The Ritchie Boys

In times of mercenary warfare, it seems outlandish that any recruit would fight out of profound conviction. But this film’s German refugees--turned--U.S. soldiers, who met at a Maryland training camp in the early ’40s, shared a personal vendetta against Hitler; “I despise all wars,” one avows, “but this was different.” Though Christian Bauer’s compilation of interviews lacks a strong narrative thread, these wise patriots—many of them intellectuals and artists—endear themselves as they proudly recall defending the country that gave them a second chance. (Opens Fri; Quad.) — Hank Shteamer