The Colditz Story
Dir: Guy Hamilton
1955
****
When you think of World War II POW escape movies most think of The Great Escape first. I know I do anyway. Guy Hamilton's The Colditz Story comes a very close second. It may not have the huge global cast but it does have some of the greats including John Mills, Eric Portman, Lionel Jeffries, Ian Carmichael and the often overlooked (and a personal favorite) Richard Wattis. While The Great Escape was about the tactics of escape, The Colditz Story celebrates the cooperation of allies during the war and the politics of a prisoner of War. The only fault with The Colditz Story is perhaps the lack of brutality. Made just over a decade after the real events, it was maybe seen as a little too soon for 100% realism. One thing it does have plenty of though is the spirit of those brave men who never gave up and took whatever came to them with distinguished defiance.