Stalag 17 (Billy Wilder, 1953)

Billy Wilder is one my celluloid gods, but Stalag 17 for some reason just doesn't work right for me. I see it every now and then and try to find something to make me like it more, but it still leaves me more or less cold. Don't get me wrong, it's okay but well below maestro's average. Certainly rest of his WW2 movies are much more interesting and easy to categorize. Five graves to Cairo is pure war movie and  Foreign Affair is a drama. Both masterpieces, both also having amazing casts!

And I think this is a root of my disappointment with Stalag. It tries and tries to find a balance between thriller and comedy and just keeps failing to do so. As far as a thriller part is concerned (finding a mole in the barrack) is too trivial and not suspenseful enough. Lighthearted portrayal of POW living also falls a bit flat and not too amusing. Especially that Animal character is annoying as hell and Preminger's character is shown almost as a clown. Holden is superb though. As he always was anyway.

6/10