The One That Got Away

A fine WWII prisoner-of-war escape film...even if we're rooting for the German this time
This is one of the better WWII movies about an escape from a prisoner-of-war camp. The story is taut and suspenseful. The odds against success are high but we wind up rooting for the man anyway. The guy is handsome, competent, resourceful and self-confident to the point of smugness. No, the guy isn't played by Steve McQueen. There is no ball-bouncing in a prison cell. The man is Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, played by the German actor Hardy Kruger. Von Werra's Messerschmitt is shot down over England on September 5, 1940. He is captured, interrogated and sent to a prisoner of war camp for officers. He turned out to be the only German captured on British soil who ever escaped and made it back to Germany. Please note that elements of the plot are discussed.

Von Werra turns out to be a committed German officer, determined to escape, and with enough drive, ingenuity and luck to escape from British camps three times. The first time sees him staggering for five days through mud...

A Balanced Perspective
This is one of those movies that make you realize there was more than just one side in WWII.

Hardy Krueger plays an excellent role. Remember him from "The Flight of the Phoenix," with Jimmy Stewart? Unlike his character in that movie, he plays a much more flamboyant figure in "The One That Got Away."

In an age where Hollywood glorifies Americans as being the only independent & courageous people on the planet, it is nice to see a little redress. Except for "Letters From Iwo Jima," I can't think of another movie that reminds us there are always men on the other side who fight & die for their country.

That brings us to the crux of the matter: Hollywood. Neither "The Boat," originally released as "Das Boot," or "The One That Got Away" was produced in America. If you want a fresh perspective on events - past and present - try looking at foreign made films.

Another reason to recommend this movie: There are no politics involved; simply the...

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
I WAS BUMBED THAT THE DVD HAD CUT OUT ABOUT THE LAST 15 MINUTES OF THE MOVIE ,THE PART OF THE FILM WHHERE HE LEAVES THE COTTAGE WAVING TO HIS WIFE AND THEN DIPES THE WING OF HIS 109 OVER THE COTTAGE AND HEADS OUT OVER THE NORTH SEA NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN. I THINK THAT WAS THE MOST HUMAN AND EMOTIONAL PART OF THE FILM

JIMMY C.

Click to Editorial Reviews