Gripping Films About Surviving German POW Camps

Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

The messages in Letters from World War II mostly tell a love story about marriage. However, a part of it is still a survival story of POW in Germany during WWII. 

Most people know stories like this from documentaries as well as classic films like The Great Escape (starring the one and only Steve McQeen). However, it’s not like it has been the only film that focused on the subject matter of the Stalags. 

Plenty of other films have also been made. It is common knowledge that Nazi Germany set up about 1,000 POW camps, with over 200,000 of Allied soldiers (including not only Americans but also British, French and even Russian forces). 

Naturally, plenty of these veterans would go on to leave records, memoirs and, of course, letters that would then describe what it was like surviving German POW Camps. 

That’s enough material to make more than a decade’s worth of films! And with such variety, savvy viewers will notice that they are not just all adventurous action classics like The Great Escape. Several others also explore a wide range of serious themes that naturally result from stories about wartime. There are films that focus on the compelling performance of one main lead, or showcase life in the camps from a yet untold perspective.

Other Films as Great as The Great Escape

Photo by Jake Hills

Stalag 17

This was the film that earned William Holden the Oscar for Best Actor in 1953. In the film, he portrays the snarky J.J. Sefton, an opportunistic prisoner known only for masterminding the camp’s little gambling rings, bootleg alcohol and other typical vices.

The film also deals in the subject of escape attempts, but gives a more suspenseful twist via the existence of a suspected spy among the prisoners. And through it all, Holden delivers one good line after another, bringing to life Sefton’s dour, sarcastic cunning as he eventually reveals the spy.

A Man Escaped

Directed by renowned French minimalist Robert Bresson, this film presents a heavier, more suspenseful plot than its more popular American counterparts.

Based on the memoir of French Resistance member André Devigny, the film follows the imprisonment of a Resistance member simply named Fontaine. Despite still being a WWII movie, it’s considerably more thrilling with its clever use of sound and abstract elements that still tells a complete story of surviving as a German POW in a highly impactful way.

Fate of a Man

Soviet war films in general have become underrated over time, but they offer a fresh perspective on the genre whenever they are brought up.

Yet even among them, Fate of a Man really stands out both for how emotionally gripping it was among the films of its time, as well as its touching ending. It follows the story of a military truck driver Andrew Solokov. The German offensive against the Union was well on its way, forcing Andrei to enlist his skills in the Red Army, and separate from his family.

He is beset by tragedy, beginning with his imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp. The film is a rarity in that it shows a POW within a concentration camp context as the Nazis also believed communists were as subhuman as Jews in light of their ideology.

Harsh and Historical Realities About Surviving German POW Camps

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

As with any work of fiction, there is definitely plenty of embellishment when it comes to dramatizing the accounts of WWII POWs. The Great Escape, for example, wasn’t really so great in the bigger historical picture. While over 70 men did take part, a majority of the other POWs found it much safer to stay. 

Only three of the escapees were ever really truly able to evade recapture and return safely. In fact, about 50 of the others were tragically hunted down and killed on orders from Hitler himself (and in complete violation of the Geneva Convention). 

Still, other gritty aspects about these German POW survival stories are also retained without exaggeration. Despite Nazi attempts to circumvent Geneva, they were already under plenty of scrutiny to comply. Inspectors to the Stalags were routinely sent, along with Red Cross aid packages. Many of these POWs certainly did come up with creative ways to stave off boredom and make the most of the food supply in the packages from home. 

When the war was nearing its end, the Nazis ‘evacuated’ the POWs and put them on forced marches through the harsh European winter in a desperate, bitter attempt to make life miserable for their captives. 

Fortunately, in a similar vein to the movies, the Allied POWs ultimately triumphed when they were liberated after the collapse of Hitler’s regime. 

In surviving German POW camps, they are allowing us to share their life with future generations in both film and literature. 

Want to get a glimpse of what POW life was like in other camps besides Stalag Luft? Check out Letters from World War II for the personal account of 1^st Lieutenant George A. Hannon. It’s available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.