The Blockhouse
| The Blockhouse | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Clive Rees |
| Produced by |
Edgar Bronfman Jr. Antony Rufus Isaacs |
| Written by |
Jean-Paul Clébert (book) John Gould Clive Rees |
| Starring |
Peter Sellers Charles Aznavour |
| Music by | Stanley Myers |
| Cinematography | Keith Goddard |
| Edited by | Peter Gold |
| Distributed by |
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Cannon Films |
Release date | 1973 |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Blockhouse is a 1973 film, based on a novel by Jean-Paul Clébert. It was directed by Clive Rees and starred Peter Sellers, in a rare dramatic performance, and Charles Aznavour. It was filmed entirely in Guernsey in the Channel Islands and was entered into the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival.[1]
Plot
On D-Day, a mixed group of forced labourers held by German forces take shelter from the bombardment inside a German bunker, but are then entombed when the entrances are blocked by shelling damage. By coincidence, the bunker is a storehouse, so the prisoners have enough food and wine to last them for years. However, they are trapped not for years but permanently, and the film analyzes how they deal with their underground prison, with their relationships, and with death.
Cast
- Peter Sellers as Rouquet
- Charles Aznavour as Visconti
- Jeremy Kemp as Grabinski
- Per Oscarsson as Lund
- Peter Vaughan as Aufret
- Nicholas Jones as Kromer
- Leon Lissek as Kozhek
- Alfred Lynch as Larshen
Influences
The book and film appear to have been inspired by a possibly true story: On 25 June 1951, Time magazine reported that two German soldiers claimed to have been trapped for six years in an underground storehouse in Babie Doły, Poland.[2][3]
Reception
TV Guide states that "the film tries to study men in a terrible, claustrophobic setting, but it never reveals the true nature of the characters or a metaphysical reason for their predicament. A worthy idea that sadly goes nowhere."[4] However, the film does currently hold a 73% approval rating (based on 126 reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes.[5]
References
- ↑ "IMDB.com: Awards for The Blockhouse". imdb.com. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
- ↑ "Buried Alive For Six Years". Eugene Register-Guard. 18 June 1951. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ↑ "In Babie Doly". Time magazine. 25 June 1951.
- ↑ "The Blockhouse". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ↑ "The Blockhouse". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 21 April 2017.