Stalag 17 (1953) ****

Some are not a fan of the humor of 1953’s Stalag 17, preferring darker-toned war films. I understand that, and while certainly more realistic—I like my fair share of grim war flicks; which is, naturally, the majority of them—there is something fascinating to me about a film made not all that long after the end of World War II with a comedic tone that just works (sometimes humor is the best defense). A big reason the picture works is the performances—S17 features a wonderful ensemble and there’s many distinctive faces and voices plus plenty of memorable lines (much like a similar film a decade later, John Sturges' The Great Escape (review)). Billy Wilder masterfully frames the men in this movie, often filling shots with as many POWs as will fit the screen or more tightly with two characters as they exchange snappy dialogue and rarely employing closeups. All right, AT EASE.

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