Der Gefangene der Teufelsinsel

The celebrated Dreyfus affair of turn-of-the-20th-century France gets the British TV treatment courtesy of one of its past masters, Ken Russell (thankfully restrained), and starring a famous (and alleged) relative of the man himself, American actor Richard Dreyfuss (albeit playing a different role)! Although in the past there had been more prestigious film versions of the case – most notably THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937) which even earned the Best Picture Oscar of that year – the starry cast roped in for this modest production delivers the goods nevertheless and keeps one watching: apart from the afore-mentioned Dreyfuss, we also get Russell regular Oliver Reed, Peter Firth, Jeremy Kemp, Brian Blessed, Peter Vaughan and even iconoclastic film-maker Lindsay Anderson making one of his infrequent appearances as an actor and being entrusted with the important role of the Minister of War! Oddly enough, despite the on screen title of the film being PRISONERS OF HONOR, every online reference to it (including the IMDb) seems to drop the final 's' and turn it into singular!

This original HBO movie chronicles the events of the real-life "Dreyfus Affair" that took place in France in the final years of the 19th century. Army captain Dreyfus (Kenneth Colley, "The Empire Strikes Back") is convicted of treason (selling secrets to the Germans) based on flimsy evidence, and sent to Devils' Island. An officer named Picquart (Richard Dreyfuss, who was also one of the producers) is assigned to make sure that the sentence is just, and he ends up discovering a conspiracy involving other high-ranking military officers. The events here would ultimately sow the seeds for what led to the first World War in 1914.

Knowing director Ken Russells' track record of utter flamboyance, it's interesting that this decent history-based drama largely refrains from exuberance. It's pretty straightforward, telling a good story capably. It manages to make its points without being melodramatic. There is, of course, the theme of honor vs. Duty which is explicitly stated, but also the bigotry going on in the country with so many people expressing disdain for its Jewish community. Even Picquart is not immune from this type of thinking, so characters are presented as flawed and basically human.

American star Dreyfuss does an excellent job as a man devoted to the Army yet also devoted to letting the truth of the matter be known. He leads a mostly British cast; although relatively few cast members actually attempt French accents, the actors do disappear into their roles. The supporting actors read like a who's who of great British thespians: Oliver Reed ("Gladiator"), Peter Firth ("The Hunt for Red October"), Jeremy Kemp ("The Blue Max"), Brian Blessed ("Flash Gordon"), Peter Vaughan ('Game of Thrones'), and the esteemed filmmaker / actor Lindsay Anderson ("This Sporting Life", "O Lucky Man!", etc.) as the minister of war.

Scripted by Ron Hutchinson ('The Josephine Baker Story'), this intelligent and impassioned tale may well motivate some viewers to research the true story.

Seven out of 10.

I saw this film when it first came out in 1991. It features a theme common to most HBO original movies: prejudice and bigotry directed towards minorities. Unlike nearly all of those other films, however, this one isn't pedantic or cloying; Prisoner of Honor is the one that HBO "got right". Credit must go to the director, and to a fine cast. Richard Dreyfuss gives his best screen performance, bar none. A very entertaining film, and one that might spark an interest in history.

First of all this movie is not for people who expect lots of graphical action and are into effects. However if you like an intelligent plot which works on many different levels and with good acting this is a hidden gem indeed.

Based on the true story of the Dreyfuss-affair which took place late 19th century when a french Captain is sentenced to life-imprisonment on Devil's Island.

I noticed in an earlier comment that someone posted that basically the movie is about getting the Jew..however that is a mistake..it is far more complicated than that. This movie is about the spirit of the army as well as the community in the era which this movie represents.

I found the movie to be one of the most intelligent and true which I have ever seen with a very credible cast who deliver their lines in a very realistic and profound manner. It is a semi-court drama to underline that this is not a movie with a lot of graphical action, and yes, it helps if you are into politics and morals.

You will see Richard Dreyfuss lay down some of his best work in this underrated movie.

If you do go see it, there is unfortunately a very easy to spot continuity error very early in the film. However, don't be intimidated by this, it is the only flaw I have noticed, the rest of the movie is error free.

Although this is not a masterpiece it is very well crafted, and somehow I found it to be out of the ordinary despite that it has a ordinary look to it. It woke up something inside of me, and in a way I found this movie even more emotional arousing than movies like ie. Schindler's List. A very nice touch to the the ending, and the movie will probably leave you with a few things to think about.

how in the name of movie making could richard make such a boring movie about a relative of his that was "given the shaft" because of his heritage? a big disappointment. if my relative was treated the way richard's was i would be darn sure the world would feel his suffering, pain, abuse and heartbreak caused by his peers and those over him in the military. dick, do it over, do it right and this time put some real electricity in it.