Review of The Captive Heart

"The Captive Heart" is a slightly lesser known War film from this period. It focuses on a group of Allied soldiers who become prisoners of war and sent to a concentration camp. There, we witness the various trials and tribulations of the main characters as they struggle to sustain their existence in the midst of hopelessness and despair. However, being friends as well as comrades serves to help them survive many a challenge during their time as prisoners. The emphasis isn't so much on action but more on character and drama. These are the film's chief strengths. It is a harsh War film and with no sentimentality included in the screenplay. Even though Michael Redgrave is billed first, he doesn't appear for quite a while but he's worth waiting for as he gives the best performance. He plays a man who steals the identity of a dead soldier and finishes up at the same concentration camp as the other characters. The supporting cast is a fine one. Gordon Jackson, Jimmy Hanley, Basil Radford and others. They are solid. The plot tends to be a bit vague at times and the running time is a bit long. A pretty good yarn in general.