Review of Stalag 17 (1953) by Max N — 21 Apr 2008

William Holden won his only Oscar for his performance in this film, which was a little surprising to me seeing as he has less screen time and dialogue compared to the other actors. Yet, "Stalag 17" has an undeniable power when he's on screen and the central plot line of the film revolves around whether or not his character is a rat for the Germans.

In a career full of masterpieces, this film compares well to any that Billy Wilder ever did - it's memorable because it plays around with conventions for WW 2 prison films ("The Great Escape" comes immediately to mind).

The film does begin with an escape attempt, yet it's not really about escaping from prison. It's a funny film, surprisingly so and I think that's what Wilder was going for. The supporting cast (especially Strauss and Lembeck) supply most of the laughs, with Holden's cynical Sefton acting as a terrific counterpoint (although he has some great one-liners also).

As with most prison films that I've seen, I think the film drags a bit in the middle, especially after the audience discovers who the rat is - the dancing scene goes on for a little bit too long. I suppose this is Wilder's way of letting the audience where they are situated - despite the laughs, the setting is still a German WW 2 prison camp.

Other than that, this is a very well crafted film with great performances, both lead and supporting. Holden, especially, is terrific.