We just watched the movie this week. Three hours was a bit long for the 10 year old. Exceptional acting up and down. Great pacing. One of the best ensemble films ever. My wife just read the book, which had many tricks and stunts that the movie just didn’t have time for.
One story in the book was when some high ranking Kraut got a new fancy car, and wanted to show off its German engineering. The head of the camp told him to leave it outside, but the muckety-muck insisted on bringing it inside, and the driver will watch the car. The POWs swarmed the car, taking all sorts of items that would be turned into tools and barter items.
The poor driver was afraid to report the incident because HE would get in trouble!
Eventually, the POWs agreed to return a secret book that was in the car, but only after they finished consuming its contents, and putting a special stamp imprinted inside the book (stamp made from heel of a boot) stating that the book had passed inspection at some British Department of something other. No one does cheeky like the Brits, and no one is more fun to have be the butt of such cheekiness as a Kraut. (I am one quarter both).
DFG said:
“Eventually, the POWs agreed to return a secret book that was in the car, but only after they finished consuming its contents, and putting a special stamp imprinted inside the book (stamp made from heel of a boot) stating that the book had passed inspection at some British Department of something other. No one does cheeky like the Brits, and no one is more fun to have be the butt of such cheekiness as a Kraut.”
That right there is one of the funniest things I have ever heard!