think that they might be more discerning and refrain from bathing nude in broad daylight while giggling and taking turns testing out the waterfall. After all they'd been through, getting ambushed by random men while they're completely naked and trapped in a lake might not be an ideal situation. Still, if a bunch of female empowerment during a wartime setting appeals to you, and you don't mind it being too European, you can try it out.
The titular five women are publicly shamed for consorting with Nazi officers, then banished from their village with nothing but the clothes on their backs - which they quickly convert into shawls to cover their shaved heads. Part of the film can be upsetting to some viewers, since it shows how quickly people can turn on each other, and how victimized women can become through no fault of their own. It's not these women's faults that the Nazi officers found them attractive, nor do they welcome the attentions of other soldiers and rebels along their journey through the mountains and canyons. However, I would think that they might be more discerning and refrain from bathing nude in broad daylight while giggling and taking turns testing out the waterfall. After all they'd been through, getting ambushed by random men while they're completely naked and trapped in a lake might not be an ideal situation. Still, if a bunch of female empowerment during a wartime setting appeals to you, and you don't mind it being too European, you can try it out.