Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 15:39:16

Excellent!

This review is from: Colditz: The Complete 2-Part Miniseries (DVD) Excellent movie with Tom Hardy in his younger days! Well executed and action packed, believable with a heart warming end!

malcolmgsw 2012-05-25 01:26:06

A travesty

I have to disagree strongly with other reviewers.I have had theopportunity of visiting Colditz and talking to inmates of the prison.Ihave to say that if there was any authenticity in this feeble effort itwas more by accident than design.For example when the prisoners aregreeted at the camp by the security officer they are told that theywill be shot if they try to escape.This is palpably incorrect.Thetreatment of prisoners was governed by the Geneva convention and thisdid not permit such a punishment.Prisoners could be shot if they werecaught in the act of escaping and refused to surrender.Thisunfortunately did happen.As for the love story was this written by theghost of Barbara Cartland.The dialogue was dated 40 years ago.I resentthe fact that the exploits of some very brave men were cheapened bythis feeble effort.Thankfully It will now sink without a trace so thatwe still have the evocative feature film to refer back to.

Sophie P 2012-05-25 09:37:47

Very very good!

Before watching "colditz" i was rather sceptical, i thought "Ohtypical, ITV producing another prisoner of war themed drama" (rememberP.O.W from last year, which was rather a disappointment, but i cansafely say, the ITV have really outdone themselves on producing such afine, accurate drama about life in Colditz. Also the gripping storylineabout the love triangle between Lizzie, Mcgrade and Jack was trulyintense in its self. The twist at the end is also very wellthought-out. I am rather going of at a tangent now, but i have to sayhow wonderful Jason Priestley played Rhett Barker (im trying to ignorethe fact i have a soft spot for him..!) i truly think that the heroinstoryline was different, and i think that it was good to see arepresentation of this as in my opinion really helped to paint apicture as to how bad life really got for the prisoners. The DVD iscoming out soon in the UK, my advice? BUY IT!

Bren 2012-05-24 13:05:59

Colditz worth the time

I didn't realize the movie lasted three hours when I rented it, but the time flew by. The story line keeps you engrossed with several twist and turns. The acting is on target. Grab your popcorn and settle in for a good story.

kai ringler 2012-05-22 09:07:11

3 way love triangle , trying to escape a German prison

been wanting to see this one for awhile, the previews looked prettygood, was figuring it would be like the great escape, or papillion,wrong, it's more like cold mountain or pearl harbor. now don't get mewrong this is an interesting movie, with great characters, just i thinkthat the previews and the cover on the DVD are misleading,, this ismore of a romance than a war movie, you got the lead characterappearing before the war with his sweetie,, doesn't ask her to marryhim,, big mistake,, he goes of to war , doesn't see her for a longtime,, his buddy escapes the pow camp, and promises the other guy thathe will look up his girl,, well without giving anything away, i'm sureyou can guess what may happen,, there are many attempted escapes inthis movie, i didn't feel that the German officers were very authenticin this movie..

2012-05-21 21:46:34

Good History with Drama

This review is from: Colditz: The Complete 2-Part Miniseries (DVD) I found this movie to be quite fascinating. There is a great cast of actors, mostly consisting of British actors considering the film is a British production. The movie has a pretty good portrayal of what Colditz was like during the war, while having an interesting storyline. This movie is a good mix of History and Drama. You learn about what Colditz was like, as well as an interesting storyline back on the homefront in England. This movie is like, "The Great Escape" but with a British flare to it. So if you are a fan of escape and evade movies, then you will definitely enjoy this film. Even though the movie didn't have the budget of some other WWII movies that come out of Hollywood, they sure made it look excellent. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone.

2012-05-18 17:25:20

HISTORICAL FILM FICTION not exact history not totally false

This review is from: Colditz: The Complete 2-Part Miniseries (DVD) From earlier reviewers I KNEW this to be fiction based on a real place, a real time, with some factors of truth driving the drama. Thus, I was able to watch for pure entertainment value, realizing this is not historical documentation. As entertainment for a war story it's great. Not the typical soldier story since this is a WWII prison camp (Colditz did exist). Also a bit of romance since most soldiers had a girl back home (or wanted one.) Truth is the real Colditz was used as a high security prison for soldiers considered a high risk of escape or had already tried at least once prior. That provided an interesting mix of nationalities mingling. And a ready supply of soldiers unwilling to wait out the war's end, always seeking a way out. The situation in reality and in drama creates a delightful field of conflict between those inside and those holding the prisoners. That is the story here, the characters, different types of men, which kind would fight from the inside, and who would be willing to wait. It that way this miniseries was hugely successful.Characters drive the show. Who can keep from hating Cpl/Lt McGrade (Damian Lewis) by the time he does his dastardly work on the home front? Who can't help but cheer the continual attempts and determination of Tom (Laurence Fox)? Rhett (Jason Priestly) is happy waiting and getting all he can for himself. Jack (Tom Hardy) dreams of his love, Lizzie (Sophia Myles) a hot babe doing her part back on the home front. The escape attempts are continuous, and suspenseful as you really don't know who will make it out. Some do, some don't. With all the ways the real prisoners tried to escape, I am surprised this miniseries was only a 2-parter. So sit back and know these are fictional characters, but guys doing what the real soldiers did behind the Colditz walls. Not used on the TV drama, but reality, was a glider built in the attic. The soldiers were rescued before the glider escape attempt was given a test. An entertaining WWII POW drama.The only negative I found was the lack of subtitles.Some photo documentation for the real Colditz would also have been nice.But this is a value, lots of war drama for a small price.

2012-05-18 12:06:27

The Brits Great Escape

This review is from: Colditz (DVD) For those of you who own The Great Escape, starring Steve McQueen and a cast of international stars, Colditz will seem to be covering the same ground. Au contraire!In the former, the story is character-driven (who can forget McQueen and his baseball?) while in the latter the story is plot-driven. The two main characters, Damian Lewis and Tom Hardy -- and a wonderful supporting performace by Laurence Fox -- are wonderful in their roles. The main plot lies in the relationship among the two men and a woman. When the Lewis character escapes successfully and looks up Hardy's girlfriend to report he is safe. Lewis falls in love with her and schemes to win her for himself. How he does this is cunning and obsessive and brutal -- and I am not going to spoil this part for you. He is a communist, as his dialogue shows, and he hates the war, the class he is in, and his hope that the war will cause England and its class system to fail. He is working class tough and has a temper that kills. Hardy is in the Queen's Guard and his love is in the same class as he is. He, too, obsesses over her and the picture he carries with him everywhere. Lewis is made a lieutenant after he escapes and he preens before mirrors. But Hardy is already a commissioned officer and this grates on Lewis from the start.For a war film, there is virtually no blood and gore, and the tension of the failed escapes is a bit overshadowed by the tension of the three lovers. I thought the escape attempts were exciting and Jason Priestly very good as the rat in the camp. Some have said this film is historically inaccurate and my response is that if that sort of thing bothers you, watch a documentary. I wish the mini-series had been longer so as to expand on some of the brilliant ideas for the "tools" of the British secret service. But again, this is not a war movie but a suspenseful love story set against the war and is wonderfully entertaining. Both sexes will find something to excite them in this film.

2012-05-17 16:26:44

War Movie with a love story

This movie is much like what Pearl Harbour did to Tora, Tora, Tora (theJapanese invasion of Pearl Harbour). It's a story with love interwovenamong prisoner of wars. If you are looking for a good prison escape warmovie, you'd be disappointed as they are loop holes all over. I wasattracted by the trailer that said that "an escape from the tightestsecurity prison" And if you are hoping for a full love story, itdoesn't make it either. The plot is also shallow. However, thecinematography is excellent. I like the way it was filmed: the scenesin the prison was often in greyish-brownish tones and the militaryintelligence headquarters in brighter colours. Switching around thelocations using this technique kept me interested all the time. Theending could have been better but is rather abrupt. I'd watch it again,if I was someone looking for a love story in war time setting. Thetrailer shown could be better. And in the opening scenes - a line "anofficer and gentleman" was used. It was certainly not what it was meantto be.

2012-05-16 20:49:05

Not what I expected

As an amature student of WWII prison stories the title of this movie led me to believe it would follow the book. I thought it might take some liberty, as did "The Great Escape", but this turned out to be a human-interest story. While it wasn't bad, it was not at all within my range of interest. Anyone want to buy it cheap?

Van Roberts 2012-05-16 18:18:44

A Dud of a World War II Epic with too much Suds

Thrilling wartime heroics take a back seat to a lackluster romance in"Puppet Masters" director Stuart Orme's atmospheric but disappointingBritish P.O.W. escape saga "Colditz." During World War II, the ThirdReich rounded up all the worst Allied escape artists fromprisoner-of-war camps and cornered them in an ancient castle. Althoughquite a bit of the action takes place in Germany with P.O.W.sstruggling to get out of Colditz, the bulk of the action transpires inEngland. Murderous Irish soldier Corporal Nicholas McGrade (DamianLewis of "Band of Brothers) escapes from Colditz and makes it back toLondon where his superior, Lt. Colonel Jimmy Fordham (James Fox of"Performance"), congratulates on his good luck and promotes him tolieutenant. Naturally, this upstart Irish decides to take revenge on afellow prisoner, Second Lieutenant Jack Rose (Tom Hardy of "Black HawkDown"), and tells Rose's girl, Lizzie Carter (Sophie Myles of the"Underworld" movies), that Jack is dead. Smug Nicholas eventuallypersuades reluctant Lizzie to share his bed. Things go awry whenanother Colditz prisoner, Captain Sawyer (Guy Henry of "V forVendetta"), escapes and suspects that McGrade has lied to Lizzie andtold her that her boyfriend Jack was shot while trying to escape.The best scene in this dreary World War II romance thriller occurs whenthree escape happy Brits plunge into the sewer system to squirm out ofColditz. Otherwise, "Colditz" is barely worth watching for its lengthythree hour running time. The Germans are portrayed as thugs without anyindividuality. Jason Priestly is truly unsavory as Flying Officer RhettBarker who scourges things for his companions to make their escape. Themost pathetic character is Captain Willis (Laurence Fox of "The LastDrop" where he played an SS officer) who repeatedly tries to escape butnever succeeds. His last demoralizing act of escape is valiant butfutile.It's easy to tell that "Colditz" is a post-World War II war movie. TheAllies spend more time fighting each other than they do the Nazis. Ifyou want to see a crackerjack World War II escape movie, check out JohnSturges' "The Great Escape" with Steve McQueen. James Bond director GuyHamilton had better like with Colditz in his own version "The ColditzStory." You'd think that the people at Granada who produced "Colditz"should have known better than to spoil a vintage World War II tale witha forgettable soap opera love triangle. Furthermore, the DVDpresentation of this saga lacks not only English language subtitles butalso closed captioning. Most of the dialogue is virtually muffled andyou have to rewind scenes to understand what the leads are staying toeach other. Finally, none of the protagonists are remotely sympathetic.Instead, everybody is selfish and egotistical, not exactly the kind ofheroes that you want to root for.

benbrae76 2012-05-15 23:21:50

Colditz catastrophe

Does anyone do any research for programmes any more? The holes in theproduction of "Colditz" were too numerous to mention, and the plot tooridiculous to contemplate.The history of Colditz must be so well documented that practicallyeveryone must know that the first Brit to make a home run from thecastle was Airey Neave, and he did not escape by way of disguisinghimself as an electrician and borrowing his three-wheeler. (Such aningenious impersonation was tried, but the would be escapee was caughtand photographed next to the unfortunate tradesman.) To be fair, thefeature movie "The Colditz Story" was also at fault here, as itdepicted Pat Reid as making the first Brit home run, but it's closingremarks did make an acknowledgement of Neave's achievement.In this latest effort little was made in capturing the flavour ofsituations and events (or hunger). Even a smattering of truth wouldhave made all the difference, but then the silly love triangle turnedthe whole thing into a laughable fiasco. I have nothing against theinclusion of romance into such historical series, but here the factswere changed to fit the story. This should never be done but sadly itoften is. As for the misguided depictions of mock executions, allsurviving Colditz POWs (and indeed guards) seeing this, must be shakingtheir heads in utter disbelief.The closing credits included a statement that the production was basedin part on recent documentaries. I suggest the producers etc. shouldstudy them a little closer and talk to survivors, instead of resortingto uninspired artistic licence. I also suggest they should read themany books and websites on the subject. It's not difficult to find thetruth if the time is taken to look for ithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airey_Neavehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colditz_Castle

petermillett 2012-05-13 16:47:03

Desperate Housewives meets The Great Escape

This made for TV movie has a broad appeal. WWII enthusiasts willprobably be lukewarm on it though. Young couples who are tired ofwatching reality shows may perhaps give it a go. It starts off with some dashing suspense, but quickly dissolves intosomething like an episode of Desperate Housewives. (Love triangle,romantic obsession, deception, betrayal, bored inmates etc.)All that's missing from Colditz is Teri Hatcher and a melted measuringcup.Damien Lewis is excellent. Quite the opposite from his Band of Brotherscharacter. Jason Priestly also has a nice small role. Again, he isnothing like his character on Beverly Hills 90210 (although I'm sure hemust have felt some similarities between the two roles when he firstread the script).So, go ahead and watch it if you want to. But if you are a WWIIenthusiasts (or not part of a romantic couple) then you're probablybetter off watching The Great Escape on DVD.

2012-05-12 20:42:04

Very interesting WW2 history

This review is from: Colditz (DVD) My husband and I love history and he in particular has an interest in WW2 history. Neither one of us knew of this prison camp. The movie was entertaining and informative. I would reccommend this movie to anyone who has similar interest.

Bill357 2012-05-12 01:18:11

Can't the British make patriotic war movies anymore?

The real story of Colditz is loaded with potential. It's reallydisheartening to see it used as a tool for cheap melodrama. Here, thepatriotism and valor of real-life prisoners is replaced by treacheryand selfishness cooked up by the imaginations of writers, who downplaythe evils of The Third Reich and make their fellow countrymen the realvillain.In three hours I didn't even see a single Union Jack on display hereand it takes me, an American, to point that out?Seriously, the English people, particularly it's artists, haveseemingly become so cynical that I'm beginning to think that wholeintervening in World War Two thing was a mistake. Never mind me though.Just go back to handing your country over to those guys in the hoodedsweatshirts.Did that last paragraph anger you? If so, the emotion you just feltmight be the result of long dormant British nationalism (not to beconfused with Nationalist Socialism). Now take that feeling and make agood war movie!

2012-05-11 15:43:57

2.5

This review is from: Colditz: The Complete 2-Part Miniseries (DVD) Not that good. The acting was good with a host of stars in the early part of their career, but the storyline of repeated escape attempts was kind of silly. Basically, the prisoners were given ample room to walk around the castle, do what they want, and attempt to escape. The only punishment to scare them from trying was a month in the hole. Was this a real story? I find it hard to believe a prison designed specifically for the "best escape artists" would give their prisoners so much freedom. SPOILER: If you do watch this movie, the ending is pretty good. Not a happy one, but good none the less.

2012-05-09 19:08:01

Amazing Miniseries

This review is from: Colditz: The Complete 2-Part Miniseries (DVD) A graphic portrayal of the human survival spirit and the ongoing desire for freedom, well written, well directed and exceptional acting makes this a gripping few hours of entertainment.

2012-05-09 08:20:04

Old fashioned type mini-series

This review is from: Colditz (DVD) Other than the fact that it has many familiar and seriously up and coming British actors in it, there really isn't anything remarkable about this mini-series. I remember hearing how British veterans were grumbling about this film and now I can see why: they were hoping that it would treat Colditz prisoners as earnestly as Band of Brothers treated the 101st Airbourne. Heck, they even had two guys who in BoB playing major roles, but they were disappointed and for good reason. This is a chick flick in the guise of a war flick, the same sort of stuff I remember them making in the 80's and 70's and before - Hanover Street, remember that? This film goes right up that same alley, except one of the characters is so flawed that he stoops to villainy just to keep a girl. Yep, those British veterans who spent time in Colditz had every reason to grumble. Colditz was turned into a backdrop for a romance instead of truly going into what happened to the real veterans. This is a mediocre script/film with a lot of talented people in it.

2012-05-08 21:52:11

Total dribble, fabricated nonsense.

When I rented this from the library I was under the assumption that it was an update on the original Colditz storeies by major Pat Reid. I was totally shocked to find that it actually was a made for tv drama. I find it sacriligious to base a romantic drama on what was one of the most notorious German POW camps, as to why they did this, begggars belief,when the actual true life adventures of life in Colditz, are far more interesting. As to the portrayal of the Germans brutal treatment of the prisoners is a total fabrication, it was quite the contrary. The three books written by the famous Colditz escapee Pat Reid are well worth getting, if anyone is actaully inetersetd in the truth.

biscuitcharley 2012-05-07 23:25:14

do I have to watch it?

As an avid follower of all things Colditz, I have to admit I shallboycott this number until the end of time. Fine, drop a love story infront of the war, it's been done over and over again, and it works. Itis greatly romantic, with all the heart wrenching death and loversbeing ripped apart by the German army... I'm making myself sickthinking about it! I am sad that Colditz has been brought into it. Iwatched a trailer, and heard I think one English accent. It is anabomination of history. Drugs? In Colditz? The Germans letting someonego? It is a stack of poop so high, we are all in peril of being coveredif it topples. It may have been filmed in the Czech and England, but itis an American production, and yet again, they have demonstrated theirability to rewrite history to fulfill their own greedy, empty past.Thanks again Hollywood, for making me sick to my stomach and aching foryou not to destroy history, again! Don't even get me started on U-571!!