People are voting emotionally.
The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
View MoreThere is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
View MoreActress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
View MoreNone Shall Escape is directed by Andre De Toth, has a screenplay by Lester Cole, is based on a story by Alfred Neumann and Joseph Thann and stars Alexander Knox, Marsha Hunt, Henry Travers and Richard Hale.This film was released just a year before the end of the Second World War. It shows the war being won by the allies and the Nazis going on trial before the world for their horrific crimes.The film opens with several high ranking Nazi officers standing trial. The first one to step before the judges is Wilhelm Grimm(Alexander Knox). Grimm refuses to apologise for his crimes. Through witnesses called to testify we are shown in flashback the terrible things he has done or ordered to be done by others. We also quite interestingly see what led to him becoming such a monster in the first place, he certainly wasn't born evil but he became so over the years.One of those testifying against him include his own brother who Grimm betrayed to the Gestapo. Other witnesses include Grimm's former fiancé Marja (Marsha Hunt)and Father Warecki(Henry Travers)the Priest of the town Grimm commanded during the war.Featuring strong performances and some quite graphic (for the time)and realistic scenes of violence this one stays with you long after it's finished. The entire cast are superb and Knox is excellent in the lead role, I think he's quite an underrated actor who should be better known today.
View MoreNot only because this movie was made almost 70 years ago (at the time of writing/watching it the first time), but also because of the structure of the movie. It may feel a bit dated (no pun intended) and the effects certainly are, but the story is what counts and that is pretty strong indeed.The acting is more than good, though you can see where it does lead to most of the time. So while there won't be too many surprises, hopefully the drama itself and maybe a bit of the back-story of this movie will entice you. Don't be appalled by the court aspect of the movie, because very little of it actually plays in it.
View MoreThis was a wonderful little American propaganda film that is both highly creative AND openly discusses the Nazi atrocities before the entire extent of the death camps were revealed. While late 1944 and into 1945 would reveal just how evil and horrific they were, this film, unlike other Hollywood films to date, is the most brutally honest film of the era I have seen regarding Nazi atrocities.The film begins in a courtroom in the future--after the war is over (the film was made in 1944--the war ended in May, 1945). In this fictitious world court, a Nazi leader is being tried for war crimes. Wilhelm Grimm is totally unrepentant and one by one witnesses are called who reveal Grimm's life since 1919 in a series of flashbacks. At first, it appears that the film is going to be sympathetic or explain how Grimm was pushed to join the Nazis. However, after a while, it becomes very apparent that Grimm is just a sadistic monster. These episodes are amazingly well done and definitely hold your interest and also make the film seem less like a piece of propaganda but a legitimate drama.All in all, the film does a great job considering the film mostly stars second-tier actors. There are many compelling scenes and performances--especially the very prescient Jewish extermination scene towards the end that can't help but bring you close to tears. It was also interesting how around the same point in the film there were some super-creative scenes that use crosses in a way you might not notice at first. Overall, it's a must-see for history lovers and anyone who wants to see a good film.FYI--This is not meant as a serious criticism of the film, but Hitler was referred to as "that paper hanger". This is a reference to the myth that Hitler had once made money putting up wallpaper. This is in fact NOT true--previously he'd been a "starving artist", homeless person and served well in the German army in WWI. A horrible person, yes, but never a paper hanger!
View MoreThe only reason I give this movie an 8 out of 10 is because there are few movies, in my opinion, that are perfect. This little B picture is a taut story, well told. I've always been intrigued by Alexander Knox, but have seen him very few movies. Here he plays Wilhelm Grimm, a sad little man who turns into a monster. He betrays everything and everybody without an ounce of remorse. The performance is one of the most chilling performances I've ever seen. Since World War 2, actors who played Nazis or other evil types in films have occasionally been nominated for Oscars. I imagine that since this was made during the war, the Academy felt like honoring a performance like this would have been like honoring evil. But Knox puts in that kind of performance--a man so bitter and consumed by guilt that he thinks nothing of making others suffer. I still can't get over it.Marsha Hunt, who usually plays the filbert gibbet or social butterfly, is cast against type in probably the best performance I've ever seen her give, too. Maybe not Oscar worthy, but the best of her career. Nothing against her; I have enjoyed her in those "slight" roles she often played. But here she proves she up to the task of heavier drama.If you like human drama stories, or stories about the fates of those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis, I highly recommend this fine little film.
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