User reviews

Frank Wisbar was known to be one of the few German directors to make war films after the conflict, and of course non propaganda movies, features that showed the real war, without any partisan point of view. The total contrary of the Russian, US or British films. His masterpiece is the movie about Stalingrad battle (Dogs do you want to live forever?), that I have commented, or this other one about U Boats ( Sharks and Small Fish). This one shows the inside of a SS school. This is definitely an anti war drama, showing a murder mystery classic yarn, but the main purpose is to denounce the real goal of this SS school, destined to purchase cannon fodder to the front, a school where a crime is commited. But the subject is also oriented towards the Gestapo point of view; how will it manage this delicate problem inside the institution? There was the same problem several years ago in France where a cadet in Saint Cyr prestigious military school died in mysterious circumstances, drills, hazing, or killed by another cadet.... The case was rapidly put under silence by the authorities. Back to this film, it is very rare and worth watching too.