World War II—the war to end all wars—is full of individual stories, as Germany seemed to fall by a thousand cuts. One such “cut” is the story of British spy Katherine LaRue, as depicted in Wesley Mellott’s feature film WWII: Operation Phoenix.
Just off the coast of France, a Nazi submarine sinks an Allied freighter, capturing surviving members of the crew, including Katherine LaRue, a British spy carrying critical intelligence about a German superweapon. Her capture triggers a desperate Allied mission to rescue her and retrieve the intelligence before the Germans can exploit it.
The story flashes back to reveal Katherine’s covert operations. She uses her good looks and feminine wiles to infiltrate the highest levels of the Reich under the mentorship of British agent Henry Finn. During a botched meeting between Finn and an informant, Finn secures the valuable intel, but his courier is killed. Now, LaRue is tasked with becoming the courier.
Meanwhile, three soldiers, led by Captain Timothy Brand, make a daring escape at a nearby gulag. Though one man is lost, Brand is saved by members of a decimated French resistance group comprised mostly of women and young soldiers.
Knowing the importance of LaRue’s intelligence, the Allies launched “Operation Phoenix,” a daring rescue led by Major Murphy. With support from the local resistance and Captain Brand’s knowledge of the gulag, the team executes a high-stakes plan to liberate Katherine. The mission faces relentless Nazi pressure, with Colonel Schtein determined to deliver LaRue to the Third Reich officers she scorned. As battles rage on multiple fronts, the operation becomes pivotal for Allied victory.
I love that indie films can competently handle World War II stories, and WWII: Operation Phoenix is a perfect example of this. We already have films like The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan to showcase sweeping depictions of tanks and trench warfare, but Operation Phoenix immerses us in the smaller world of skirmishes and military espionage.
For a low-budget film, Operation Phoenix offers a myriad of locations, making this indie production feel expansive. We open on a sea freighter, then shift to a German gulag. Add in large battlefields, a prison yard, and both Axis and Allied briefing rooms; you see there’s a lot of story to tell.
Operation Phoenix shines in its handling of a sprawling narrative from several perspectives. The cast is quite large, with strong performances from Suzy Alden as Katherine LaRue, Eric Supensky as Major Murphy, and Richard Lyntton as German Colonel Schtein. Lyntton reminds us that Nazis are not good people. The supporting cast delivers solid performances, though some exhibit inexperience as actors.
In the end, WWII: Operation Phoenix reminds me of a low-budget The Great Escape. Though its low budget prevents it from reaching the heights of that classic, it remains another compelling story of the brave men and women willing to risk everything for a greater cause.
WWII: Operation Phoenix comes to VOD on December 3, 2024.
"…love that indie films can competently handle World War II stories..."
