IMDb plot summary: In a North African military prison during World War II, five new prisoners struggle to survive in the face of brutal punishment and sadistic guards.
Directed by Sidney Lumet. Starring Sean Connery, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, and Alfred Lynch.
This is a genre I usually can't get into at all, but this is crafted so well it does push past those negative genre biases. It's especially interesting how the film shows things that already push characters to the margins of society -- such as weight, race, and sexual orientation -- being used as fuel to further humiliate and dehumanize these prisoners. It also does a really wonderful job of growing the tension of injustice. As the prisoners try more and more avenues to achieve human treatment, and the higher-ups close more doors in their faces, you can REALLY feel the rising panic of "There's nothing we can do about this," even as the circumstances continue to worsen. The scenes on the hill itself are shot really well and convey a really visceral sense of physical punishment. Definitely a movie to check out.
How it entered my Flickchart:
The Hill > Pitch Perfect 2
The Hill < My Name Is Joe
The Hill > A Doll's House
The Hill > The Polka King
The Hill > The Last Metro
The Hill < Re-Animator
The Hill > Auntie Mame
The Hill > Gone Baby Gone
The Hill > The Color Purple
The Hill > Unbreakable
The Hill > Wonder Boys
The Hill > Billy Liar
Final spot: #871 out of 3276, or 73%.
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