Courtroom drama in POW cage

Rating: Null/10 (3 June 2002)

I actually found this movie really good at first, it visuals , story etc really seemed to be going places. It concerns a young deskbound officer who is inadvertently captured by the Germans and sent to a POW camp in the final months of the Second World War. It is here he is involved in a court martial of a black airman accused of the murder of a fellow white inmate. Unfortunately as the action procedes despite introduction of some interesting plot elements it eventually waters down as a ultimately a routine mating between a courtroom drama/escape movie lacking any emotional depth from the performances.
Having said this there are things to admire in it: The first 15 minutes are so are quite compelling. The capture of the American officer and the killing of his offsider are quite horrific. And the scenes of the chilly winter and the pows transit through it by train & march are quite evocative. I also found from an amateur historian point of view quite surprising for an Hollywood film about captured Americans that at least touches on the appalling treatment of the Russian Pows by the Nazis & the racist philosophy behind it, the Commandant berates the the American Pows for saluting 3 executed Russians saying they are saluting criminals and 'sub-humans'. Likewise the racism of the fellow inmates towards their black comrades is not sanitised. I liked some of the moral ambiguitues of the characters. The young Hart is not really a hero, though he tried he couldn't withstand the interrogation by the Wermacht and revealed information, The Bruce Willis character in spite of his Christ like sacrifice at the end of the film still didnt accord the black officers the protection or respect they deserved. I found most interesting the German commandant as a character, though it wasnt well developed.While his actions are generally brutal there are glimpses that he may not be the total party man- he listens to the bbc, drinks heavily and listens to Jazz (ie racially suspect ) music. Indeed I thought the relationship between him an Bruce Willis could have been developed more. I guess the problem is that the character is both the dedicated (and unlikeable) Nazi and the honorable (likable) military enemy officer and as such any sort of relationship based on mutual respect may seem tainted to the viewer.
For these reasons alone its worth a look. But ultimately it runs out of steam. The old patriotic/self sacrifice ending I'm sorry doesnt wash with me as a film making device. To work I've got to feel some empathy with the characters, and the characters seem too bland, indeed Bruce Willis character inspite of some interesting early ambiguities seems to end up yet another strong silent type. Not enough ummph in the story or performances to qualify as a great film and not enough in it to qualify as an action film - an interesting and worthy attempt though.