# Favorite WWII POW / Concentration Camp Movie



## Njaco (Mar 29, 2011)

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Simple: Whats your favorite POW movie or Concentration camp movie.

I'll leave this multiple choice!  and if I missed a movie, let me know and I'll add it.


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## tyrodtom (Mar 29, 2011)

How about Empire of the Sun ?

I'm not saying it was the best, but it was from a unusual perspective, and even had some aviation aspects to it.


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## Marcel (Mar 29, 2011)

What about Colditz? The series were great, the movie was fine also.


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## bobbysocks (Mar 29, 2011)

for me a toss up between the great escape and stalag 17.


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## T Bolt (Mar 29, 2011)

The Great Escape way up front followed by VonRyan's Express and Stalag 17 a close second and third. My father was in a German POW camp and he loved Stalag 17 so I guess it was pretty accurate as far as conditions or I'm sure I would have heard about it.


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## buffnut453 (Mar 29, 2011)

I can't decide between The Great Escape, Bridge Over the River Kwai and Stalag 17.

Question is where are King Rat and The Wooden Horse?


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## Torch (Mar 29, 2011)

After thinking about it all those stink The best has to be Hogan's Hero's


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## Maximowitz (Mar 29, 2011)

Torch said:


> After thinking about it all those stink The best has to be Hogan's Hero's


 

"I hear nothing, I see nothing..."

Like me, you must be of a _certain_ age. The youngsters here will have no idea what we are talking about..


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## RabidAlien (Mar 29, 2011)

Torch said:


> After thinking about it all those stink The best has to be Hogan's Hero's


 


Cast my votes, in no particular order: "Great Escape", "Great Raid", "Schindler's List", "Stalag 17". I'm also throwing in my two cents for "Colditz".


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## T Bolt (Mar 29, 2011)

Torch said:


> After thinking about it all those stink The best has to be Hogan's Hero's





Maximowitz said:


> "I hear nothing, I see nothing..."
> 
> Like me, you must be of a _certain_ age. The youngsters here will have no idea what we are talking about..


 It's still on TV here in Chicago every day on one of the channels that shows the oldies.


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## Maximowitz (Mar 29, 2011)

My God! And to think I always complain about the number of repeats on the BBC.... that show must be 45 years old!


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## BikerBabe (Mar 29, 2011)

Schindler's List.


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## tyrodtom (Mar 29, 2011)

You need to take a poll on which movie pissed the real POWs off the most .

That would have to be The Bridge over the River Kwia.

A totally, totally made up story. Thousands of POWs died building that raiway, they co-operated with the Japanese 0%.


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## Marcel (Mar 30, 2011)

The great escape is also not very historical inaccurate.


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## Torch (Mar 30, 2011)

Yeah but Steve McQueen just about made that movie with the last scene with him on the bike.


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## Wayne Little (Mar 30, 2011)

Stalag 17, The Great escape and Von Ryan's Express for me although The One that got away with hardy Kruger alway gets watched when it comes on the box....


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## T Bolt (Mar 30, 2011)

Marcel said:


> The great escape is also not very historical inaccurate.


 I read the non fiction book back when I was in high school and found it pretty close, although some things were changed, the biggest being the Steve McQueen part being a conglomeration of many people in the book, and the whole motorcycle part made up.... for which I am not objecting at all.


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## Thorlifter (Mar 30, 2011)

I voted for Stalag 17 and Schindler's List. I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I just don't like The Great Escape. Heck, I'd rather watch Victory than that movie.


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## bobbysocks (Mar 30, 2011)

now the POW with the easiest life had to be Fuji in McHale's Navy....


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## Njaco (Mar 30, 2011)

I tried adding "Coldlitz" and "Empire of the Sun" but can't seem to do it at the moment. Sorry.


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## ToughOmbre (Mar 30, 2011)

Although a GREAT movie, I didn't vote for Schindler's List. Too depressing to be on my "favorite" list.

TO


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## tyrodtom (Mar 30, 2011)

It would be tough to make a movie about the holocaust that wasn't depressing.
I voted for it myself, but i've only watched it once.


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## RabidAlien (Mar 30, 2011)

I own it; last time I watched it, I made it half-way through, got called away when the first disk was finished, and never went back to watch the second....the ending gets me every time. "Why did I keep this? I could have saved five more...two more, just two more.....I could have saved at least one!"


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## vikingBerserker (Mar 30, 2011)

I had to go with Stalag 17, though I've yet to see Schlinders List


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## Marcel (Mar 31, 2011)

And of course the American escaping while it the ones that escaped were 2 Norwegians and a Dutchman.


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## T Bolt (Mar 31, 2011)

Marcel said:


> And of course the American escaping while it the ones that escaped were 2 Norwegians and a Dutchman.


 
I don't remember who made it in the book, but I do know that it wasn't the same as the movie. In the movie none of the Americans made it (Although some of them were played my American actors.


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## Marcel (Mar 31, 2011)

You're right, in the film it was "Danny Velinski", "Louis Sedgwick" and "Willie Dickes" who escaped, I believe all Australian/British. But in the film there were Americans among the escaping officers while in reality there were none. Dutch ace Bram van der Stock who was one of the three that made it, didn't agree with the film, especially the story and asked not to be included as a character. His character was replaced by the fictional Sedwick. I think that sais it all about the film. Why the Norwegian were not include is unknown to me.
The book you mention is that written by Paul Brickhill? That one at least includes the right names.


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## T Bolt (Mar 31, 2011)

You are right about none of the successful escapies matching up with the ones in the movie. I read the book when I was in high school around 30 years ago so I don't remember the author, but the title was 'The Great Escape' or something similar, and the book(from the school library) looked very old even at that time. I remember it reading more like a documentary than a novel, and many names were mentioned. I also remember that the last few chapters were about the hunting down of the Nazi officers responsible for the executions of the 50 prisoners.


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## Njaco (Mar 31, 2011)

vikingBerserker said:


> I had to go with Stalag 17, though I've yet to see Schlinders List


 
VB, you have to see "Schindler's List". Whether you hate it or not after seeing it, I think its an important movie.

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## Night Fighter Nut (Apr 1, 2011)

How about "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" with David Bowie? Japanese PW camp. That was a great movie.


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## Gnomey (Apr 1, 2011)

Not seen them all but for my top three are in no particular order: The Great Escape, Schindler's List and Bridge on the River Kwai. If you haven't seen Schindler's list I would highly recommend it.


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## drgondog (Apr 1, 2011)

Stalag 17 then The Great Escape..


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## syscom3 (Apr 2, 2011)

"Stalag 17" and "The Bridge Over the River Kwaii" have been recognized as cinema classics for several decades and are in a league of their own.

"Von Ryans Express" is a great adventure flick, worthy of anyones film library.


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## Njaco (Apr 3, 2011)

syscom3 said:


> "Stalag 17" and "The Bridge Over the River Kwaii" have been recognized as cinema classics for several decades and are in a league of their own.
> 
> "Von Ryans Express" is a great adventure flick, worthy of anyones film library.


 
I always thought "Von Ryan's Express" was well done -even though it had Frank which didn't do a bad job. My only complaint is the very beginning: A P-38 shot down with smoke coming from THE COCKPIT POD!!!! oy!!


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## RabidAlien (Apr 3, 2011)

Heh....that's a serious radio fire!


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## Loiner (Apr 7, 2011)

There's some good films there, but the Great Escape closely followed by Bridge on the River Kwai and Empire of the Sun.

I just read the true account book of Empire of the Sun, and certainly things seemed incredibly desperate and harrowing in Shanghai at that time. There were a few making the best of it in the city and in the camp, but on the whole it seemed to be an utterly miserable time for the bulk of the population.


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## silence (Oct 28, 2013)

Schindler's List should be required watching for World History in high school.

Here's a few more:
Escape from Sobibor (made for TV, IIRC, stars Rutger Hauer)) - based on the actual uprising
The Devil's Arithmetic (based on a book for young adults, stars Kirsten Durnst)
The Grey Zone (Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, more) - this one punches the gut


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## michaelmaltby (Oct 29, 2013)

King Rat ... a classic

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