Seventy years ago, Pat Reid and four other British Officers, escaped from what the Nazis believed was an inescapable prison. In 1952, Reid’s novelisation of the various escape attempts and the forming of a fellowship amongst prisoners of varying nationalities became a bestseller. In 1955, The Colditz Story appeared on the big screen under the direction of Guy Hamilton, (latterly known for Goldfinger and The Man with the Golden Gun) and was produced by Ivan Foxwell. Like the novel, it was big success and rightly so.
Having never seen this film before, I was pleased to find that it is what I class a typical British war film; not overly graphic, full of the stereotypical British officer characters yet still adhering to the most important elements of the tale. Many war films are works of complete fiction and are therefore tailored to the producer’s and director’s wishes. Hamilton and Foxwell did not let the fact that Reid’s story was true change the decision that the film would not be all doom and gloom, though of course there are moments of sadness and despair during several failed escape attempts.
Starring John Mills as Captain Pat Reid, we are taken straight into the narrative with the main characters being introduced to both us and each other. Various escape attempts are made until all groups of the various nationalities realise that their efforts would be better if combined. The pace is swift throughout and at the end we are given a list of numbers denoting how many escapes were a success and what nationalities the escapees were.
Aside from the film, which is a classic and still an enjoyable watch, the extras on the disc undoubtedly enhance the viewing experience. There is a documentary containing interviews with POWs who were there, which just reminds you that the film is not a fictional or typical war yarn. Also on the extras is a piece on the restoration of the original film. The restoration itself is very good, cleaning up the damaged footage whilst retaining the original look of the 1955 b&w production. Reaching the top four films of 1955 and being credited as the instigator for the hit 1970s T.V production of the same title, it is definitely worth a watch.
JP has awarded The Colditz Story three Torches of Truth.
