In the shadow of the citadel
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | In the shadow of the citadel |
| Original title | The Colditz Story |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language |
English German |
| Publishing year | 1955 |
| length | 97 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Guy Hamilton |
| script | Guy Hamilton Ivan Foxwell based on a factual novel by PR Reid |
| production | Ivan Foxwell |
| music | Francis Chagrin |
| camera | Gordon Dines |
| cut | Peter Mayhew |
| occupation | |
| |
In the shadow of the citadel (Original title: The Colditz Story ) is a 1954 produced British war film by Guy Hamilton , which is based on true events.
action
Colditz Castle in Saxony at the time of World War II . In the officers' camp IV-C , are being held in 1940 also British, French and Dutch officers first Polish since late October 1939th The castle is strictly guarded and, in view of its elevated location and various additional security measures taken by the German leadership, is considered to be breakout-proof. For a number of British prisoners of war, however, this is all the more demanding to nonetheless keep trying to escape. The soldiers seldom succeed in trying to escape, and when they get out they are usually picked up again by the Germans a little later. This time, the experienced officer Pat Reid wants to try. Under his leadership the officers of the various nations who are willing to escape come together after it has been shown that it makes little sense for the soldiers to forge their own escape plans depending on the nation.
The first attempt fails because one of the participants passed information to a German guard. After all, the exact details of the breakout plan remain hidden. However, Reid and his cronies are not impressed by setbacks, British ingenuity, sportsmanship, the joy of making life as difficult as possible for the German guards and their commanders, as well as their unconditional desire for freedom are the driving force even after several failed attempts New to try an escape. Not everyone likes to join Reid's urge to escape castle life in order to return to their English homeland. A group of prisoners around the most senior officer, British Colonel Richmond, decided to stay here and wait for the war to end. One day, however, Patrick Reid and his men succeed in their escape, and he is able to escape his captors.
Production notes
In the Shadow of the Citadel premiered in London on January 25, 1955. There was no German performance, but The Colditz Story was shown in Austrian cinemas from March 2, 1962 under the title Im Schatten der Zitadelle .
Alex Vetchinsky designed the film structures .
From 1972 a series of the same name was broadcast on British television.
useful information
Pat Reid (1910–1990), on whose story this film is largely based, was taken prisoner of war in northern France on May 27, 1940 and was transferred to Colditz Castle on November 10, 1940 from Laufen in Bavaria, from where it had previously broken out . Here he managed to escape on the night of October 14-15, 1942, and made his way to Switzerland, where he stayed until the end of the war.
Reviews
Paimann's film lists summed up: "An act that, in the correct reporting manner, puts the facts before the personal, but loses interest through repetition of similar processes, played seriously ..."
"A rock-solid POW legend that takes place in Germany's allegedly escape-proof Colditz Castle, which challenges several Allied prisoners and a group of hardened Brits."
"Probably the most convincing British retelling of everyday life in prisoners of war, carefully balanced between tragedy and comedy against a backdrop that promises monotony and boredom."
Web links
- In the shadow of the citadel in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ In the shadow of the citadel in Paimann's film lists ( Memento of the original from August 29, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
