Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Stalag 17 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 3, 2015

Winner of Oscar Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Billy Wilder's "Stalag 17" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival audio commentary with actors Richard Erdman and Gil Stratton and co-playwright Donald Bevan; two archival featurettes, "Stalag 17: From Reality to Screen" and "The Real Heroes of Stalag XVII B"; and new video piece featuring film historian Neil Sinyard. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet containing an essay, interview material, and rare archival imagery. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The prisoners

Billy Wilder’s film Stalag 17 is based on the popular 1951 Broadway play by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski, both of whom were captured by the Germans during WWII and sent to the notorious prison camp Stalag XVII B, where they spent two years. It is one of only two war films Wilder directed.

A few days before Christmas, 1944, inside Stalag 17 two brave American prisoners from Barracks 4 bid farewell to their mates and enter the secret tunnel they have dug together. When moments later they are captured and executed, the men in Barracks 4 conclude that someone must have informed the Germans about the planned escape. Then they all agree that it must have been the cynical Sgt. J. J. Sefton (William Holden, The Bridge on the River Kwai), who has correctly predicted that the two men will fail. Sefton swears that he isn’t a mole, but is promptly beaten and isolated.

Meanwhile, someone continues to supply the camp’s commandant, Oberst von Scherbach (Otto Preminger), with valuable information about all important activities inside Barracks 4. The information is delivered through the shady guard Schulz (Sig Ruman, To Be or Not to Be), who closely monitors the prisoners and their mail.

Sefton gets a chance to prove that he is innocent when two new prisoners, both pilots, arrive and reveal how one of them (Don Taylor, The Naked City) destroyed a large ammunition train on their way to the camp.

The overwhelming majority of the film takes place inside the barracks where the prisoners try to figure out how the Germans always manage to be a few steps ahead of them. Interestingly enough, the tension that emerges is countered with plenty of laughs that create numerous very odd contrasts. For example, Shultz and the rest of the guards that interact with the prisoners are often portrayed as clueless clowns that can be so naive that it is hard to imagine that they have any sort of control over the camp. (There is a scene in which a guard actually gives his rifle to one of the prisoners so that he could play volleyball). The supposedly serious conflicts between the prisoners are also accompanied by such massive overreactions that at times it literally feels like one is viewing a giant farce.

Arguably the biggest issue, however, is that various cast members appear undecided whether they are in a serious war drama or a witty comedy. Holden, the best of them, impresses with his believable cynical attitude, but Robert Straus’ (Animal) silly overreactions are borderline unbearable. Halfway through the film a supposedly prominent gentleman from Geneva also arrives to inspect the camp and his often surreal behavior and questions nearly collapse the entire film.

The closing twenty or so minutes, where Holden really shines, give the film some credibility, but the finale delivers yet another odd surprise. Holden’s last words to the prisoners ring true, but before he disappears in the tunnel they are quickly placed in a much safer context.

Director of photography Ernest Laszlo’s (Logan's Run, The Star) lensing is wonderful. The panoramic shots from the camp, in particular, look terrific. The film’s soundtrack was created by multiple Oscar-winning composer Franz Waxman (Sunset Boulevard, A Place in the Sun).

Stalag 17 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Billy Wilder's Stalag 17 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment.

The release has been sourced from the same master which Paramount Pictures used for the U.S. Blu-ray release of the film that is currently distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The overwhelming majority of the film looks very good -- detail and clarity are very pleasing and contrast levels remain stable. Color gradation is equally convincing -- the blacks and whites are stable and balanced while the wide range of nuanced grays appear healthy and natural (there are no traces of boosting or other compromising digital adjustments). There is only one outdoor sequence with some noticeable density fluctuations, but it is very easy to tell that they are inherited (you can see an example in screencapture #12). There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is outstanding. Finally, it is exceptionally easy to see that debris, damage marks, cuts, scratches, and stains have been removed as best as possible. All in all, this is a lovely presentation of Stalag 17 that will surely please its fans. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Stalag 17 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio has been fully remastered and it is very easy to tell. Depth is outstanding and clarity as good as it could be. Also, background hiss, pops, crackle, and other age-related imperfections have been completely eliminated. There are no digital distortions to report in this review.

Stalag 17 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, actors Richard Erdman (Sgt. 'Hoffy' Hoffman) and Gil Stratton (Sgt. Clarence Harvey 'Cookie' Cook) and co-playwright Donald Bevan discuss how various sequences from the film were shot, Otto Preminger's performance and some of their interactions with him during and after the shooting of the film, the comedic overtones, etc. The commentary initially appeared on the R1 Special Collector's Edition DVD release of the film.

• Stalag 17: From Reality to Screen - this archival featurette focuses on the production history and success of Billy Wilder's Stalag 17. Included in it are clips from interviews with William Holden biographer Bob Thomas, actor Richard Erdman, Billy Wilder biographer Ed Sikov, playwright Donald Bevan, and writer/director Nicholas Meyer (Company Business), amongst others. The featurette was also included on the DVD release of the film. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• The Real Heroes of Stalag XVII B - in this fantastic archival featurette, veteran/playwright Donald Bevan and veterans Edward McKenzie and Ned Handy recall their experiences at Stalag XVII B after they were captured by the Germans. Also included are clips from interviews with Capt. Dale A. Dye (USMC Ret. military advisor for film and television) and military historian/author Phillip Kaplan. The featurette was also included on the DVD release of the film. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Neil Sinyard - in this new video piece, film historian Neil Sinyard discusses the production history of Stalag 17, some of the key conflicts in the film, and its critical reception. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Booklet - illustrated booklet containing an essay, interview material, and rare archival imagery.

Stalag 17 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Stalag 17 became one of Billy Wilder's biggest hits, but I find it to be one of his least convincing films. The balance of humor and drama in it is very awkward, and despite William Holden's excellent performance, I think that the end result is rather underwhelming. The two films Wilder directed before it, Ace in the Hole and Sunset Boulevard, are vastly superior. If you are already a fan of Stalag 17 and want to add it to your collections, you can order this Blu-ray release with confidence. The film looks terrific in high-definition.