This is yet another mediocre entry into the post-war war films genre. Being a war film addict, I was eager to watch the film because of the cast, which included such fine actors as Richard Basehart and Oskar Werner. The story/script starts off well enough, because I found the premise so interesting: What if German prisoners were sent back into Nazi Germany to spy on their own country? After a lengthy setup, perhaps too casual and lengthy the suspense starts when the three soldiers, Happy, Tiger, and the captain are inserted into enemy territory. However, for the rest of the film, the story mainly follows Happy as he tries to verify the status of the 11th Panzer Group, one of the divisions that faced the Allies on the Western Front. Unfortunately, the story doesn't get any more suspenseful. The whole question about Happy which is put toward him before he leaves in a sort of prophetic omen is whether or not he will succumb to his German-ness and betray the mission. However, this possibility isn't really developed or entertained much. The blonde girl in the bar where Happy and the SS courier spend the night offered an opportunity for Happy to get distracted from the mission, thereby giving the story some much-needed dramatic suspense. Unfortunately, she disappears almost as soon as she enters. Another opportunity for him getting distracted is Happy's father, who's a surgeon still serving the Reich. However, we never fully understand his relationship with his dad. He manages to call him one day at his hospital, but Happy merely goes silent and hangs up on him. So, their relationship remains a big mystery to us. We assume they might be somewhat close, since they're both doctors, but alas, we may never know. Perhaps the novel shed more light on their relationship. Also, the voice-over flashbacks which haunt Happy at bedtime don't really garner much pathos, or force him to take alternative action in the plot. Other reviewers claim that Happy is 'challenged' by his native land to betray the mission but where is the evidence in the film? I think a much better example of someone going AWOL is Peter Falk's character in another mediocre WW2 film, 'Castle Keep'. He falls in love with the baker's wife and actually starts baking bread in lieu of his lieutenant's orders! Perhaps if the mission kept the three men together and in conflict (Tiger and Happy never saw eye-to-eye, so there's some drama already) this may have been an answer. On the plus side, the production values are good, and it seems like they must've used actual postwar Europe to film some of the exteriors: Destroyed buildings are just that; and the realism/scenes are incredible. Also, the acting is nearly first-rate. However, as usual you can't make a good film from a mediocre/bad script.
Review of Decision Before Dawn
