I know the plot may be a little far-fetched, but this is still a very involving and entertaining film. It takes place near the end of World War II when most of central Europe is secure and USO troupes are busy entertaining the Allied troops. A Philharmonic Orchestra on a USO tour ends up in Belgium and encounters a pocket of Nazi soldiers. Captured, the orchestra is to be exterminated after the General (Maxmillian Schell) wangles a personal concert out of the arrogant conductor (Charlton Heston). The mind games between these two, regarding the staging of a concert is part of the fun. The music is great, adding to the tension and enjoyment of the film. It holds up very well after 40 plus years. It works both as an action film and a character study. Anton Diffring stands out in a very fine cast. Topnotch!
BEWARE the DVD: I ordered the DVD from a company I will not name nd it was of very poor quality. The film, which is in color, was dark and black most of the way through and the focus was not sharp. The sound was low-fi, fuzzy and unacceptable to my criteria. We need to wait for Universal to put out a decent print. Don't waste your money on this one!
BEWARE the DVD: I ordered the DVD from a company I will not name nd it was of very poor quality. The film, which is in color, was dark and black most of the way through and the focus was not sharp. The sound was low-fi, fuzzy and unacceptable to my criteria. We need to wait for Universal to put out a decent print. Don't waste your money on this one!