Hornets’ Nest

In 1944, the village of Reanoto is slaughtered by the SS under Major Taussig after villagers aid the Italian resistance. The massacre wipes out the population, and only a group of boys aged 7 to 14 survive, witnessing the horror. Aldo emerges as their leader, and they vow revenge.

A detachment of US Army paratrooper saboteurs drops into the area to destroy a strategic dam before the Fifth Army advances. German forces ambush the drop zone and kill nearly all the paratroopers, leaving Captain Turner unconscious but alive in the trees. The Germans seize the demolition gear from the dead Americans.

Aldo and his friends find Turner and spirit him away from the ambush. They realize he needs medical attention and kidnap a German doctor, Bianca Freedling, to nurse Turner back to health, keeping Bianca captive while he recovers. This fragile alliance seeds their plan for revenge.

Turner uses the opportunity to train the boys in weapon use and battlefield tactics. The group raids von Hecht's headquarters to reclaim the captured demolition gear, killing SS Rottenführer Gunther in the process. Aldo carefully hides the detonators for the planned attack.

Turner and Bianca approach the dam to assess the sabotage plan. In a tense moment, Bianca tries to stab Turner, and he drags her into cover to prevent harm. The encounter signals a darker turn in their uneasy alliance.

Standartenführer Jannings orders a crackdown on Turner and his 'Dead End Kids' after Gunther's death. Von Hecht is placed under Taussig's command, and regular troops are reassigned to guard a tunnel as Turner plans his next strike.

Turner and the boys mount a surprise assault on Taussig's men at the SS headquarters, slaughtering many and demonstrating the boys' willingness to kill. The raid marks a escalation in the war against the Germans and tests Turner’s leadership.

Von Hecht shoots Taussig in a dispute over the mission and then pursues Turner and the children. The German counterattack tightens around the group as they push toward their objective.

During the final approach to the dam, Aldo and his companions ignore orders and fight the guards atop the dam. Aldo becomes blood-drunk, mowing down foes with an MG42 and even killing his own friend Carlo. The moment underscores the tragedy of vengeance.

The team successfully plants the explosives and blows up the dam, causing a flood that swamps the valley. German forces are routed as American troops begin to move in, signaling a tactical victory for the resistance.

News of Carlo's death and another boy’s sacrifice weighs on Turner, who regrets involving the children. He destroys many of the remaining weapons to prevent further bloodshed, though the boys resist letting go of their weapons.

Aldo clashes with Turner over how to handle von Hecht. Turner intervenes and prevents Aldo from finishing off the German officer, choosing to resist further vengeance. The moment marks a turning point for the emotionally unraveled boy.

Turner, Bianca, von Hecht, and the surviving boys begin moving toward the approaching American column. Aldo lingers behind, and Turner forgives him, finally carrying the frightened boy to the waiting truck.

The group boards the truck with the rest of the survivors as the Americans arrive. Aldo watches, torn between vengeance and forgiveness, which Turner’s mercy seems to have begun to soften in him.