jcholguin

Growing up in the magic era of the sixties, who can not look back at television and the music of that time. Now in the next century Hollywood is using so many aspects of the sixties. Its music and television. Mission Impossible has been redone at least twice in the movies. Yes, the budget is much higher but the fun of "Barney, Willy, Mr Briggs or Phelps, Cinnamon or of Rollin cannot be ever recreated. I can still see little Wally Cox being put in a suitcase and the husky Willy carrying him. Or another master of faces, Ventlos replacing Rollin in a Bunker and how exciting the escape of the team in rescuing the Rojaks as the Bunker exploded.

The love of the team for each other when one of them were captured and an all out rescue would occur. Or the surprise and joy of the team when Willy was not killed but captured. This show was ahead of its time. Along with Mannix and Hawaii Five-O these three shows made the sixties something special.

When I first saw the title of this film on my T.V. list I expected the classic movie made in the forties. It started out in color which meant it was just a remake. There was even a large tree in the opening moments. Much like the original, a tree is very important. Then just as quick as a flash of lightening, anything classic about this film disappeared. Suddenly the plot started to remind me of "Poltergeist." I also loved the first 2 "Poltergeists" but this was NO POLTERGEIST. The ending was really the best part of the film. It featured the strength of a women in mortal combat. Would she win or lose against the supernatural? I know that the writers of this film lost in their battle for something original.

Claudette Colbert plays Agnes Keith, prisoner. The time period is WWII. Agnes is a married woman with a child that has no idea of what is about to happen to her. She will be taken to a woman's prisoner of war camp. Her boy stays with her but her husband is taken away. There is no hope for any of the women. Life is hard. Forced physical labor is the rule of the day. Soldiers show no feelings for their captives. Sessue Hayakawa plays Colonel Suga, in charge of the camp. A man that follows orders and yet does seem to try to treat the women with some respect. As the months carry on. Will help ever arrive at the camp? Will this war ever end the punishment of being a prisoner? Will the women ever see their husbands again? A fine performance by Claudette. The ending ends with both human sadness and victory.