It stars some Spanish Nationalist soldiers (Antonio Vilar as Capitán Ricardo Adrados , Rubén Rojo as Teniente Luis Durán , Luis Peña as Teniente Alvar , Mario Berriatúa as Teniente Pedro Rodrigo ...) . They are taken prisoners , then they stand under the Soviet regime in brutal conditions . The imprisoned Spanishmen will suffer eleven years in captivity . Along the way the valiant and brave of officers and soldiers attempt to maintain their lives by keeping their religious faith , national feeling and their dignity. They are mistreated , humiliated and coerced by concentration camp chiefs as Lacharni (José Franco) and Coronel Chorne (Antonio Prieto). Soldiers feel forced to mistreat each other , as a cruel social machinery leaves them no choice . However , some of them will betray the national cause , becoming in communists and resulting in fateful consequences .
The film deals with the DIvision Azul , a bataillon of volunteer soldiers who after Germany started hostilities against Russia (1941) enlisted to fight against communism , they were equally devoted to Catholic religion and Franco dictatorship . Being based on real events from the novel "Embajador en el infierno" by Teodoro Palacios Cueto and Torcuato Luca de Tena . The movie contains no combat scenes or anything else of interest to war buffs , except for some brief stock footage of devastated places. The movie is similar to "Stalag 17" , "King Rat" or the subsequent ¨Victory¨, but much milder. But then again, it was made in 1956, and it is similar to Hollywood movies of the time. Still, I suppose it does give an idea of life in Soviet captivity for Spanish POWs , many of whom returned in the 1950s, if at all . Sadly, the movie lacks realism, and it has lots of clichés, and doesn't do this interesting and largely ignored subject justice . One of the more entertaining aspects and conflicts I found in here was the fact that those incarcerated Germans were depicted as victims too . They may have fought for the Führer, but all the pain and suffering and injury they had to go through with men paying with their lives is elaborated on here from the perspective of sympathy . It contains nice and atmospheric B&W cinematography cameraman Antonio L. Ballesteros , shot on location in Burguete, Navarra, and adequate musical score by Salvador Ruiz de Luna , as well . The motion picture was professionally directed by Jose Maria Forque.
This jingoist flick is based on true happenings , these are the following ones : On June 22, 1941 Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa by surprise, the Army General Staff creates Three Army Groups: North, Center and South. A coalition of countries adept at the Nazi regime is formed for the invasion, Finland and Romania participated at first, then Italians and Hungarians joined, later forces from countries recently invaded by Germany that supported the Nazi cause such as Croatia or Slovakia were used. Stalin's invasion of the Soviet Union was underway and running. For the regime, it is the ideal occasion to enter the scene, although Franco openly never wanted to enter the Second World War, if he authorized the creation of a Recruitment Center for volunteers who wanted to go to fight against Bolshevism and the communist regime that ruled in the Soviet Union. They would propose the sending of a contingent of volunteers, which would allow Spain to pay off its debt to Hitler. However, it maintained its non-belligerent status, because there was no official declaration of war against the USSR. On the 23rd, at the proposal of Minister Ramón Serrano Suñer, the Council of Ministers approved in El Pardo to send a division, and the German ambassador, Eberhard von Stohrer was informed of this.2 Although the official name was «Spanish Division of Volunteers ", José Luis Arrese would call it" Blue Division ". The initiative was well received by supporters of the National Bando and members of La Falange. They blamed the USSR for being the instigator and responsible for all the events of the 1930s that led to the Civil War, for the involvement of Moscow and the Comintern in spreading the Bolshevik revolutions and communism throughout Europe. For the regime, it meant returning the visit. On June 24, 4 adhesion mobilizations were organized and the formation of the division was proclaimed. In Madrid, SEU students called a demonstration in the Plaza de Callao. There, members of the FET of the JONS4, students, Falangists, members of the Youth Front and the Women's Section gathered.1 The march went up Gran Vía until it reached the party's headquarters on Calle Alcalá, where the minister Serrano Suñer would harangue them in his anti-communist spirit from a balcony with the following words: Comrades, this is not the time for speeches. But it does mean that the Falange is now giving its conviction: Russia is guilty! Guilty of the death of José Antonio, our founder. And of the death of so many comrades and so many soldiers who fell in that war due to the aggression of Russian communism. The extermination of Russia is a requirement of history and of the future of Europe. Initially, the names of José Antonio Girón and Juan Yagüe (both Falangists) were considered to lead the future unit. In the end it was agreed that the leadership of this would fall on General Agustín Muñoz Grandes, proposed by Minister Ramón Serrano Suñer.
