filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

alexanderdavies-99382 "The Captive Heart" is a slightly lesser known War film from this period. It focuses on a group of Allied soldiers who become prisoners of war and sent to a concentration camp. There, we witness the various trials and tribulations of the main characters as they struggle to sustain their existence in the midst of hopelessness and despair. However, being friends as well as comrades serves to help them survive many a challenge during their time as prisoners. The emphasis isn't so much on action but more on character and drama. These are the film's chief strengths. It is a harsh War film and with no sentimentality included in the screenplay. Even though Michael Redgrave is billed first, he doesn't appear for quite a while but he's worth waiting for as he gives the best performance. He plays a man who steals the identity of a dead soldier and finishes up at the same concentration camp as the other characters. The supporting cast is a fine one. Gordon Jackson, Jimmy Hanley, Basil Radford and others. They are solid. The plot tends to be a bit vague at times and the running time is a bit long. A pretty good yarn in general.

Adam Peters (53%) A very simplistic prisoner of war drama from Ealing studios about a Czech man who changes his identity to that of a British captured soldier to avoid being killed. This looks at the life of both the prisoners and their family back home giving a decent incite into the inner workings of wartime for the vast majority of normal people. The performances are largely standard stuff, with some touches of film noir to the again pretty standard direction. While the plot is predicable with very little in terms of surprises, but the fact that this was released only a few years after the war itself, and as everyone back then who watched this had actually lived through the misery of that page in time, so the makers didn't really attempt to over-aggrandise the events that directors now might feel more inclined. Overall this is so-so matinée stuff that I'd only recommend to big war movie buffs.

MartinHafer I was thrilled when the movie began. I had no idea it was made by Ealing Studios, but I always felt impressed by their every film. They just seemed to make the most out of even the simplest stories.This film is about a group of British soldiers spending the war in a prisoner of war camp. "The Captive Heart" stretches from 1940 through the war to the return of the prisoners to their homes.Often, the story is punctuated with flashback scenes--showing the soldiers in mostly happier days with loved ones. In addition to the many little vignettes is an odd (and rather difficult to believe) story involving Michael Redgrave. It seems he's a Czech who's escaped from a concentration camp and is re-captured by the Germans. However, not wanting to be returned to a hellish place like Dachau, he assumes the identity of a dead British soldier--and is sent to the camp along with the real British prisoners. This story and how it all plays out is very interesting. I don't want to say more, as it would spoil the story.The film has very nice acting and a reasonably engaging story. My only major complaint is that because the film takes place over such a long time period, the film is a bit episodic and shallow at times. But it's still a well made and engaging film from start to finish.

bkoganbing In Stalag 17 there's a famous scene and line where the audience who now knows that Peter Graves is an agent is pitching horseshoes and trying to obtain information, as he lands one, an off screen voice says 'that's a ringer.'The British prisoners, mostly from Dunkirk, who because of capture sat out the war have a ringer among them in The Captive Heart. It's Michael Redgrave, but his is not an espionage mission. He's a Czech who's escaped from a concentration camp and found himself on the battlefield where the defenseless British have surrendered. He takes the identity and uniform of a dead officer and is then 'caught' by the Germans.To keep up the deception Redgrave writes letters back to his 'wife' in the United Kingdom, played by his real life wife Rachel Kempson. She and her real husband have not gotten along and truth be told his call up for war was greeted with some relief. But Redgrave wrote such poetical stuff she falls for him by correspondence.Although Redgrave's story is the main plot line, there are others that are nicely acted. Young Gordon Jackson goes blind because of lack of proper care for his wounds and he gives a touching performance. And chief officer of the prisoners, Basil Radford is an inspiring leader among them, trying to keep up morale as best he can.The Captive Heart is a tandem pulling of the strings on the auricle and ventricle of the viewer. It's a fine wartime romantic drama with equal accent on the war and the romance. It was done just as Michael Redgrave was reaching his heights as one of the United Kingdom's premier players. Try not to miss it if it is broadcast.