Review of Stalag 17 (1953) by Scott K — 14 Jan 2008
This film takes place in December 1944 in a prisoner of war camp behind German lines. It's not a typical POW movie in that many of the scenes are light hearted and the prisoners do not seem to suffer much at the hands of their captors.
The humour in this film is due to the great Billy Wilder who directed the film and cowrote the screen play. Wilder has a talent for comedy and this film certainly benefits from it.
William Holden plays Sefton, a POW who is an expert at working the system. His excellent performance in this role won him the Academy Award in 1954. There are a number of character actors, such as Harvey Lembeck and Robert Strauss, that bring a comedic touch to the film. Peter Graves of "Mission Impossible" fame also has a small role.
This film, with its own unique take on a POW camp, could not likely get made today. It's provides an interesting contrast with the very realistic films about World War II that have been made in the last 10 or 15 years. This film is worth watching for this different experience and to see the excellent work of Billy Wilder and William Holden.
This review of Stalag 17 (1953) was written by Scott K on 14 Jan 2008.
Stalag 17 has generally received very positive reviews.
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