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31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well Plotted World War II Action Film, May 28, 2003
This movie has all the elements of a good action movie. The outcome is uncertain. The bad guys are really bad. The hero (Frank Sinatra) is idealistic and optimistic, and suffers from bad-decision angst more than once.The movie starts in an Italian POW camp, commanded by a heartless Italian commander played by Adolfo Celi, who some may remember as Emilio Largo in the James Bond thriller "Thunderball". Colonel Joseph Ryan (Sinatra) is nicknamed "Von Ryan" as he initially appears to be collaborating with their captors. Ryan is very optimistic and continually sees opportunity in every situation. Major Eric Fincham, played by Trevor Howard, is a pessimist, and sees disaster at every turn. Further, these two men are in conflict because Major Fincham was the ranking POW until Frank Sinatra was captured. As the Allies appear to be threatening the region, the Italians guarding the prison leave, and suddenly the POWs have a chance to escape. Their escape is short-lived as they are soon re-captured by Germans. The POWs are placed into boxcars for transport to Germany, with the exception of the wounded, who are executed by German soldiers prior to the train's departure. As the train travels to Germany, Ryan decides that there may be an opportunity for escape. Ryan leads the creation of a plan to eliminate the guards and take over the train, with the goal of eventually leaving the train to head for the coast and potential reunion with Allied forces. After taking over the train, the POWs first attempt to escape is thwarted when they find themselves in the middle of an Allied bombing mission. The POWs then develop an even more creative plan to escape to Switzerland. In their bid to escape the POWs must fight off the Luftwaffe and a Nazi-led troop train following close behind. The end of this movie will keep action war-movie fans on the edge of their seat until the credits roll. There are several events in this movie that give depth to Ryan's character. Several events occur within the prison camp, such as when Ryan leads the men in burning all their clothes in order to get better clothing. Another is when Ryan supercedes Fincham in dealing with the prison commander after departure of the guards. Ryan twice saves people and twice the outcome is tragic. The first time Fincham is extremely critical of Ryan. The second time Fincham is sympathetic, but Ryan is so angry with himself he refuses to listen. Ryan is generally optimistic and idealistic, which has often been a criticism of Americans by Europeans. On the other hand, Fincham is pessimistic and would consider himself to be a realist. These two approaches and views are compared throughout the movie, and ultimately the movie avoids answering the question as to whether one approach is better than the other. As the end of the movie approaches, it is clear that Ryan's faith in his optimism and idealism has been shaken. Similarly, Fincham has come to admire Ryan's optimism and idealism, and knows that the opportunity presented to the POWs was only as a result of Ryan's optimism. Ultimately, the movie suggests that perhaps the middle ground is the best. This movie is one of the better war movies from the 50s and 60s, and along with "The Great Escape", is one of the very best POW prison escape movies. Certainly portions of the movie are unrealistic. However, look past the fictionalized account of the escape, watch the adventure, and observe the conflict of ideologies. An enjoyable to watch and well-done movie.
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