During the movie I wasn't sure if the humor and the portrayal of the Germans worked that well, but I think with a few exceptions it really did. The movie is suspenseful as it is entertaining and Holden truly delivers a great performance.

The hook about prisoners of war who've cooked up their own unique society in captivity is further enlivened by the colorful nature of the characters, a common result when Wilder's is one of the names on the screenplay. In that great director's hands, the film is shrewd and smart, bolstered by a cynic's wit. William Holden won an Oscar for his performance, and he's indeed quite winning, lacing his line deliveries with equal parts knowing ingenuity and sly charm.

This iconic cast paints a relatively jaunty picture of life in a POW camp, with jovial gaurds and humorous antics. However, the film also manages to wring powerful emotions from its characters, particularly Holden's Sefton. His misdirected accusation, and the unwarranted retribution that follows, is jarring, and enriches his final coup. But this film is more than a prison camp revenge, as it does a passable job of illuminating some of the dimmer aspects of life in a palatable manner.

certainly has its moments but i felt the comedic aspect detracted from the overall experience.

One of the funniest comedies ever made. Even at over 50 years old, "Stalag 17" is still as clever, fresh, and as exciting as the day it was released. Beyond the excellent performances is one of the finest comedy scripts ever written.

Very good prisoner of war film.

I used to watch this movie with my dad. It always brings back good memories.

This comedy about a Nazi prison camp strikes precisely the right balance.

I can see much of the Great Escape in Stalag 17

A great entertainment. The characters play their role to perfection and you can almost feel the chemistry among the inmates in the prison camp. The portrayal of the german officers is more comical than anything else. It fits in well with the movie intending to be a war comedy. It is one of the very few WW2 movies that dos not leave you feeling all sympathetic and pitiful at the end. You really enjoy the humor and an underlying suspense that keeps you guessing till the end.

One of the very best American movies of the 1950s. Wilder, so good at comedy, proved himself equally adept at drama, and brought a top-drawer performance out of Holden. Features superb photography from Ernest Laszlo, and a wonderful score.

I did not find this movie a masterpiece, but certainly is a film that marks the biography of Billy Wilder and only enriches your filmography.

I didn't think this was a very funny movie, I just thought it was a great movie. It left me strangely happy with life, which is odd considering the subject matter. It was just really well made with great acting and an incredibly satisfying ending. Holden plays the anti-hero to perfection (in '53 no less). One of Wilder's best films.

A great ensemble dramedy with some brilliant direction. Every character is given the perfect amount of screen time, all of the various moods are juggled seamlessly, and the ending is fantastic. "If I ever run into any of you bums on a street corner, just let's pretend we've never met before."

An extremely funny picture with a wonderful cast of characters and at the same time a great mystery of who's who. This film has everything, but that may be its biggest fault. It is funny, it is sad, it is fun, and it is suspenseful. and all in a German POW camp. It feels like there was too much of everything, but nonetheless, it is a satisfying and entertaining picture with a great ending, and great characters.

Loses points with me for being too similar to Grand Illusion, and not being up to par with Wilder's usual masterpieces.

Oafish humor and a cutesy portrayal of Nazis get in the way of a darn good movie.

The dramatic stuff is great, gripping and intriguing throughout with some good tension. The comedic stuff isn't so successful, it has a few laughs but most of the time just manages to be amusing and little more (and a couple of the minor characters, Harry and Animal, can get a tad annoying at points). I certainly enjoyed it a lot, but it's far from Wilder's best.

This is certainly entertaining, but while I admit some of the humour was good, some was not to my taste; a bit too much slapstick I guess. The drama and the action were a lot more interesting. At times I felt like they were giving away too much and ruining suspense, but it the end they pulled it off nicely. But the highlight of the movie: that's Holden. A great performance.

Maybe I've been spoiled by better POW movies that came out since this one (The Great Escape comes to mind), but this was somewhat of a disappointment. My biggest issue is with the "comedy." I hated - HATED - the Animal character. Never have I seen such broad, goofy comic relief in a movie about an otherwise serious subject. At times it reached into near Three Stooges territory. Holden was decent, but nowhere near Oscar worthy. Same goes for the story.

Thoroughly enjoyable, although much of the humor in the first half felt quite misplaced.

Billy Wilder plays to all of his strengths and makes a classic in the process.

92.500

I've seen too many prison movies to fully enjoy this one. There is a lot of good scenes and the whole "find-the-rat" element is good, but is reveiled too early. It's just no match for Bridge on the River Kwai, Great Escape or Grande Illusion.