One of the reasons people love Sean Connery, and why his career lasted so long, was at the height of Bond mania, when he could've been in anything, he ditched the toupee and took a role in what was basically an ensemble piece, an account of life in a British military prison.
Although essentially British, it was directed by Sidney Lumet, who ensures there is nothing pukka and toff nosed about it. It's gritty kitchen sink realism really, the sink being in a military prison, as Connery and his fellow prisoners deal with tough but decent Harry Andrews and tough but sadistic Ian Henry (who is always acting under a hat so you never get a decent look at his face).
Other prisoners include Alfred Lynch (the whimpy one who shouldn't really be in the army and who is basically killed by too much running in the sun), Ossie Davis as a Jamaican, Roy Kinnear and Jack Watson. Michael Redgrave has a small role as the medical officer; I thought Ian Bannen would have a bigger part too, as a more sensitive officer.
It goes for over two hours and is a hard slog at times. There's a lot of characters running up and down that hill and yelling at each other. Then when the ending comes it's very abrupt - though effective. I admired this movie more than I actually liked it. Still, I keep thinking about it, a few days after I saw it, and that doesn't always happen.
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