MovieChat Forums > Battleground (1950) Discussion > Bettis question... (spoilers)

Bettis question... (spoilers)

posted 15 years ago by PVarjak
3 replies | jump to latest

I watched this through twice; and one thing confused me. There's a scene where Bettis is out with the other main characters on a patrol. They start getting shelled and he runs off. We don't see him again until the group gets back into the town of Bastogne, and Bettis yells to them that there's hot food. In the next scene, he seems to be serving them the food and there's some discussion as if he'd been serving back at the rear of the lines. He also is resistant (understandably so) to go back when every ambulatory man is told to grab a rifle and go back to the front. Unfortunately he's killed in another round of shelling in the kitchen. My question is: was he allowed to go AWOL and return to the back of the lines? Did I miss something? Thanks.

Just to note, this is scheduled to air again on TCM this Saturday (Jan. 16, 2010).

[–] damurphy-637-481001 15 years ago

I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen this film, but it is among my favorites.

I always assumed that Bettis is a "Battle Fatigue" Case, especially since he says he was told that he wouldn't have to go to the front, they can ask the medics, right before he's killed.

It was not uncommon for Commanders to not want these cases returned to their units. It's bad for moral and makes the rest of the men uneasy when wondering if he'll break and run again.

[–] PVarjak 15 years ago

Yes, but is there any reference between the time he 'runs away' and the time we see him, near the end of the movie, in Bastogne serving the hot food, etc.? I missed any references to him for a long period of time. He just seems to disappear and then reappear much later.

[–] surface6669 15 years ago

Bastogne was surrounded, so there was nowhere for these kind of battle fatigue cases to go I would think.