Movie Review: Stalag 17

Tania Says:

I wasn’t exactly jazzed about watching this war movie set in a German Prison camp during WW II. The description said it was about the American prisoners trying to escape – it all sounded a little too Hogan’s Heroes to me which is a show I have never found very funny. However, Hogan’s Heroes was not based on this movie – there was a lawsuit and everything. Anyway, that coupled with the fact that I am not a fan of war movies made this movie sound really unappealing.

Once we started watching it though I realized it isn’t really a “war movie” because there really aren’t any battle scenes and the movie is actually a lot lighter then it seemed it would be with the subject matter it was tackling. Anyway, I actually kind of liked it!

The movie is about American prisoners in a German Prison camp – but it looks like the happiest prison camp I have ever seen. But of course, they still want to escape and all their escape plans and fun times seem to be foiled by some mole in there camp who is giving the German guards info. The movie then is pretty much about trying to find the stoolie. The cool part is that they really keep you guessing and by the time they get to the reveal of the insider it was a surprise to me because I was clueless as to who it was. Then the stoolie gets his comeuppance and that is the end of the movie! It’s a fun movie with little bits of seriousness thrown in. I read somewhere that people where offended that a movie was made about WW II that was a comedy but I think that is sometimes a necessity – see MASH. This movie reminded me of MASH in way just because they were making a comedy out of a sensitive subject but I enjoyed it more then MASH because the guys weren’t as mean. Some of the comedy in Stalag 17 isn’t that funny and there are some annoying guys in it who are meant to be comic relief but aren’t. Overall though, I am glad I watched it because it really is not a movie I ever would have rented but I am glad I saw it!


Josh Says:

This is one of the few movies that I’ve watched since the movie The Usual Suspects (I AM NOT SAYING I ENJOYED THIS AS MUCH OR IN THE SAME WAY AS THE USUAL SUSPECTS) which had me completely clueless as to who the villain was an genuinely surprised at the end. Unlike The Usual Suspects, however, they are able to do this by essentially keeping the villain out of the main story line, thus exonerating him of all suspicion, which in my opinion is cheating.

I could have done without some of the campier humor such as that bearded guy’s entire part, but understanding that this was a result of the period in which it was made I was able, for the most part, to get past it and ended up really enjoying the story.

There are some interesting tidbits about this movie that illustrate how much power the studios in Hollywood used to have back in the “Golden Age”. For instance, this was by a long shot Billy Wilder’s most successful film, however he made very little money. The reason for this was because the studio informed him that he has lost money on his previous film and the losses would be deducted out of his share in this film. A great little racket the studios had whereby they could enter a project with virtually no risk at all.

Another interesting tidbit is that William Holden, who would end up winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for this film, actually refused the role (as did Charlton Heston previous to that) but the studio forced him to play the part. Though this obviously turned out well in his favor, it really shows that even twenty years in, SAG had a long way to go in terms of providing it’s members with protection against the powerful studios.

Movie Reveiw: M*A*S*H

Tania Says:

I remember my Dad watching this television show all the time and me hating it. I thought it was dark, dirty and not funny. Probably all good things for a 5 year old to think. I don’t think I was the target audience on this show. But, because of that – I have carried a life long hatred of all things MASH with me to this day. So – it showed up on the list and I was determined to keep an open mind. I haven’t see a ton of Robert Altman films but what I have seen (Gossford Park, Prairie Home Companion) I really liked. I put my hatred of MASH aside and was actually a little excited to watch this after all the subtitled movies we have been watching and my ill-fated On Demand rental of the movie American Dreamz (brutal). After watching MASH, I thought it was okay.

I think most people know the plot or really lack of plot (it is more like a series of scenes then an actual storyline). A Medical unit in Korea deals with the war. Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland are the main characters in the movie (it is an ensemble piece but they are certainly the featured actors). They play Hawkeye and Trapper John and are the leaders of all the hijinks and mayhem that ensues. I realize this makes me sound like a 12 year old girl but I didn’t really find all their pranks and antics funny, instead I found them kind of mean and unlikable. Before I say anymore, I do get the point of it all. These people are trying to find a diversion from all the horrors (and absurdity) of war going on around them so they are just trying to have a good time. I totally get the point of that. I still thought they were just bullies. I did find some parts of the movie funny and I thought everyone did a good job in their respective roles – I just thought they were mean.

So, war takes a horrible toll on everyone and how they choose to deal with it all kind of determines how well they will fare while they are over there. That is what I got out of the movie but it doesn’t mean I have to find the characters likeable. But like I said, I thought the movie was still ok. I just don’t think the movie was meant for me. Maybe I was right when I was 5 and I never will be MASH’s target audience.

Josh Says:

I was never a fan of the TV show and for good reason. I wasn’t the target audience or even the target generation. I have grown to love Alan Alda since but that’s another story completely. I’ve always loved the idea of Robert Altman however, and occasionally, I’ve even loved his movies (I’m looking at you Short Cuts) so I went into this expecting the best but completely prepared for the worst. I got something in between I guess rather than either one of those extremes.

The movie has a pretty neat cast with Donald Sutherland as Dr. Jack Bauer and Elliot Gould playing his wacky sidekick probably giving the most memorable performances. I quite liked Odo as Father what’s his name and it’s always neat to see these guys years before you realized they ever got work.

I think the big story in this movie is Tom Skerrit. He starts out with a bang almost seeming like a leading man, then much like his career, he’s quickly overshadowed by Gould, Sutherland and even Duvall such that it seems he went off to make a USA feature movie or guest star on the latest West Wing or Law and Order or whatever after the first 20 minutes. Much like in real life, I wanted more Skerritt and was saddened by his being obscured by the bigger names in the film.

The movie itself is ok I guess. It seems to almost aimlessly wander around between something resembling the sitcom, something resembling Apocolypse Now and something that’s not quite but almost Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. Sometimes that’s confusing, sometimes it’s entertaining and sometimes, you just don’t care.