Shot from the Sky

* What I have to say below does not contain a spoiler. I made a few general references to a some key events in the story. These references compel people to watch the movie and encourage others to discuss these comments...

"Gripping" is a far understated reference to the hold this story has on the viewer. Hollywood has spoiled us on foreshadowing to the point of cynicism, but the twists in this story eliminate all that. In fact, the twists never seem to end and once again it can be said that fiction has no grip like the truth.

The strength of this presentation is in its portrayal of the horror of life in Nazi-occupied Europe and the mentality of those who proudly served Hitler. When our elders tell us this war was terrifying, movies like this really bring home the message.

On the critical side, because this presentation makes the Buchenwald infirmary experience the turning point in the story, Allen's transfers throughout Germany are dismissed, and his liberation and reunification with his wife become anticlimactic. The danger is that the story becomes fixated on the horror Allen faced and not what was important to Allen.

I would like to know more about what motivated Allen and why he pushed himself to endure his hardships. I would like to know what others thought about Allen. Furthermore, I would also like to know more about the Luftwaffe officer and prison camp medic who showed Allen incomparable kindnesses. I suspect more could be said about Allen's French protector.

Likely these things are in the book, but aspects of these could have been written into the movie script. Nevertheless, these thoughts in no wise detract from a compelling story that can compete with major Hollywood movies of a similar subject.