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Counterpoint (also known as The Battle Horns or The General) is an 1968 epic war film starring Charlton Heston, Maximilian Schell, and Leslie Nielsen. It is based on the novel The General by Alan Sillitoe. Lionel Evans (Charlton Heston) is the director of a well-respected symphony orchestra touring European concert halls around 1944 in WW2. In the midst of one concert, the city where they are playing is attacked by German troops, and when Evans and his musicians try to escape, they are captured by Nazi soldiers led by Col. Arndt (Anton Diffring). Evans and the orchestra are taken to a... MORE

Counterpoint (also known as The Battle Horns or The General) is an 1968 epic war film starring Charlton Heston, Maximilian Schell, and Leslie Nielsen. It is based on the novel The General by Alan Sillitoe. Lionel Evans (Charlton Heston) is the director of a well-respected symphony orchestra touring European concert halls around 1944 in WW2. In the midst of one concert, the city where they are playing is attacked by German troops, and when Evans and his musicians try to escape, they are captured by Nazi soldiers led by Col. Arndt (Anton Diffring). Evans and the orchestra are taken to a castle where they are to bide their time before being executed; but it turns out that Arndt's superior, Gen. Schiller (Maximilian Schell), is a big classical music fan. Schiller commands Evans and his symphony to prepare a special concert for the Nazis, but Evans realizes that the moment the concert is over, he and his musicians will be killed. The orchestra's performances, which include works by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, and Schubert, were performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Also known as: West Germany : Der Befehl Sweden : I krigets järngrepp Denmark : Krigens LESS