Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Brucey D In order to pass a head count or roll-call, even though one of their number is engaged elsewhere in an escape attempt, ingenious PoWs create a like-like dummy they name 'Albert'.The events in the film are based on real events in 'Marlag O', a PoW camp for naval personnel in Northern Germany. John Worsley -the only war artist to be captured during WWII- together with others including Lt JW Goble, created the first 'Albert' who was used in the course of two escape attempts. This 'Albert' was surprisingly sophisticated, even having eyes that were made from ping-pong balls, connected to a pendulum device so that they would blink.Worsley made a second 'Albert' for this film, and Goble worked on the film as a technical assistant.'Marlag O' was not the only PoW camp where such dummies were used; amongst others, dummies (named 'Moritz' and 'Max') were made and used in Colditz (Oflag IV-C). If you visit Colditz Castle today, you can see one of these dummies in the PoW museum there; less convincing by far than the one in the film, the one in the museum in reality worked well enough to pass 'Appel' on several occasions.Some aspects of the film are perhaps not so realistic; for example it was common for prisoner's huts to be bugged with listening devices, so in many camps any escape attempt discussions would only be carried out whilst 'exercising' outside. However the film makers did work to give the characters more than two dimensions; in one scene we see into the minds of the prisoners as they rest in a quiet moment; their hopes, dreams and prayers are each voiced in turn. Overall the film holds up well despite a relatively modest budget.This film might ultimately lack the 'hook' of 'The Wooden Horse' or 'The Colditz Story' but it is a pretty sound effort, and is worth seeing.

Leofwine_draca ALBERT, R.N. is a very good British WW2 prisoner of war movie which has a story so incredible it must be true. It features an naval officer and his men who are determined to escape from their camp in Germany at any cost, and devise one of the most audacious plans in history to facilitate their freedom. This suspense-packed narrative subsequently follows their adventures with many highs and lows along the way.I've always loved a good prison film and this one offers something a little different; the prisoners are actually well taken care of and have plenty of camaraderie in their living quarters. Nonetheless the escape attempts are enthralling and often jaw-dropping in the way the simplicity of the thing works so well - you can't believe what you're seeing.I also like the way that the writers take the time to develop the individual characters to more than just walking stereotypes. Anthony Steel is particularly good as the conflicted newcomer, but he's given fine support by Jack Warner as the friendly captain. Anton Diffring has one of his best early roles as a ruthless and mercenary German officer. In support, the viewer is treated to the likes of Eddie Byrne, Michael Balfour, William Sylvester, and Paul Carpenter, all of whom are very fine in their parts. ALBERT, R.N. is something of a forgotten classic of its type and a film that more than holds its own against the bigger budget Hollywood tales.

trimmerb1234 There were quite a few British POW films in the '50's, some better than others. For some reason, the real ingenuity of escape attempts were glossed over, what so occupied the POWs attentions and on which depended their happiness and their lives: how uniforms, documents, stamps, photographs, tools etc could be made by with apparently none of what was necessary to make them. The films were thus human stories which though lacked much of what had been so crucial to the men involved. Here though the heart of the film is Albert RN - the life-like full size dummy used to take the place of a prisoner - and the virtuoso performances of its summoning out of the air in seconds, and its disassembly and disappearance again in seconds. Also along with the dummy itself, the way it was deployed, the plans for avoiding discovery and the on the spot quick thinking needed if the unexpected happened (when perhaps a dozen POW had to wordlessly devise and implement a plan in the presence of the German guards). And Albert R.N. was not just brought out to deceive the guards on the day of the escape but every day for a week to delay discovery of the escaped prisoner. The other parts of the film are not quite up to par. Jack Warner did not convince physically as a serving naval officer, Anton Differing did his nasty Nazi once again (though who did it better?) but the marvel of Albert RN the dummy raised the bar and shone a light on the ingenuity, daring and skill of those who devised, built and operated him.

GUENOT PHILIPPE British film movie industry had a speciality, during the fifties and also a bit in the sixties, that was war films, especially POW features. Films about escapes from POW camps. Americans made the two GREAT ESCAPE and STALAG 17. But the British made more than that. I saw many POW movies from UK. I don't remember them all, except A TOWN LIKE ALICE and KING RAT. But, I repeat, there were many many more. Do not forget that the British soldiers, during WW2, were, for most of them, prisoners by the Nazis. So...I won't add much to the previous comment, except that the terrific Anton Diffring character is named Schlutz. That sounds familiar to me. Maybe I am wrong, but I think of the famous TV show STALAG 13 - aka PAPA SHULTZ in french title - that spoke about POW guys, in a comedy TV series. The warden of the POW camp also named Schultz. But this character had nothing to do with the evil one played here by the magnificent villain Diffring.