An interesting war film that differs from others in a number of ways. Firstly,the plot concerns German prisoners of war held in a POW camp in Scotland planning an escape. While many films have featured Allied POWs, it's quite rare to find one that focuses on Germans held in captivity (Hardy Kruger as "The one that got away" is another example). Secondly, the Germans actually speak in German as opposed to some studio manufactured pidgin English. This adds a welcome note of authenticity so often missing from big name war movies made around the same time. The cut that I've seen on British TV was certainly subtitled. I note that another reviewer had the misfortune to watch a non-subtitled version - he has my sympathy! Another interesting point is that - in a subplot - the film has a gay German POW being persecuted and subsequently murdered by his own compatriots. Whether this actually happened and how much of the film is based on fact I'm not sure. However, the Nazi persecution of homosexuals is well-documented, but not often seen on the screen. It must have been a fairly bold move for a film made in 1970 to address this. There are some loopholes, but it remains well-acted and intriguing.
21 Reviews
WWII story about a plot by German POWs to escape from Scottish concentration camp
ma-cortes11 March 2011
Awesome , tense warlike movie with memorable images and outstanding acting by some well-known faces . This is a splendid film that succeeds largely because of particularly nice interpretations , it deals with a daring breakout from inescapable Scottish concentration camp carried out by Nazi officers incarnated by a good star cast and magnificently realized by Lamont Johnson . It's partially based on facts adapted by William Norton from a bestselling written by Sidney Shelley titled ¨The Bowmanville break¨ . The continuous escapes have caused the British staff ordered 'putting all the rotten eggs in one basket' as the officer prisoners are reunited into a special concentration camp called McKenzie , being commanded by a hard-drinking Major Perry (Ian Hendry) who efforts to stifle riots of the wily Nazis . Irish Intelligence captain named Connor (Brian Keith) , a special troubleshooter , is sent by General Kerr (Jack Watson ) to Scotland for resolving conflicts in the problematic camp . Connor suspects astute captain Schlueter (Helmut Griem) of being the mastermind behind the scheme about a mass escape and he is supposed to stop the action . It deals with hard preparatives of a diverse group formed by Doenitz's U-boat officers and Luffwaffe air officers and soldiers mounting a dangerous getaway from a barbed-wired and strongly controlled camp . The most part of the film concerns on the elaborated process of secretly digging an underground tunnel and the last one deals with spectacular breakout and effort the approx. twenty and some escaped prisoners throughout Scotland trying to make their bid to freedom .
This exciting story contains thrills, intrigue, tension, excitement galore, entertainment and lots of fun . Suspenseful WWII drama about a concentration camp from a German point of sight , it packs exceptional plethora of prestigious actors as British as German incarnating the motley group of POWs , all of them giving good acting and support , as Helmut Griem as U-boat Squadron leader who plans the massive breakout as Ian Hendry as serious Major and of course a sensational Brian Keith whose character , an arrogant Intelligence officer is sent to foil the getaway attempts . The picture belongs to a genre that has given classics as ¨The great escape¨, ¨Stalag 17¨, ¨Escape from Colditz¨, ¨Escape from Sorbibor¨ and many others . Colorful, atmospheric cinematography by Michael Reed , Hammer Production's usual ; it is shot in Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow,Ireland ,Santa Monica, California, USA ,Turkey and photography being perfectly remastered . Excellent production design and art direction with evocative sets from concentration camp and barbwire . Rousing and lively soundtrack by Riz Ortalani . This well executed motion picture is well directed by Lamont Johnson . Rating : Two thumbs up , essential and indispensable watching , a real must see for its strong characterizations and interesting issues .
This exciting story contains thrills, intrigue, tension, excitement galore, entertainment and lots of fun . Suspenseful WWII drama about a concentration camp from a German point of sight , it packs exceptional plethora of prestigious actors as British as German incarnating the motley group of POWs , all of them giving good acting and support , as Helmut Griem as U-boat Squadron leader who plans the massive breakout as Ian Hendry as serious Major and of course a sensational Brian Keith whose character , an arrogant Intelligence officer is sent to foil the getaway attempts . The picture belongs to a genre that has given classics as ¨The great escape¨, ¨Stalag 17¨, ¨Escape from Colditz¨, ¨Escape from Sorbibor¨ and many others . Colorful, atmospheric cinematography by Michael Reed , Hammer Production's usual ; it is shot in Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow,Ireland ,Santa Monica, California, USA ,Turkey and photography being perfectly remastered . Excellent production design and art direction with evocative sets from concentration camp and barbwire . Rousing and lively soundtrack by Riz Ortalani . This well executed motion picture is well directed by Lamont Johnson . Rating : Two thumbs up , essential and indispensable watching , a real must see for its strong characterizations and interesting issues .
Nobody Wins.
rmax30482317 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Basically the story of a duel of wits between a German submarine captain (Helmut Griem), ranking officer in a Scottish POW camp, and an Irish captain in the British army (Brian Keith) who is sent to administer the camp and investigate the reasons for the POWs riotous behavior. It develops that Griem is organizing the escape of 28 submariners because Germany needs experienced crewmen. The escape is successful. It leaves poor Brian Keith behind. Until the very end, that is, when the escapees are discovered boarding a U-boat off the Scottish coast and, alerted by Keith, a British patrol boat interferes with the escape. The U-boat submerges with most of the escapees aboard already, but it leaves Griem and a few others behind in their rubber boats. Keith, watching the events from atop a cliff, is given the last words. "Well, Willi, it looks like both you and I are in the ****house." Interesting film in which nobody really wins. One or two dozen German sailors manage to get away, but to what? Another U-boat patrol? After May, 1943, those patrols were suicide missions. And it's unusual to see Brian Keith, as a genial, quiet, thoughtful Irishman outwitted by a ruthless German like Griem. And he IS ruthless. Unnecessarily ruthless. One of those dedicated Nazis who kills his comrades without compunction in order to ensure the success of his mission. The role is really pretty retrograde, harking back as it does to the Gestapo spies of the 1940s. Other than his tendency to humiliate and kill such skanks as homosexuals, Griem, with his handsomeness and overall Aryan quality, exudes a good deal of charm. He and Keith listen to a recording of Beethoven's third symphony. "Toscanini?" asks Griem. Keith nods and comments with a smile, "Furtwangler did it better." (Furtwangler was not only a German conductor, but a German conductor who played footsies with the Nazis.) The thrust and parry extends to prison yard scenes as well. There's quite a bit of action.
It must have been filmed in Scotland. I don't blame Griem and the rest for wanting to escape from there. Whew. What dreary weather -- clouds, rain, constant dampness and chill. Not to blame the DP. The atmosphere is perfectly captured in the photography.
Anyway, is this story "based on fact," as they say? If so, it leaves a couple of questions unanswered that wouldn't otherwise be necessary to ask. Eg., where did they get the truck for hauling "explosives"?
It must have been filmed in Scotland. I don't blame Griem and the rest for wanting to escape from there. Whew. What dreary weather -- clouds, rain, constant dampness and chill. Not to blame the DP. The atmosphere is perfectly captured in the photography.
Anyway, is this story "based on fact," as they say? If so, it leaves a couple of questions unanswered that wouldn't otherwise be necessary to ask. Eg., where did they get the truck for hauling "explosives"?
Outstanding
Karl Self21 October 2001
Whereas many supposedly modern films such as `Saving Private Ryan' play along a clear black - and - white scheme (us = good decent chaps, Germans inhuman war robots), `The McKenzie Break' goes down a different path; neither of the central characters is readily likeable or even understandable. Captain Jack Connor is an Irishman fighting on the side of the British Army, a maverick by his personality and origin and yet a representative of the status quo. His antagonist Kapitän Willi Schlüter is a fanatical Nazi, yet we unwillingly sympathize with him because, young and sharp - witted, he is a prisoner desperately trying to break free.
Because the film does not force a constructed morality on the viewer, it is truthful and keeps us in suspense; we are never able to predict the ending or even the next turn of events. `The McKenzie' break is truly a neglected gem, an honest, engaging and intelligent movie that stands out among its genre.
Because the film does not force a constructed morality on the viewer, it is truthful and keeps us in suspense; we are never able to predict the ending or even the next turn of events. `The McKenzie' break is truly a neglected gem, an honest, engaging and intelligent movie that stands out among its genre.
An allegory about the death of Empire, and a thrilling POW film in its own right.(possible spoilers)
the red duchess24 April 2001
Warning: Spoilers
'The McKenzie Break' is very much in the tradition of the POW movie that seemingly dominated British screens in the 1950s. There is the same elaborate tunnelling; the same stand-off between Brit and Nazi, prisoner and commandant; an introduction of a theatrical scene to emphasise the idea of role-playing to deceive one's enemy. There is the same pitting a maverick officer against his staid, by-the-book superior. There is the tense, suspenseful escape scene, and a rejection of easy, American-style heroics. Character is reduced to short-hand.
Despite the greater mobility and fluidity of the camerawork, making certain scenes very vivid, the film's violence belongs more to the 1950s than the blood-soaked era of Peckinpah and Penn; and there is absolutely no swearing, even in those more permissive times. The whole film has that admirably dour emphasis on the literal mechanics of plot - of getting the job done - which is unglamorous, but has an integrity that gives you an illusion of realism, and makes the lollipops of escape, suspense or action all the more satisfying.
So with the exception of colour, there is very little difference between 'Break' and all those 1950s films invariably starring John Mills and Richards Attenborough and Todd. It even begins with a time-honoured shot, a god's eye view of the camp from the surveilling post, emphasising the see-all power of the confining power. Of course, this surveillance has only access to the surface of things; the escape route is under ground.
This is also a metaphor for the game of wits, between the Germans and their respective captors, Major Parry and Captain Conner. Parry, like his sentry, can only see the surface of things, and hence his impasse, symptomatic, as he admits, of his general mediocrity. Conner's job is to look behind the surface: as a crime reporter he is used to infiltrating the underworld; now he must literally search under this world of the first shot. Conner's former job gives the film the air of a transposed policier, with the wily old Inspector trying to nab a fiendishly clever criminal. This point is brought out by the decoy use of police made by the prisoners in the escape.
There are a couple of incidental, non-structural changes to the old format that completely revolutionise it. The prisoners are German. Further, they are not sympathetic, non-Nazi Germans as in 'Das Boot', but the kind of glassy fanatics with no compunction in slitting an honourable colleague's neck. And yet they are subversive, attempting to overthrow an established order - the opening scene where they group like striking workers and tackle the soldiers regrouping like shielded police, that must have had an ironic frisson only two years after 1968.
In the 1950s POW movies, there was never any attempt to make the soldiers likable - they were tough professionals doing their job; the fact of their Britishness and the shared experience of the war gave the audience the involvement and emotion absent from the films themselves. Narrative logic suggests that we will be on the side of the prisoners, the people who are trying to provoke action - the essence of film - not contain it. And when they do break out there is a sense of excitement, a gush of fresh air (AND surrealism, a small army of disguised Nazis driving through a sleepy Scottish town). But these are Nazis. Rarely has personal morality and narrative demands clashed so disturbingly, in so downbeat a fashion.
Further, this typical British movie marginalises the British. The one major figure - played by England's most underrated supporting player, Ian Hendry - is decent enough, but practically useless. The film is a game of chess between a Nazi and an undisciplined Irishman with little gra for order, justice or the English, just a gambling man's love of impossible odds. Maybe it's some hidden patriotism on my part, but Brian Keith is a wonder, a drunken Irishman who seems to be the only one able to establish order, but actually (deliberately?) creates chaos.
Seeing as the Irish spent the war in inglorious neutrality, and the IRA supported the Germans, you wonder what exactly the very Irish (and not Anglo-Irish, despite the Trinity College interiors) Conner's motives are - as his German rival says, the Brits have been murdering his ancestors for centuries. It is surely no accident that it was Ireland and Germany who, through a long struggle for Independence, and two World Wars, effectively destroyed the British Empire, hence their superimposition at the end. England may have won the battle...This seems to me the true subject of this excellent film.
Despite the greater mobility and fluidity of the camerawork, making certain scenes very vivid, the film's violence belongs more to the 1950s than the blood-soaked era of Peckinpah and Penn; and there is absolutely no swearing, even in those more permissive times. The whole film has that admirably dour emphasis on the literal mechanics of plot - of getting the job done - which is unglamorous, but has an integrity that gives you an illusion of realism, and makes the lollipops of escape, suspense or action all the more satisfying.
So with the exception of colour, there is very little difference between 'Break' and all those 1950s films invariably starring John Mills and Richards Attenborough and Todd. It even begins with a time-honoured shot, a god's eye view of the camp from the surveilling post, emphasising the see-all power of the confining power. Of course, this surveillance has only access to the surface of things; the escape route is under ground.
This is also a metaphor for the game of wits, between the Germans and their respective captors, Major Parry and Captain Conner. Parry, like his sentry, can only see the surface of things, and hence his impasse, symptomatic, as he admits, of his general mediocrity. Conner's job is to look behind the surface: as a crime reporter he is used to infiltrating the underworld; now he must literally search under this world of the first shot. Conner's former job gives the film the air of a transposed policier, with the wily old Inspector trying to nab a fiendishly clever criminal. This point is brought out by the decoy use of police made by the prisoners in the escape.
There are a couple of incidental, non-structural changes to the old format that completely revolutionise it. The prisoners are German. Further, they are not sympathetic, non-Nazi Germans as in 'Das Boot', but the kind of glassy fanatics with no compunction in slitting an honourable colleague's neck. And yet they are subversive, attempting to overthrow an established order - the opening scene where they group like striking workers and tackle the soldiers regrouping like shielded police, that must have had an ironic frisson only two years after 1968.
In the 1950s POW movies, there was never any attempt to make the soldiers likable - they were tough professionals doing their job; the fact of their Britishness and the shared experience of the war gave the audience the involvement and emotion absent from the films themselves. Narrative logic suggests that we will be on the side of the prisoners, the people who are trying to provoke action - the essence of film - not contain it. And when they do break out there is a sense of excitement, a gush of fresh air (AND surrealism, a small army of disguised Nazis driving through a sleepy Scottish town). But these are Nazis. Rarely has personal morality and narrative demands clashed so disturbingly, in so downbeat a fashion.
Further, this typical British movie marginalises the British. The one major figure - played by England's most underrated supporting player, Ian Hendry - is decent enough, but practically useless. The film is a game of chess between a Nazi and an undisciplined Irishman with little gra for order, justice or the English, just a gambling man's love of impossible odds. Maybe it's some hidden patriotism on my part, but Brian Keith is a wonder, a drunken Irishman who seems to be the only one able to establish order, but actually (deliberately?) creates chaos.
Seeing as the Irish spent the war in inglorious neutrality, and the IRA supported the Germans, you wonder what exactly the very Irish (and not Anglo-Irish, despite the Trinity College interiors) Conner's motives are - as his German rival says, the Brits have been murdering his ancestors for centuries. It is surely no accident that it was Ireland and Germany who, through a long struggle for Independence, and two World Wars, effectively destroyed the British Empire, hence their superimposition at the end. England may have won the battle...This seems to me the true subject of this excellent film.
A Charismatic Stone Cold Killer
bkoganbing4 August 2008
The McKenzie Break refers to a prison in Scotland during World War II where some German prisoners are very anxious to get back to the fight as they see it. This is the early war years and the only prisoners there are Luftwaffe and Sailors, more specifically prisoners taken off captured U-Boats.
McKenzie Prison is in for some big trouble, commander Ian Hendry can smell it. It's due to the presence of U-Boat captain Helmut Griem who has taken over the leadership of the prisoners unofficially. Griem plays Captain Willy Schluetter as I conceive Reinhard Heydrich to be, a handsome charismatic leader, totally dedicated to the Nazi cause and one stone cold killer.
British Intelligence in trying to get to the bottom of things sends Captain Brian Keith who from his accent I'm guessing is an Ulster Protestant. Keith's a smart guy, but just maybe a bit too smart for his own good.
The McKenzie Break is dominated by Helmut Griem as well it should be. This man has to dominate or otherwise the film would make no sense at all. As charismatic as Griem is as Schluetter, he's both fascinating and repellent. His objective is to get as many U-Boat people back into the fight. He will sacrifice everything to achieve that objective and I do mean everything.
Sad to say this film is a forgotten gem and deserves to be better remembered than it is. Catch it by all means if it's broadcast, you will enjoy the surprise ending when neither Keith or Griem get everything they want.
McKenzie Prison is in for some big trouble, commander Ian Hendry can smell it. It's due to the presence of U-Boat captain Helmut Griem who has taken over the leadership of the prisoners unofficially. Griem plays Captain Willy Schluetter as I conceive Reinhard Heydrich to be, a handsome charismatic leader, totally dedicated to the Nazi cause and one stone cold killer.
British Intelligence in trying to get to the bottom of things sends Captain Brian Keith who from his accent I'm guessing is an Ulster Protestant. Keith's a smart guy, but just maybe a bit too smart for his own good.
The McKenzie Break is dominated by Helmut Griem as well it should be. This man has to dominate or otherwise the film would make no sense at all. As charismatic as Griem is as Schluetter, he's both fascinating and repellent. His objective is to get as many U-Boat people back into the fight. He will sacrifice everything to achieve that objective and I do mean everything.
Sad to say this film is a forgotten gem and deserves to be better remembered than it is. Catch it by all means if it's broadcast, you will enjoy the surprise ending when neither Keith or Griem get everything they want.
Detailed, methodical POW drama enhanced by two good performances...
moonspinner5518 August 2010
Brian Keith is well-cast as an Irish-born Army Captain with the British forces during WWII who is penalized for some indiscretions and busted down to Intelligence Officer at a prisoner-of-war camp in Scotland; the German inmates there take their orders from a megalomaniac Nazi Kapitänleutnant, who is supervising the digging of a tunnel underneath the barracks to freedom. Although ultimately let down by the lax editing and the careful if plodding pace, this is a well-realized vision of wartime behind barbed wire. The picture runs too long and has some beleaguered plot-threads (such as the sacrificial homosexual), though the match of wits between adept, assured Keith and smug, shrewd Helmut Griem is riveting. The locations (via Ireland and Turkey) give the film a vivid and unique look, and screenwriter William Norton's dialogue is extraordinarily direct. The finale is somewhat dragged out (and far-fetched in the bargain), yet it provides for a satisfying, sardonic close. **1/2 from ****
Great Escape
sol-2 June 2017
Held in a Scottish POW camp, a group of German soldiers plot an escape while the Scots bring in an unorthodox Irish officer to work out what the Germans are plotting in this unconventional World War II movie. This is an unusual movie on a number of fronts. First off, the Germans are given more screen time and juicier characters than the Allies. Secondly, the Germans actually converse in German (with subtitles) rather than awkwardly speaking English (more common in war movies back then). Thirdly, the film attempts to show both sides of the incident, taking on the perspectives of both the German and Allied soldiers. For all its daringness to be different though, the film is not necessarily a success. It is hard to become emotionally involved in the story and find someone to root for due to the decision to show both sides in near equal depth. Also, try as Brian Keith does to make his Irishman interesting, Helmet Griem outclasses him every step of the way as the charismatic German Kapitän, which in turns makes the Germans' side of the tale more fascinating to view. Whatever the case, the film is very ably directed by Lamont Johnson, who would later go on to direct the classy likes of 'A Gunfight' and 'The Groundstar Conspiracy' and a solid supporting cast helps. Still, it is sometimes hard not to see 'The McKenzie Break' as more of a curio than anything else.
Excellent, but sadly neglected WWII-gem
Renaldo Matlin10 October 1999
An irish intelligence officer (Keith) has been given the unwanted task of figuring out what is going on in a british P.O.W. camp for german officers. He suspects the captives, under command of a submarine captain (Griem) are planning a major prison break, and during his investigation has several confrontations with his german counterpart. Brian Keith gives us one of his best performances opposite Helmut Griem (also memorable) in this suspenseful and highly original World War II drama. If you enjoy realistic war movies that doesn't deal with "guys on an impossible mission", you should love the underrated McKENZIE BREAK.
A fair POW movie
bobster6627 January 2002
This is a rare movie about German POWs planning an escape from from their British prison camp. The only movie of a similar plot I'm aware of is "The One That Got Away", another rarely seen film and one I recommend.
Brian Keith is a Captain for Army Intelligence sent to a POW Camp in Scotland after a riot occurs to discover what the prisoners are really up to. Naturally, he and the German Kapitän are soon at odds, both providing good performances in their battle of wills.
Military historians would be happy to see that this movie incorporates some real events into the story. As in the film, there actually was a break out of 28 Germans from a camp in Canada, and there were some real cases of riots, and Germans murdering Germans as well.
There are many very good POW movies and it is too bad that this one pales in significance to them. There is not much that is original or spectacular but Brian Keith and Helmut Griem make it a very watchable movie. I give it a 6 out of 10.
Bob
Brian Keith is a Captain for Army Intelligence sent to a POW Camp in Scotland after a riot occurs to discover what the prisoners are really up to. Naturally, he and the German Kapitän are soon at odds, both providing good performances in their battle of wills.
Military historians would be happy to see that this movie incorporates some real events into the story. As in the film, there actually was a break out of 28 Germans from a camp in Canada, and there were some real cases of riots, and Germans murdering Germans as well.
There are many very good POW movies and it is too bad that this one pales in significance to them. There is not much that is original or spectacular but Brian Keith and Helmut Griem make it a very watchable movie. I give it a 6 out of 10.
Bob
Didn't Think Much Of It ...
Theo Robertson25 September 2005
First time I saw it and didn't think much of it now
I first saw this in the mid 1970s as a child . I was from the last generation of British children who had a common interest in the second world war . I used to like buying war comics like Battle and Commando and used to love watching all those B & W war movies , but I was disappointed with THE McKENZIE BREAK first time I saw it probably because the plot mainly involved British guards going into a prison compound , getting beaten back by the German prisoners - Repeat every 15 minutes
After seeing it again recently I do realise that my memories are somewhat simplistic but that doesn't mean the film has suddenly improved in my eyes . If I have to be brutally honest then I have to say it has diminished further . Since I first saw this movie I have seen many similar movies like BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI , THE GREAT ESCAPE etc films that are either more dramatic or more entertaining than this one , that's probably the problem with TMB it's rather serious in its tone without being compellingly dramatic and the one subplot that I found interesting during its recent broadcast of one of the prisoners being a suspected homosexual by his Nazi peers is rather unexplored
There's a couple of other things that stuck out in my mind about this movie and not in a good way . One thing was when a character mentions that a couple of prisoners escaped and made it into the Irish free State . As every schoolboy from my generation knows not one single German prisoner held in allied captivity escaped back to Germany . I know it's not implicitly stated that these two escapees made it back to Germany but it's unlikely they'd be interned in Ireland . Secondly I couldn't help noticing a large German contingent were wearing Wermacht uniforms . Where would they have been captured and why go to all the trouble of keeping them in a Scottish POW camp ? Wouldn't they have been kept in the same region they were captured ?
A very average film that will only appeal to people interested in men standing on roofs singing Nazi marching songs
I first saw this in the mid 1970s as a child . I was from the last generation of British children who had a common interest in the second world war . I used to like buying war comics like Battle and Commando and used to love watching all those B & W war movies , but I was disappointed with THE McKENZIE BREAK first time I saw it probably because the plot mainly involved British guards going into a prison compound , getting beaten back by the German prisoners - Repeat every 15 minutes
After seeing it again recently I do realise that my memories are somewhat simplistic but that doesn't mean the film has suddenly improved in my eyes . If I have to be brutally honest then I have to say it has diminished further . Since I first saw this movie I have seen many similar movies like BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI , THE GREAT ESCAPE etc films that are either more dramatic or more entertaining than this one , that's probably the problem with TMB it's rather serious in its tone without being compellingly dramatic and the one subplot that I found interesting during its recent broadcast of one of the prisoners being a suspected homosexual by his Nazi peers is rather unexplored
There's a couple of other things that stuck out in my mind about this movie and not in a good way . One thing was when a character mentions that a couple of prisoners escaped and made it into the Irish free State . As every schoolboy from my generation knows not one single German prisoner held in allied captivity escaped back to Germany . I know it's not implicitly stated that these two escapees made it back to Germany but it's unlikely they'd be interned in Ireland . Secondly I couldn't help noticing a large German contingent were wearing Wermacht uniforms . Where would they have been captured and why go to all the trouble of keeping them in a Scottish POW camp ? Wouldn't they have been kept in the same region they were captured ?
A very average film that will only appeal to people interested in men standing on roofs singing Nazi marching songs
" You may be following orders, but which ones make murder acceptable "
thinker169130 August 2009
During the War years, many a soldier were given specific instructions concerning their duties. After the war, just as many came under the scrutiny of justice. The Nazis were grossly mistaken when those accused of atrocious war crimes against humanity sought the protection of obeying explicit or direct orders. In this film " The McKenzie Break " German navel officers in a P.O.W camp are given secret orders to help 28 submariners escape and return to duty. As such they begin causing an inordinate amount of trouble for the English guards, to the point that general Kerr (Jack Watson) is puzzled by their antics. Unable to fathom the reason, Captain Jack Connor, an intelligent officer (Brian Keith) {supurb acting} is given tactical command over the camp run by Major Perry (Ian Hendry) to ascertain the reason. While there, Connor engages in mind games with Captain Willy Schlueter (Helmut Griem) a German Submarine commander. Time is short as Schlueter must complete an underground tunnel, before Connors' amasses enough evidence to prosecute his adversary for murder or deciphers the secret codes in the letters he confiscated. When the escape is prematurely forced, both men struggle to complete their assignments. Although not on the caliber of The Great Escape, this movie nevertheless gives a stirring and dramatic performance to excite audiences and the cast renders a good account of themselves. A top notch film which has since become a military Classic. ****
Good film but a disappointing sop to 'sex'
safeupherewithyou27 January 2008
I have watched this film a few ti mes and think it is quite good, but the one thing that stands out to me (a female ) is the scene where Connor and the 'postmistress' are reading the letters and begin to think they may be a code. WHY ARE THEY IN BED?
I know it's not very explicit, and I'm not a raving feminist, but why was that scene shot that way? Was it because in the 1970s everything had to have sex in it?
Connor was not particularly physically attractive, was a lot older than the girl and there had been no previous (or subsequent) hint of a 'thing' between them, so why? It adds nothing to the plot yet tends to imply that all women in the forces were kind of official prostitutes.
Only a small point about a pretty pointless detail but it niggles.
I know it's not very explicit, and I'm not a raving feminist, but why was that scene shot that way? Was it because in the 1970s everything had to have sex in it?
Connor was not particularly physically attractive, was a lot older than the girl and there had been no previous (or subsequent) hint of a 'thing' between them, so why? It adds nothing to the plot yet tends to imply that all women in the forces were kind of official prostitutes.
Only a small point about a pretty pointless detail but it niggles.
disappointing
rupie23 June 2003
I'm always interested to see neglected movies that appear to have good credentials, but in this case the film's neglect appears justified. Evidently based on some actual incidents during WWII, the film just doesn't connect with the viewer for some reason that it is not quite clear to me. One very likely reason is that - in the print I saw on TCM, anyway - none of the scenes where the Germans talked among themselves were given titles. This interesting directorial concept - to let the non-German speaking viewer just guess from "context" what the Germans are saying to each other - is, in my book, an utter flop and helps to lock the viewer out. Also, the way the movie begins - just dropping us into a very confused situation without much setup - is disorienting. Brian Keith is pretty good here, but the reputations of "The Great Escape" and "Stalag 17" will not be challenged by this flick.
The Good Escape
Poseidon-316 November 2004
Keith and Griem fight a battle of wits and wills in this intriguing, but ultimately unsatisfying prison escape drama. Set during WWII, Griem is a Nazi Captain being held prisoner along with 600 of his men in a Scottish POW camp. When the current camp commander (Hendry) is unable to maintain control of the prisoners, gruff Irish Captain Keith is called in to suppress the men and maintain control over the camp. Unfortunately for Keith, unrest in the camp is the least of his worries. It seems that Griem's men are burrowing a huge tunnel with plans to let two dozen prisoners escape to a rendezvous with a U-Boat. Keith realizes what's happening, but opts to let the plan progress so that he can score the bigger coup of not only stopping the escape, but of capturing the U-Boat as well! What could have been a gripping, involving suspense film is marred considerably by an inexplicable decision on the part of the film-makers. About one fourth of the dialogue in the film is presented in German, but without the benefit of subtitles! It is up to the viewer to figure out what is going on based on the not-too-demonstrative body language of the German actors. This cuts the plot line off at the knees and makes for very difficult viewing for those who didn't take German 101 in high school. Obviously, one can still follow the bulk of the action without the dialogue, but the motivations of the characters is muddled horribly. Animosity towards a homosexual inmate isn't explained fully enough and one character's traitorous actions are left with the meaning behind them up in the air. The ending also leaves a lot to be desired. That said, there are some memorable scenes of tension and conflict in the film. Keith gives a solid performance, thought his accent is pathetic and wavers greatly throughout. Griem (who seems born to play an icy Nazi) is a strong adversary. The dank, muddy atmosphere only adds to the bleakness of the situation. The film was shot in Ireland and, oddly, Turkey, though it isn't immediately visible which parts were done in Turkey (or why!) Credibility is strained in a couple of spots, such as how can all the dirt from the tunnel fit where they put it and how does a POW get a pair of women's shoes and make-up (for the little show they do?) There is entertainment value here. It's just compromised by the sad decision to leave a fourth of the dialogue inaccessible to those who don't speak German.
We're both in the **** now...
ProperCharlie6 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
When a sub-genre is established in the wonderfully diverse cosmology of film, you can bet that someone in this post-modern, media savvy world will add to it. Only they'll have knowing winks to the audience when the usual hoops are jumped through or they'll play with those expectations and pull the rug out from under you by subverting them and twisting the plot. We all know the score, they know we know, we know they know we know ad infinitum, or more often, nauseam. It comes as a surprise to me that someone was at this in 1970 with a humble POW movie.
The inmates are tunnelling out. Dummies in for escapees at roll call, check. Uniforms manufactured in camp, check. Tunnel cave-in during the escape, check. It's not all by the numbers though. We have a vaulting horse. No tunnel mouth there though as you can see right under it. Good topsoil on the turnip patch, but that's not where they're hiding the spoil. That this is a British POW camp the those escaping are German prisoners is unusual and welcome. Maybe the biggest twist of all is that the whole escape has been rumbled by the authorities, but they let them escape in order to net a bigger prize.
OK, it's not as knowing as anything since 1994, but it does play with the genre well, albeit a little ham-fistedly at time. Underneath the genre trappings there's a good little drama with a central duel between an Irish Captain in British Intelligence and the U-Boat Commander commanding officer in camp. Both are willing to bend and break the rules in pursuit of their aims. One of them will even kill to achieve his aims. Both are highly flawed individuals. Both are self-centred and neither of them succeed. From a simple set up at the start, the film reaches a fresh and unexpected conclusion to give a true stand-out film.
There are some clumsy cuts and overlays to demonstrate simultaneous actions in various locations as the escape progresses that really don't work and the drive of the second half of the film falls flat. The feuds within the camp, both that between captors and captives and between the Luftwaffe and the Submariners, are edgy. The tension created evaporates as soon as the escapees are out of the camp. It all gets a little clunky. However, overall this is a good film and definitely one to watch if you like your post-modernism freshly minted from the 70s.
The inmates are tunnelling out. Dummies in for escapees at roll call, check. Uniforms manufactured in camp, check. Tunnel cave-in during the escape, check. It's not all by the numbers though. We have a vaulting horse. No tunnel mouth there though as you can see right under it. Good topsoil on the turnip patch, but that's not where they're hiding the spoil. That this is a British POW camp the those escaping are German prisoners is unusual and welcome. Maybe the biggest twist of all is that the whole escape has been rumbled by the authorities, but they let them escape in order to net a bigger prize.
OK, it's not as knowing as anything since 1994, but it does play with the genre well, albeit a little ham-fistedly at time. Underneath the genre trappings there's a good little drama with a central duel between an Irish Captain in British Intelligence and the U-Boat Commander commanding officer in camp. Both are willing to bend and break the rules in pursuit of their aims. One of them will even kill to achieve his aims. Both are highly flawed individuals. Both are self-centred and neither of them succeed. From a simple set up at the start, the film reaches a fresh and unexpected conclusion to give a true stand-out film.
There are some clumsy cuts and overlays to demonstrate simultaneous actions in various locations as the escape progresses that really don't work and the drive of the second half of the film falls flat. The feuds within the camp, both that between captors and captives and between the Luftwaffe and the Submariners, are edgy. The tension created evaporates as soon as the escapees are out of the camp. It all gets a little clunky. However, overall this is a good film and definitely one to watch if you like your post-modernism freshly minted from the 70s.
Break Into This Prison Camp
ewarn-19 October 2006
Interesting and unusual story of a pack of German POWs plotting to break out of a prison camp in the UK and the new commanding officer's own plots to deal with them.
The British Army commander played by Brian Keith is hard-drinking, clever, Irish, cynical, shrewd, complex and street wise. The German Navy commander is fanatical, ruthless, confident, arrogant, intelligent and shrewd. Both of them spend some time trying to pull one over on the other, and they both know each other knows that, so they spend a little time playing a cat and mouse game while trying to gain the upper hand. Keith's captain drinks a little whiskey and plots with resolute calm. The German sings a few Nazi songs and plots with resolute calm. Then they both put their schemes into action.
I like all the acting here and the wet , cloudy , but bright green Irish landscapes. This is a fascinating World War II story that takes place neither on the battlefield or some goofy nostalgic homefront, but still contains plenty of action and thrilling suspense. When you watch it, emulate Brian Keith and drink a glass of whiskey.
The British Army commander played by Brian Keith is hard-drinking, clever, Irish, cynical, shrewd, complex and street wise. The German Navy commander is fanatical, ruthless, confident, arrogant, intelligent and shrewd. Both of them spend some time trying to pull one over on the other, and they both know each other knows that, so they spend a little time playing a cat and mouse game while trying to gain the upper hand. Keith's captain drinks a little whiskey and plots with resolute calm. The German sings a few Nazi songs and plots with resolute calm. Then they both put their schemes into action.
I like all the acting here and the wet , cloudy , but bright green Irish landscapes. This is a fascinating World War II story that takes place neither on the battlefield or some goofy nostalgic homefront, but still contains plenty of action and thrilling suspense. When you watch it, emulate Brian Keith and drink a glass of whiskey.
I Guess We Both Are
TedMichaelMor26 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I like the review of this film by e-warn-1 and the historical details related on this IMDb site. William Norton's excellent script and expert direction by Lamont Johnson obviously structure this ambiguous and engaging film narrative. Every component of this film works for me.
Before this film, I did not know the work of actor Helmut Griem. He is a fine counterpoint here to one of my favourite actors Brian Keith. The story is credible. The look of the film is, for the most part, believable, though some mistakes do intrude but not enough to depreciate my appreciation of the work.
I do not need to replicate the plot summary. I scored the film highly because I enjoyed watching it. It is a crisp story but with pleasant ambiguity. I wanted to indulge in a little of the water of the Gods as I watched it. Next time, I hope I have some of that beverage.
Before this film, I did not know the work of actor Helmut Griem. He is a fine counterpoint here to one of my favourite actors Brian Keith. The story is credible. The look of the film is, for the most part, believable, though some mistakes do intrude but not enough to depreciate my appreciation of the work.
I do not need to replicate the plot summary. I scored the film highly because I enjoyed watching it. It is a crisp story but with pleasant ambiguity. I wanted to indulge in a little of the water of the Gods as I watched it. Next time, I hope I have some of that beverage.
Foreign languages in American movies
SMK-424 November 2002
I only comment on one aspect of the film that I found particularly noticeable. It is about the use of foreign languages, in this case German, in American movies.
There were several occasions when the German POWs were talking amongst themselves in this film, and - quite rightly - the medium of communication switched then from English to German. The problem with this is that only a few of the actors who play Germans in this film are Germans, and the result is a bit off-putting. I would categorize the German-speaking in this movie into 4 classes:
1. Non-native speakers who don't have clue what they are doing: they rush their lines very quickly, but are virtually incomprehensible. It is not even German with a strong accent, it just comes across as gibberish.
2. Non-native speakers who do have a clue: they speak more slowly and are understandable, but sadly they all seemed to speak with a fairly strong and easily identifiable accent.
3. Germans who speak normally.
4. Helmut Griem. One can tell that he is stage-trained, because he tended to speak with this peculiar cut-glass, highly articulated accent stage actors are trained to use so that the people right at the back of the theatre would still understand what they say. It doesn't sound very real though - it doesn't in English and it doesn't in German either. Perhaps Griem instinctively wanted to compensate for groups 1 and 2, and surely the director wasn't in a position to tell that he was overdoing it.
What some American movie makers (and this is a prime example, another one would be 'Die Hard') fail to realise is that whenever the original version of such a film is viewed by native speakers then foreign language scenes built on such premises will not work, they just make the knowing viewer cringe. Just think about what it would do to 'The Great Escape' if some of the inmates were played instead by German actors who speak English with a strong German accent.
There were several occasions when the German POWs were talking amongst themselves in this film, and - quite rightly - the medium of communication switched then from English to German. The problem with this is that only a few of the actors who play Germans in this film are Germans, and the result is a bit off-putting. I would categorize the German-speaking in this movie into 4 classes:
1. Non-native speakers who don't have clue what they are doing: they rush their lines very quickly, but are virtually incomprehensible. It is not even German with a strong accent, it just comes across as gibberish.
2. Non-native speakers who do have a clue: they speak more slowly and are understandable, but sadly they all seemed to speak with a fairly strong and easily identifiable accent.
3. Germans who speak normally.
4. Helmut Griem. One can tell that he is stage-trained, because he tended to speak with this peculiar cut-glass, highly articulated accent stage actors are trained to use so that the people right at the back of the theatre would still understand what they say. It doesn't sound very real though - it doesn't in English and it doesn't in German either. Perhaps Griem instinctively wanted to compensate for groups 1 and 2, and surely the director wasn't in a position to tell that he was overdoing it.
What some American movie makers (and this is a prime example, another one would be 'Die Hard') fail to realise is that whenever the original version of such a film is viewed by native speakers then foreign language scenes built on such premises will not work, they just make the knowing viewer cringe. Just think about what it would do to 'The Great Escape' if some of the inmates were played instead by German actors who speak English with a strong German accent.
Very entertaining WWII drama.
Hey_Sweden14 November 2017
The setting is a prisoner of war camp for German soldiers, located in Scotland. A tough, cynical, hard drinking Irishman named Jack Connor (Brian Keith) is called in to help out camp officials, since there is now much unrest among the Nazis. Connor and the others realize that their prisoners are planning an elaborate escape, and Connor has an idea that could either lead to glory for him, or be a bad, bad mistake.
There are no true "heroes" and "villains" in this interesting, unusual, even-handed narrative, scripted by William W. Norton from the book by Sir Sidney Shelley. Rather, our protagonists and antagonists are equally wily opponents, trying to out-think each other. While ordinarily one wouldn't be rooting for the Nazis, you can't help but admire these characters' determination and ingenuity. As the story plays out, it becomes more and more a matter of a race against time, and it keeps the viewer riveted.
The characters are colourful and compelling. Both Keith, and Helmut Griem, as his primary foe, are flawed, but charismatic. They're both excellent, and receive very strong support from a cast including Ian Hendry (as the major in charge of the camp), Jack Watson, Patrick O'Connell, Horst Janson, Gregg Palmer, and Michael Sheard. The relationship between Keith and Hendry is kind of a thorny one, as they differ over methodology, but it's just as fascinating to watch them butt heads as it is to see Keith and Griem engage in their little chess game.
Granted, the camp personnel end up not looking very good since the Germans are able to pull off so much. But, overall, this is an over looked, and sometimes exciting, wartime film from a capable journeyman director, Lamont Johnson ("The Last American Hero", "One on One").
Eight out of 10.
There are no true "heroes" and "villains" in this interesting, unusual, even-handed narrative, scripted by William W. Norton from the book by Sir Sidney Shelley. Rather, our protagonists and antagonists are equally wily opponents, trying to out-think each other. While ordinarily one wouldn't be rooting for the Nazis, you can't help but admire these characters' determination and ingenuity. As the story plays out, it becomes more and more a matter of a race against time, and it keeps the viewer riveted.
The characters are colourful and compelling. Both Keith, and Helmut Griem, as his primary foe, are flawed, but charismatic. They're both excellent, and receive very strong support from a cast including Ian Hendry (as the major in charge of the camp), Jack Watson, Patrick O'Connell, Horst Janson, Gregg Palmer, and Michael Sheard. The relationship between Keith and Hendry is kind of a thorny one, as they differ over methodology, but it's just as fascinating to watch them butt heads as it is to see Keith and Griem engage in their little chess game.
Granted, the camp personnel end up not looking very good since the Germans are able to pull off so much. But, overall, this is an over looked, and sometimes exciting, wartime film from a capable journeyman director, Lamont Johnson ("The Last American Hero", "One on One").
Eight out of 10.
brilliant movie
dogdouk26 November 2002
a movie i would highly recommend. is ¨the mckenzie break¨ starring brian keith. and helmut griem. its about german pow's held in scotland in ww2. the german pow's dont want to do as they are told so they rebel. the pow's are plotting to escape to get back to the u-boats to help the war effort. helmut griem gives a great performance as the ringleader and as a loyal nazi. theres a rousing song by the germans that has everyone foot stomping with jackboots everywhere.
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