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Decision Before Dawn
1951 Drama / War
Review
Anatole Litvak returned to Hollywood having served with distinction in the United States
Army during World War II to resume his successful film making career. The experience
of armed combat is reflected in his subsequent war films, of which this is perhaps the
best example. Decision Before Dawn is an
unusual war film because it is remarkably unbiased (it portrays American and German soldiers
in similar terms) and deals with an unusual subject, the morality of espionage.
The film is most memorable for its stunning exterior sequences which were set in real European locations that still showed the scars of war. This, combined with Litvak’s trademark chiaroscuro photography, vividly conveys the misery and destructive nature of war, more so than many war films of this era. The film also benefits from some solid performances from a respectable cast, which includes a young Oskar Werner, who would later become famous for his role in François Truffaut’s Jules et Jim (1962). © James Travers 2007 Write a review for this film... User Comments
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Director:
Anatole Litvak
Starring: Richard Basehart, Gary Merrill, Oskar Werner, Hildegard Knef, Dominique Blanchar Synopsis
December 1944. As World War II enters its final phase, the allied forces are concentrating
their attention on Nazi Germany. To hasten victory, German prisoners-of-war are
sent back into their country as spies to gather invaluable intelligence. One such man
is Karl Maurer, a young medic who, disillusioned with Nazism, is prepared to betray his
country to ensure it has a better future...
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