STALAG 17

US, 1953, 121 Minutes, Black and White.
William Holden, Don Taylor, Robert Strauss, Otto Preminger.
Directed by Billy Wilder.

Stalag 17 was a film before its time. However, it was very popular and William Holden won an Academy Award for his central performance. It is surprising, in retrospect, to see this kind of film with its touches of cynicism about the war, and especially prisoner-of-war camps, so soon after the end of the war.

The central focus on the man who is the wheeler-dealer amongst the prisoners-of-war anticipates a film like King Rat of 1965, where George Segal plays a similar kind of role. In fact, the film anticipates such satires as M*A*S*H which broke through American consciousness about the waging of war, especially in the context of the Vietnam experience and the late '60s and early '70s.

The film was written and directed by Billy Wilder, a specialist in sardonic if not cynical writing and film direction. His range of films includes the classic Double Indemnity as well as his Oscar-winning The Long Weekend in the '40s. He made a number of comedies like Some Like It Hot as well as The Seven Year Itch. He employed William Holden, also in a sardonic role, in Sunset Boulevard. He won his second Academy Award, also for a cynical look at the world of business, with The Apartment in 1960.

Wilder, initially a screenwriter, brought a German migrant observation to the attitudes and foibles of Americans and the United States.

1. The film as a war film, A prison camp suspense story, a comedy? What conventions of each genre were used? How well, ironically? How well did they blend for audience interest and entertainment?

2. Comment on the cynical approach to the war, prisoners of war, Americanism? The presentation of heroism but showing the black underside of heroism?

3. How acceptable was this cynical attitude towards war and American heroism so soon after World War Two? William Holden winning an Oscar at this time for this kind of performance? Americans' acceptance of satire on themselves? The impact now after so many anti-war satires? How well does this film compare with that new genre?

4. Use of black and white photography, the campsites and locations and atmosphere? How authentic did this seem?

5. The use of narrative, the invitation to the audience to enter into the life of Stalag 17, the comments of observation on the people, the crises’ intentions?

6. Audience expectations of the way of life in the prison camp, audience expectations of heroism; the impact of the opening escape and deaths, the men and their reactions to the deaths, heroism in the men? Were expectations fulfilled and yet not fulfilled?

7. The attention to detail of life in the camp: the layout of the hut and life within the hut, the inspections, punishment, talk about church parades, the visits, meals, the Russian women?

8. The personality and character of Sefton with this framework: the supposedly American hero and his cynicism, his material success with trading and gambling, the men's hostility towards him and making him the scapegoat, his bitterness and self-assertion, his determination to detect the trust, his final cruelty to Price, the fact that he was the one to escape? How much of a hero was Sefton? How realistic a presentation of an American soldier in such a situation?

9. The contrast with the presentation of the Camp Commandant, his treatment of the men, his vanity and resentment against officials in Berlin, his wanting prestige, his torturing Dunbar, the visit of the Geneva man? The sprucing of everything for the Geneva man?

10. The personality of Schultz and his relationship with the men, his friendliness and humour, yet his shrewdness and his dealings with Price with their signals and exchange of messages? His devices for getting the information?

11. How credible a villain was Price? His initial role for security, his attacks on Sefton along with the others, his life in the hut, joining in the entertainment, playing the music etc.? His devices for communicating with Schultz? His unmasking, the brutality of his being thrown out to death?

12. The comedy in the characters of Stosh and Harry? Their personalities, prisoners of war, their memories, the irony of men put together for such a long duration, dancing and memories of Betty Grable etc.? How humorous yet pathetic a presentation of men in prison?

13. Dunbar as a hero, his mission, background and Sefton's reaction, torture? The serious note to the proceedings? The importance of his time-bomb, the interrogation, the need for him to escape?

14. The presentation of the men as angry, their fanaticism, being led? Joey and his letters and the sentiment in a prison camp?

15. Comment on the blend of seriousness, cynicism, ordinary comedy for example the dance? The Russian women?

16. The use of conventional prisoner-of-war camp escapes at the end, the irony since it was Sefton escaping?

17. The comment from the film on war, anti-war, human nature, survival, greed, exploitation, American belief in itself?