IMDb RATING
7.0/10
1.2K
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In 1940, a concentration camp escapee assumes the identity of a dead British officer, only to become a prisoner of war.In 1940, a concentration camp escapee assumes the identity of a dead British officer, only to become a prisoner of war.In 1940, a concentration camp escapee assumes the identity of a dead British officer, only to become a prisoner of war.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Elliott Mason
- Mrs. Lennox
- (as Elliot Mason)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSir Michael Redgrave (Captain Karel Hasek) and Rachel Kempson (Celia Mitchell) were married from 1935 until his death in 1985.
- Goofs(at around 7 mins) The column of marching POWs (presumably this is 1940) are passed by a group of what are supposed to be Tiger tanks. The Tiger tank did not appear until 1942.
- Quotes
Cpl. Ted Horsfall: [remembering his last night at home, before leaving for France, as he finishes a glass of beer at a farewell party] Ahhhhh. Beer isn't what it used to be.
Pvt. Don Evans: I hope the French beer isn't what it used to be either. Remember the last time, Ted?
Cpl. Ted Horsfall: Yeah. I remember something even better than beer too.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits: This film is based on fact but the characters are fictitious. Any similarity to any name or individual is coincidental.
- SoundtracksThere'll Always Be an England
(uncredited)
Written by Ross Parker and Hugh Charles
[Whistled as the prisoners arrive at the camp]
Featured review
Ealing not only made good comedies
Having read a lukewarm review of "The Captive Heart" in Time Out (my cinema bible) and thinking, "They're bound to trash this one," I leaped to the IMDb reviews ready to play my "champion of the turkey" role. What a pleasurable surprise to find it not needed, that I am indeed at one with sympathetic users and critics alike in admiration for this rather special offering from the Ealing archive. Whereas the comedies from the West London studios are still admired with affection, their more serious fare tends to be overlooked. "The Captive Heart" is something of a forgotten treasure, a tribute in the wake of victory, to our gallant servicemen who spent much of the second world war as prisoners in German camps. It's another team piece in the mode of Carol Reed's better known "The Way Ahead" which takes a cross section of class types and closely observes their behaviour as they share an enforced coming together. It's all very stereotypical but if treated with sincerity, as in both films, a measure of character cliché can be forgiven. If the level of acting is fairly mediocre, particularly some of the women with those period prissy upper class accents, one part, that of Michael Redgrave as a Czech who has assumed the role of an English soldier killed in battle to escape being identified by the Germans, stands out for its quality. Where the film really scores is in its reminder of a time when people were really nice to one another particularly when brought together in adversity. Everyone mucks in to help, from comforting the young soldier when first confronted with the permanence of his lack of sight to the initially unsympathetic character who gives up his chance of repatriation to aid one who needs it more, welcome reminders of an age when it was generally normal rather than exceptional to emerge from the cinema feeling good.
helpful•82
- jandesimpson
- Mar 3, 2015
- How long is The Captive Heart?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 26 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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