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The Ship isn’t PT-218
Perhaps the biggest blunder in the movie is the fact that the ship in question isn’t actually PT-218, but rather the SS Lawton B. Evans Liberty ship. The real PT-218 blows up in the opening stages of the battle.
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Find out moreThe Rebels of PT-218, also known as ‘PT-218: the Rebels of WWII’ is a modern action movie that has been widely criticised and scrutinised.
Loosely inspired by the events that set up the Allied invasion of Italy and the Battle of Anzio – as well as Operation Avalanche, the Battle of Salerno and the fight for Monte Cassino – this sea-faring B-Movie struggles to balance engagement and entertainment value with the harsh realities of war, and the real-life struggles that led to the fall of the Gustav Line.
Its overall approach might lead us to question: ‘How accurately do we now portray the Second World War in general, and the grim battles that paved the way for Allied victory?’
The Second World War has always been a tough subject to capture accurately, due to the complex history behind the tactical decisions that altered the tides of the conflict.
Often depicted as a gritty on-the-ground conflict (which it was), Hollywood nonetheless often forgets to recognise the value of strategic decisions made behind the front lines, and those that may be more thoughtful and political than ‘gung-ho’.
These details were often the true factors in determining how the war progressed, yet the finer points can often go overlooked on screen.
Enter The Rebels of PT-218 – a military, navy thriller that boils the success of the Allies paving the way to Italy down to a bunch of badass dudes on a boat.
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The Rebels Of PT-218 (2021) - Official Trailer
Starring B-Movie action regulars Eric Roberts, Danny Trejo, and Billy Baldwin, The Rebels of PT-218 was released in the summer of 2021, and is based on the real-life heroic actions of the crew of the SS Lawton B. Evans, a Liberty cargo ship that assisted in the advancement of the Allied troops landing on the shores of Salerno, and the eventual assault on the winter line.
As IMDB summarises: “At the height of WWII, the Atlantic Ocean [in reality, the ship was stationed in the Mediterranean Sea] becomes a deadly battleground, as an American torpedo boat fights against the constant bombardment of German forces.”
PT boat gunner with a twin .50 caliber
Developed by The Asylum, a Hollywood studio well known for their classic B-grade films, this movie might not be the most comfortable watch for history veterans (or general action fans to be fair, given the CGI is often as choppy as the waters they’re sailing on).
Lack of material expertise is perhaps the biggest flaw it suffers from, if it wanted to spin a serious depiction of a real-life story.
Roberts’ character Lt. William Snow starts off smartly, acknowledging the fact that the ship really should hold its line rather than fight – due to the ship being an actual cargo vessel.
However, the exciting notion of joining the assault ends up overshadowing this, leading to an almost destroyer-esque portrayal of the ship – and it becoming the actual leader of the offensive.
This Hollywood action viewpoint could be considered poetic licence, but probably not realistic, as it pushes a cargo ship as the centre of attention and importance in a much more widespread mission.
Perhaps surprisingly, the movie does a decent job for its setting – it was filmed on an actual Liberty Ship (the SS Lane Victory, a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars). This allowed for an accurate portrayal of most of the indoor environments.
Although the movie is quite liberal with the use of artistic licence, given the need for action scenes and thrilling naval warfare, cargo ships of this kind did often mount a fight against hostile shore batteries and German aeroplanes, using 100mm deck guns or anti-air machine guns.
The movie focuses very little on the actions of the entire ship crew itself, and tries to stay afloat based purely on the main characters – who are recognisable actors. The real naval battles involved a huge company of sailors who bravely fought the German forces as they approached the marshlands of Anzio and Nettuno. The sheer scale of that combined effort is missing here.
You can often observe cuts to Sicily through the use of stock video – which throws off the realism by a considerable margin. Someone in modern shorts and a T-shirt can clearly be seen at one point.
Some of the uniform designs are also incorrect – while WW2 weapons are mixed with modern guns such as Glock pistols, and so on.
Army band aboard SS Lawton B. Evans in 1943
When developing any movie that refers to important moments from the past, a sound portrayal requires accuracy. However, the filmmakers did not reportedly opt for the services of a history specialist, who could consult on the content being used.
Although the SS Lawton B. Evans did play an important part in the Battle of Anzio as a modified cargo ship, it did not in fact hunt down German U-boats or battle destroyer class battleships, which most likely would have been a tough encounter for it to survive on its own.
Although the movie describes the setting of the warfare happening in the North Atlantic Ocean, the SS Lawton B. Evans was never stationed there, and the real Battle of Anzio never happened in that vicinity. Instead, it occurred near the shores of Anzio in the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
USS Hornet with PT-28 and PT-29
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The Ship isn’t PT-218
Perhaps the biggest blunder in the movie is the fact that the ship in question isn’t actually PT-218, but rather the SS Lawton B. Evans Liberty ship. The real PT-218 blows up in the opening stages of the battle.
Sharing the stage with big names
The SS Lane Victory, which provided a filming location for the parts of the movie on the ship itself, has also been a stage for several iconic movies, such as Gone in 60 seconds, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Pearl Harbor, and even Titanic.
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