This World War II melodrama – approached from the distaff side – is set in Nazi-menaced Yugoslavia during 1943 and concerns five Yugoslav women who are punished by partisans for consorting with a German. They subsequently join the guerrillas but still allow their hearts to rule their heads.
ln 1943, five Yugoslav girls – Jovanka (Silvana Mangano), Daniza (Vera Miles), Marja (Barbara Bel Geddes), Ljuba (Jeanne Moreau) and Mira (Carla Gravina) – have their hair shorn by partisans for fraternising with Sergeant Keller (Steve Forrest), a member of the Nazi occupying forces.
They take to the hills and join Velko (Van Heflin), a fanatical partisan group leader, and his men – Branko (Harry Guardino), Svenko (Alex Nicol), Milko (Tiberio Mitri) and Milan (Sidney Clute).
Ljuba captures Reinhardt (Richard Basehart), a German captain, but – despite Velko’s warning that their work requires a strict moral code – Branco is attracted by Daniza. Ljuba falls for Reinhardt, and Mira discovers she is going to have Keller’s child.
Later, Branco seduces Daniza while they are on guard duty together, thus permitting a German patrol to infiltrate the encampment. The Nazis are killed, but a partisan court-martial sentences the lovers to death.
There are further shenanigans, but the partisans carry on their war against the Germans, and finally, Jovanka and Velko find romance.
The staging – like the characterisation and the dialogue – is sharp, and the combat sequences are realistic, but oh, for an occasional laugh.
Jovanka
Silvana Mangano Daniza
Vera Miles Marja
Barbara Bel Geddes Ljuba
Jeanne Moreau Mira
Carla Gravina Captain Eric Reinhardt
Richard Basehart Branko
Harry Guardino Sgt. Paul Keller
Steve Forrest Svenko
Alex Nicol Il comandante dei partigiani
Pietro Germi Mirko
Romolo Valli Milan
Sidney Clute Il partigiano della seconda brigata
Gérard Landry Boja
Teresa Pellati Il secondo jugoslavo coi tedeschi
Erwin Strahl Drago
Guido Celano La madre di Jovanka
Franca Dominici Il generale Jaeger
Tonio Selwart Il colonnello von Elm
Gérard Herter Lena
Vera Fusek Il vecchio
Aldo Silvani Milko
Tiberio Mitri Il fratello di Ljuba
Giacomo Rossi Stuart Una partigiana
Nona Medici Un partigiano
Cyrus Elias La guardia forestale
Carlo Hintermann Velko
Van Heflin
Director
Martin Ritt
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They take to the hills and join Velko (Van Heflin), a fanatical partisan group leader, and his men – Branko (Harry Guardino), Svenko (Alex Nicol), Milko (Tiberio Mitri) and Milan (Sidney Clute). 
