If only Soviet prison camps were like this! You'd think that not even German guilt would water-down the depiction of life in Soviet captivity like this. Apparently, the producers thought it plausible that a German prisoner could have an affair with a lovely Russian camp commandantrix.
The movie contains no combat scenes or anything else of interest to war buffs (except some brief stock footage of devastated Stalingrad), just the story of a saintly older German surgeon helping his comrades and captors.
The movie is similar to "Stalag 17" and "King Rat" but much milder. Still, I suppose it does give an idea of life in Soviet captivity for German POWs (many of whom returned in the 1950s, if at all). Sadly, the movie lacks realism, has lots of clichés, and doesn't do this interesting (and largely ignored) subject justice.
But then again, it was made in 1958, and is similar to Hollywood movies of the time. Nice B&W cinematography, too.
The movie contains no combat scenes or anything else of interest to war buffs (except some brief stock footage of devastated Stalingrad), just the story of a saintly older German surgeon helping his comrades and captors.
The movie is similar to "Stalag 17" and "King Rat" but much milder. Still, I suppose it does give an idea of life in Soviet captivity for German POWs (many of whom returned in the 1950s, if at all). Sadly, the movie lacks realism, has lots of clichés, and doesn't do this interesting (and largely ignored) subject justice.
But then again, it was made in 1958, and is similar to Hollywood movies of the time. Nice B&W cinematography, too.