SteinMo
What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Lachlan Coulson
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
drystyx
On one hand, I could sum up the film in a few words of praise. Or I could write an entire book on it. It's that deep, and full of all the elements that make a film great.It's just hard to find a place between the two to write a brief review. I'll try by using a few examples.First, the story. It's about recruiting and using German prisoners to spy on Germany during World War II. This is before the "information age", a day when telephone calls were the quickest source of information. The Allies want to learn where certain German units will be.We get the essence of troops always being in movement many times.In fact, the film does an excellent job of showing much about the war, the bleakness, the chaos, the police state, the need to suppress caring too much.While I don't cotton much to story board artists being along to dictate the story, here our director and actors are perfect craftsmen, who use the storyboard to perfection, letting the images do much of the talking.While the story is narrated by Basehart, it is Werner who is the feature player. While all the characters are expertly handled, four men and two women are obviously the dramatic focus.The two women include a German woman who meets Werner while he is spying, and has lived through traumatic experiences. She demonstrates her emotions loudly. The other woman is a gorgeous babe who helps train Werner, and who reluctantly agrees he is a good choice to use in the upcoming mission. Her emotions are bottled, to the moment he leaves for the mission. It is a great scene where she is the one who gives him the supplies he will need for his dangerous quest.The four men are handled in what we see work very well as a military drama. Two men in charge, and two underlings. Of the two in charge, Merrill is the most sympathetic. He becomes a perfect symbol for "symbolism", for the world of intrigue and spying, in a clever use of unlit cigarettes, striking the pose accepted by all Americans for military coolness and strength, yet never having the cigarette lit. "you know I don't smoke" he says. This becomes the symbol for the very unit he operates.Basehart is the cynical one. While Merrill believes the honest Werner character makes the better spy, Basehart, for some reason, thinks he can trust a liar more. The Basehart character has a lot to learn, and he does learn.The characters are as three dimensional as they come. Based on a true story, it has the look and feel of staying very close to the truth. It is a sad story, and we know how it will end, but the efforts of our heroes are full of the pathos and wonder that one only sees in other fact based films like "The Bridges at Toko Ri" or ones from naturally gifted writers with first hand knowledge. In fact, the pathos is quite similar to Toko Ri.One thing baffles me. Why is this film not listed in more top 250 lists? I don't think it's capable of getting a "bad review", and any low rating would have to be looked at with bewilderment. This is the exact sort of film that movie makers strive to achieve.
RanchoTuVu
Close to the end of WW2, the US military recruits Nazi defectors from the ranks of German POW's to return to Germany as spies. Klaus Kinski makes a brief appearance during the interview process, but his character is rejected. Who is accepted to participate in this mission is incomparable Oskar Werner as Corporal Karl Maurer who is given the code name Happy. It's an ironic name for such a serious actor. He's perfect for the part in this heavy film set largely in the destruction of bombed out cities. Such a setting makes it difficult for the Germans to actually capture him, as when they are on to his trail, the aerial Allied bombings begin again. There are lots of places to hide amidst the treacherous ruins of the near collapsing buildings.Yet the Germans try to maintain discipline to the very end, as a deserter is hanged and his body is left for all to see. The film uses the destruction in which it is set and reminds us of how things change when the peace time environment becomes lost amidst the destruction. Werner goes through several meetings with Germans, the best being the Colonel who orders the deserter to be hanged, and another with the tragic character played by Hildegard Knef, whom he meets in a bar. Amidst the desperation still lurks a couple of true Nazi believers, one played quite well by Wilfred Seyferth as Heinz Scholtz, a dangerous SS man who befriends the traitor Werner. The film is overwhelmingly stark and lacks any sense of humor whatsoever, but in my book that just adds to the overall effect, much like some of the Cold War era spy films, such as The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.
kenjha
Near the end of WWII, the US Army gets German POWs to spy against their own country. Filmed on location in Europe, this is a solidly made drama under the capable direction of Litvak, his follow-up to "The Snake Pit." It features fine acting by Werner as a German prisoner and Basehart and Merrill as American officers. However, the script is a letdown. After an extended exposition where the Americans hatch the plan to use the German POWs for espionage, much of the middle part of the film is devoted to Werner carrying out his mission in Germany. None of it is very interesting, although it has an exciting finish. Given the lackluster script, the film becomes a drag.
dusan-22
Nice war movie from the old Hollywood school. Pretty modern style of filming, if movie wasn't black and white the one could say that it was from the last decades. Just a fast talking acting style of one or two actors that is typical for the beginning of the Sound film era in Hollywood makes you aware on how this movie really old is. Clever camera, fast and engaging rhythm, tense as a thriller at the times. Pretty convincing acting, very good casting and fantastic war recreation for that time, city in ruins and AA guns look like real. Film is ruined by German characters speaking English language with German accents, making the good actors look like clowns and the whole film like some History Channel show. Also, definition of the main character in the film is somehow lost until the end itself since there is no interaction between separate stories of the characters during the whole film, we are losing two of three main heroes for the whole hour. Worth to mention that movie is pushing strong American propaganda stereotype established by its father Franc Capra: There is no "Prelude to war" hear, but the reason "Why we fought" and black and white distinguishing of good and bad made by the winners. Or should I say one of the winners, since this film as many others made in that era ignores by all means the others (especially Soviet Union - country which really military defeated Nazi Germany) on the very careful and clever way. 7 out of 10, recommended.
