Interesting thriller set in a POW camp in Italy, with discreet yet well-executed cinematography throughout. The exceptionally chosen cast, including the presence of a young Michael Caine in a minor role, is very believable and performs superbly through a simple yet well-narrated storyline. The good, classically styled cinematography, well-structured dialogues with a good dose of English humor, precise camera work without technical showing-off, make this movie a classic in its genre and a delight for enthusiasts of war themes.
Perhaps life in the POW camp has been overly idealized, and the movie doesn't faithfully depict how harsh life has been for many prisoners in these camps. It might slightly trivialize the daily struggles the internees had to endure. However, it's worth noting that this is a comedy, not a documentary. Especially considering that at the time of filming, the relationships between countries-Italy, the United Kingdom, and partially France-were already of allied nations closely collaborating within NATO.
As is often the case in British productions, Italians don't come off entirely well. Even though in this film, they haven't been entirely ridiculed in their manners, undoubtedly, the highly successful ending with the escape of an entire camp isn't something that can be considered a fair portrayal of Italians, especially considering this is a historical fiction, and such an escape never occurred in any Italian camp under those circumstances.
Perhaps life in the POW camp has been overly idealized, and the movie doesn't faithfully depict how harsh life has been for many prisoners in these camps. It might slightly trivialize the daily struggles the internees had to endure. However, it's worth noting that this is a comedy, not a documentary. Especially considering that at the time of filming, the relationships between countries-Italy, the United Kingdom, and partially France-were already of allied nations closely collaborating within NATO.
As is often the case in British productions, Italians don't come off entirely well. Even though in this film, they haven't been entirely ridiculed in their manners, undoubtedly, the highly successful ending with the escape of an entire camp isn't something that can be considered a fair portrayal of Italians, especially considering this is a historical fiction, and such an escape never occurred in any Italian camp under those circumstances.