5 War Movies That Real Veterans Hated (And 5 They Approve Of)
2. The Colditz Story
Following the end of World War II, ex-escapees encouraged filmmakers to dilute important details of their ingenious escapes for the benefit of future Prisoners of War. After all, what would be the use in giving away all of their secrets?
With that in mind, its a credit to The Colditz Storys authenticity that the 1954 film was still lauded as an accurate, believable adaptation of Pat Reids book of the same name. It chronicled life behind the foreboding walls of Nazi Germanys escape-proof prison camp, and the prisoners countless attempts to break out. In a classic British tale of back to the wall heroics, the camp proves to be as escape-proof as the Titanic was unsinkable. Ex-Colditz prisoner Kenneth Lockwood praised the film for having got the atmosphere absolutely right, a compliment not readily bandied around by veterans.
Lockwood was less complimentary about a proposed Hollywood remake starring (brace yourselves) Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Tom Cruise. Wary of American filmmakers and their tendency to take more than a little poetic licence with historical fact, he said If they show Americans leading the escape from Colditz, I'm inclined to laugh.
Fortunately, the remake is yet to make an appearance.