Five years before American Colonel Hogan found himself in an incompetently run prison camp, British major David Niven and pilot Michael Wilding were captured by the Italians in Ethiopia and went through similar incompetence in a prison camp run by Alberto Sordi. The desperate Sordi is aggravated by Niven and allows him and his men to escape, simply to be rid of them, but when Niven comes back to take over the camp with his men and the innefecective Harry Andrews, it becomes a contest of who's dumb and who's dumber.
It's not that the men of either side are truly stupid. It's obvious that they just don't represent the fiercest of the forces, and are basically just going through the motions of doing their duty since the war is going on. Of course it's not all fun and games, and when a battle does break out, causing a fire, all is serious for a while. But this is a very amusing film, with Niven and Sordi playing off of each other beautifully, just as Niven had with Cantiflas in "Around the World in 80 Days". Here, you get the feeling that Niven and Sordi will meet up after the war, get sauced and laugh over the whole ordeal. Colorful and lighthearted, a surprise obscure delight.
It's not that the men of either side are truly stupid. It's obvious that they just don't represent the fiercest of the forces, and are basically just going through the motions of doing their duty since the war is going on. Of course it's not all fun and games, and when a battle does break out, causing a fire, all is serious for a while. But this is a very amusing film, with Niven and Sordi playing off of each other beautifully, just as Niven had with Cantiflas in "Around the World in 80 Days". Here, you get the feeling that Niven and Sordi will meet up after the war, get sauced and laugh over the whole ordeal. Colorful and lighthearted, a surprise obscure delight.