On B List of Movie Reviews
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The Blockhouse (1973)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
2/25
2/25:
Upon the completion of The Blockhouse, I had to find out right away if what I saw did happen.
After looking up the internet, I have to say...no. Had it been true, the men's names
would've been published. But there's nothing at all. What a fascinating story it would've made. Sure,
Le Blockhaus was written by Jean-Paul Clébert, but the book is so obscure that it's probably more
fictional than not.
However, nothing I've pointed out takes away how good the movie is. It's certainly among the hardest types to
produce on screen because there's only so much the survivors can do to fill the time while being trapped in
a room with barely anything for entertainment. As a matter of fact, it makes for a strong version of prisoner's
dilemma: do you want to suffer in a concentration camp or be stuck in an isolation hole for years with
only food and wine?
Of the cast, Peter Sellers may be the only famous name, but performance-wise, everybody is mostly on the same
level with Jeremy Kemp standing out somewhat. I was surprised when Kemp's character died because he seemed to be
the strongest of any with plenty of fat on him. By the way, the director shouldn't have added the following
line after "This is a true story about seven men" at the beginning of the film: "Only two will survive." Just let
the viewers find out by watching it first.
What bothers me about the claustrophobic ordeal is that I wasn't able to see anything in regard to
the blocked passage toward the top. What if all seven worked together to remove the debris, however long it
took? Also, I refuse to accept that the walls are very thick all the way around. There has to be a spot somewhere
that's only one-foot thick or less. Then, the men can make a hole through it and dig their way up.
I don't believe the story for the most part. Sure, people can tough it out for at most two years, but
five...six...seven years? Not possible. One, the food will be spoiled. Two, it's hard to eat the same thing over
and over without much of variety. Three, there are no fruits or vegetables, leading to vitamin deficiency. Ditto
for lack of sun exposure. Four, if wine is all the survivors have, then no...they will need water.
All in all, in the vein of Alive, The Blockhouse is a fascinating film
with realistic cinematography, and I've learned a lot about survival: physically and psychologically.