250 films, 250 reviews. This is a pretty crazy idea, but who doesn’t love a challenge? Here at Cultured Vultures we’ll be counting down the IMDb Top 250 with a review for each from one of our dedicated film writers. Everything from Goodfellas to Casablanca will be covered over the next year or so for you film lovers to enjoy. You can’t say we don’t spoil you, you lovely lot. – Ashley, Project Lead
Channel Five (or 5, or 5ive if you have an affinity for boybands) has a lot to answer for. As well as being responsible for an hour long documentary about Michael Jackson’s face, nobody’s favourite channel overexposes old war films on a daily basis. One of my main bugbears about the films that I have sat through during long periods of unemployment is just how hokey they are when compared to grittier, more realistic contemporary fare in the genre.
In many respects, Stalag 17 falls into that same category. The 1953 film has many of the  trappings of your stereotypical American POW story, but the humour is what elevates it above what you may find on a sleepy afternoon flicking through the television. Black comedy is hard to nail down without teetering over the edge into slapstick and yet Billy Wilder’s smart direction steers it into a satisfying balance that certainly took me by surprise.
As critical as I want to be about a war film that came out decades before I was born, I couldn’t help but be won over by the banter between the beleaguered prisoners of war and the almost Carry On-esque depiction of the camp’s commandant, Oberst von Scherbach. He dandies around the camp like a jovial Alfred Hitchcock without once losing sight of his sadistic and matter-of-fact manner. The way in which he casually tells the prisoners that their escape route has been compromised is as chilling as it is surprising.
Tension is rife among the prisoners as they struggle through their imprisonment, squabbling over trinkets they took for granted in the outside world and vying for authority when there are more pressing matters. William Holden has a career-defining turn as the cynical Sefton: a soldier more interested in racing mice and trading goods with German officers than attempting an escape. Holden initially turned down the role, believing the character to be too selfish. However, an ironclad contract with Paramount meant that he had to accept it, ironically a lot like Sefton himself. Despite his reservations, the veteran went on to capture the Academy Award for Best Actor.
A turncoat in the camp is the driving force of the narrative as the escape antics of our heroes is offset by the mystery of who could be setting them up for a big fall. The tension provided by this arc is prevalent throughout and the way in which the guilty party is dealt with is certainly memorable; that bar scene from Inglourious Basterds takes many cues from Holden’s adaptation of a celebrated stage production.
Without spoiling the outcome, Stalag 17′s increase in momentum is stopped short by an “America is Awesome” finale that so many of its genre relatives are guilty of. The United States didn’t win the war on their own, neither did they come out of every battle for the better, despite what early war films may have you believe. If The Great Escape is the defeatist’s vision of prison camps, Stalag 17 is for those with a slightly brighter outlook.
For its dark humour and captivating performances, Stalag deserves its place in the top 250. Although it could be argued, it should be kicked out for inspiring generations of lazy screenwriters to quote:Â “No more Mr. Nice Guy.” in every film for decades to come.
Note: the IMDb Top 250 Cultured Vultures are using is based on the standings from the 16th of November. Inconsistencies may apply.
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