JinRoz
For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!
ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
evanston_dad
"Stalag 17" is about 30 minutes of compelling film starring William Holden padded out with about 90 minutes of strained "comedy." Holden plays an inmate in a German prison camp during WWII who comes under suspicion by his fellow prisoners of being a spy because of his "every man for himself" attitude. For about an hour and a half, scenes of the prisoners being grumpy with him are interspersed with long segments of superfluous antics which make being an inmate of a German POW prison seem about as serious as being away at summer camp. Then, in the film's last half hour, Holden decides to find out who the spy really is, and does so without breaking a sweat.Holden's entire performance consists of attitude, which is exactly what the character calls for, but it's not the stuff of an Oscar-winning performance, especially because he seems very much like a supporting character. I wasn't timing things with a stopwatch, but it felt like Robert Strauss, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor as the lunkhead Animal, had more screen time. He's one of the actors included for comic relief, but man does he wear out his welcome early on, as do all of the other actors who are there only to provide what we are supposed to think are hysterical hijinks. The film would feel like an inferior knock off of "MASH" if it hadn't come out first. Billy Wilder joined Holden and Strauss at the 1953 Oscars as a nominee for Best Director. Grade: B-
elskootero-1
I first saw this film in a theatre in Heidelberg, Germany in 1960, and I'll bet I've watched 3 or 4 hundred times sine then; It's THAT good! It grabs your interest in the first 10 minutes and keeps you interested till the end! If you haven't got it on DVD; get it! You'll never regret it!
elvircorhodzic
STALAG 17 is humorous war drama, which is, given the place of action, too funny. Despite this film is full of suspense and excitement. Set is in a German prison camp for soldiers and non-commissioned officers (Stalag). One of the protagonists is cynical prisoner that his co-prisoners suspected to be an informer, and who therefore is trying to find the real culprit.Prison camp may not be a place for so much laughter. However, the protagonists in this film is not to laugh. I saw it as a way of survival. Otherwise, I'd seen the movie full of despair and depression. Well, that's true. The atmosphere in the film based on the conflict. Comic scenes are represented in the breaks. I think they sort of break from the main story. Conflicts are not limited. The same applies to the comic. Simply, everyone got a few minutes. Resourcefulness individual protagonist is ably described. This is why the movie is so exciting. One of the protagonists traded and creates inventions, the two are trying to sneak into the camp where the captured Russian women and the third transmit information. William Holden as J.J. Sefton did not protagonist to initially attract attention. Quiet and cynical performance. Given the atmosphere in the barracks, his performance was almost hostile. The prisoner who has no friends, traded and bet on human lives. However, in the second part of the film, we can conclude that most of his actions is justified. Calm, resourceful and brave character. Holden performance is excellent. Perhaps, his performance was not pretty, but it is effective and realistic. It is a strange philosophy of survival.
grantss
An absolute classic from Billy Wilder. Great plot - tense, gritty drama, with very funny interludes and dialogue. The only (minor) problem is that sometimes the farce and the drama don't gel.Solid performances all round. William Holden, a Billy Wilder favourite, is great in the lead role (and he got the 1954 Best Actor Oscar for his efforts).Surely the movie that launched the POW drama. You can see influences in this movie in just about every POW movie/series, especially Hogan's Heroes (down to both having a friendly, bumbling German sergeant named Schultz!).
