History Film / HornetsNest

* AntiHero: Turner, who unhesitatingly arms children and trains them to kill and even [[spoiler:commits rape at one point]].
** Scarpi, as well. [[spoiler:He vengefully shoots a captured Partisan who sold them out, even though the guy was obviously ''forced'' to talk.]]

* AntiVillain: Captain von Hecht is a Type I. A ruthless but honorable German officer unhappily serving an evil regime.

* AntiVillain: Captain von Hecht. A ruthless but honorable German officer unhappily serving an evil regime.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: For the most part, Turner doesn't dwell on the fact he's arming preteen kids and teaching them how to kill. It's only after [[spoiler:Silvio]] dies in his arms that he wonders if he did the right thing. [[spoiler:Carlo's]] death results in him taking away the kids' guns and breaking them all in a rage.

It's WorldWarII. In the Italian village of [[DoomedHometown Reanoto]], the [[ThoseWackyNazis SS]] under the command of the cruel Major Taussig massacres the entire adult population while a group of children look on from nearby. Not long afterward, a group of American soldiers led by [[TheStoic the stoic]] Captain [[AntiHero Turner]] (Rock Hudson) are to parachute in for a top-secret commando mission, but are waylaid by German forces led by the stern, no-nonsense [[TheGoodCaptain Captain]] [[AntiVillain von Hecht]]. Only Turner survives, and barely. He's found by the kids from Reanoto, who are led by the borderline psychotic Aldo.

* DeadLittleSister: Aldo has one.

* AntiHero: Both Turner and Aldo. Scarpi, as well. [[spoiler:He vengefully shoots a captured Partisan who sold them out, even though the guy was obviously ''forced'' to talk.]]
* AntiVillain: Captain von Hecht.

* SmokingIsCool:

* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:Bianca spends much of the movie as a meek civilian blind to the Nazis' crimes, trying to avoid confrontation and letting herself get walked all over by Turner and the boys, even sexually assaulted by them. However, when Silvio dies defending her and the younger children from some attacking German soldiers, she grabs up his gun and mows all of her countrymen down in a fit of rage over the boy's death. Even Turner is shocked.]]

* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:Bianca spends much of the movie as a meek civilian blind to the Nazis' crimes, trying to avoid confrontation and letting herself get walked all over by Turner and the boys, even sexually assaulted by them. However, when Silvio dies defending her and the younger children from some attacking German soldiers, she grabs up his gun and mows all of her countrymen down in a fit of rage over the boy's death. Even Turner is shocked. Bianca even later finds it in herself to snidely rain on Turner's parade by pointing out that the Nazis can just rebuild the dam he blew up.]]

* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:Bianca spends much of the movie as a meek civilian trying to avoid confrontation and letting herself get walked all over by Turner and the boys, even sexually assaulted by them. However, when Silvio dies defending her and the younger children from some attacking German soldiers, she grabs up his gun and mows all of her countrymen down in a fit of rage over the boy's death. Even Turner is shocked. She even later finds it in herself to snidely rain on Turner's parade by pointing out that the Nazis can just rebuild the dam he blew up.]]

* SmokingIsCool: Half the cast is seen puffing away. Even the kids.
-->'''[=Turner=]''': [''as Aldo offers him some Lucky Strikes''] I see you smoke my brand.
* SmugSnake: Taussig. Aldo also has some elements of this.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: With Turner's help, the kids essentially do a drive-by on SS headquarters and kill everything that moves.

* WouldNotShootACivilian: Von Hecht considers killing civilians dishonorable and it's one of the reasons he hates the SS. However, he considers Partisans fair game and isn't above using the threat of being turned over to the SS to entice Italian civilians not to harbor or aid them.

* WouldNotShootACivilian: Von Hecht considers killing civilians dishonorable, however, he isn't above using the threat of being turned over to the SS to entice Italian civilians not to harbor Turner.

* RapeDiscretionShot: When Turner forces himself on Bianca, it cuts away.

** The {{Novelization}} has its own ActionPrologue in the form of a bit of AdaptationExpansion where Turner and his team prepare to take on the Della Norte Dam by attacking a different, Allied-held dam under the supervision of a guy named Major Darcy, with American troops standing in for German ones.

* InTheBack: Turner's preferred method of dispatching unsuspecting Germans. This is also how Bianca attempts to kill him at one point.

* AllThereInTheManual: Some of the more [[LostInMediaRes inexplicable elements]] of the film are [[AdaptationExpansion expanded upon]] in the {{Novelization}}.

* AllThereInTheManual: Some of the more inexplicable elements of the film are given proper explanation in the {{Novelization}}.

* RapeAsDrama: Aldo and some of the older boys try to force themselves on Bianca when she won't treat Turner because he's an enemy soldier. [[spoiler: Turner saves her, but later it's very strongly implied he rapes her himself. The scene cuts away, though, and it's worth noting that in Michael Avallone's novelization, the sex is consensual.]]

* InMediaRes

* LostInMediasRes

* FascistItaly