L'extraordinaire évasion

That got your attention, didn't it? The words "Michael Winner" and "Orson Welles" in the same sentence. And I don't just mean because of their fondness for wine and good food. No, the fact is, that like, Orson Welles, Michael Winner made all his best films at the start of his career ("The Jokers", "The Games" and this film). After the first "Death Wish", he was starting to go downhill professionally (although "A Chorus of Disapproval" was not bad). If you see any of his most recent films, you'll find it hard to believe that this was the same man that made such a class act as "Hannibal Brooks" back in 1968. In fact, his films don't get released any more, they escape. "Dirty Weekend" is a case in point, executed so crassly and seemingly assembled by some clueless chimp who has no idea about film-making.

Anyway, back to "Hannibal Brooks" and the days when Winner made films for the family that didn't involve women being raped and tortured. The story of a British P.O.W. in 1944 helping to lead an elephant over the Alps to freedom in Switzerland was devised by Winner and former P.O.W. Tom Wright and blessed by a great script full of quotable lines by "Likely Lads" Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Reed is great, although the film is stolen by Michael J. Pollard, who has never been better than he is in this film. With great picture postcard photography of Austria (by Robert Paynter) and a terrific score by "Love Story" composer Francis Lai, this is great entertainment and deserves a DVD release now.

A breezy, light-hearted and, dare I say, humorous World War II movie very much reflecting the sensibilities of the late 60's. Oliver Reed is Lance Corporal Brooks, the perfect antihero with very little respect for authority, even when the authority is SS Colonel von Haller played with a certain roguish charm by Wolfgang Preiss. As a captured British soldier, Brooks willingly volunteers to work in the Munich Zoo where he becomes the caretaker for an elephant named Lucy. The zoo is bombed and he is charged with taking Lucy to safety. Thwarted by von Haller in his attempt to get her there by rail, Brooks and his escort (two guards and a female cook) undertake the journey on foot. Circumstances arise that lead to the decision to attempt an escape over the Alps to Switzerland, and because Brooks has grown so attached to her, leaving Lucy behind is not an option. As you can imagine, trying to escape Nazi Germany with an elephant in tow makes for some interesting situations.

This is not high art, but the story is good, and there's a nice little twist, too. The cast is universally good and you can tell the actors are having a good time. Joining Reed and Preiss is an elfin Michael J. Pollard as a fellow POW turned goofy guerilla. Peter Carsten and Helmut Lohner are Brooks' German guards and Karin Baal is the cook who, with a very 60's sensibility, explains to Brooks why she made what might not have been such an obvious choice in the 1940's.

All in all Hannibal Brooks is a highly entertaining film. If only this movie were on DVD, or even video for that matter.

The idea of a film telling the story of a POW taking an elephant across the Alps is ridiculous but guess what? It works. Good actors, fantastic scenery, action and fun,what else do you need? Well worth watching.

They simply do not make films like this any longer. Anyone who is reading this probably already knows what the film is essentially about. This particular movie has a truly timeless quality about, and all the various plot twists and surprises never leave the viewer at all bored. Michael J. Pollard and Oliver Reed work very well together on screen, and it is too bad that this is the only film the two them made with one another.

Try your best to locate this film, as it is frequently listed. Again, this movie is great fun and is worth repeated viewings!

What can you say about a war movie where an elephant crosses the Alps? It's silly but a heck of a lot of fun. The scenery is gorgeous, the acting is light and the action sequences are top notch. Oliver Reed is perfectly cast as our hero Brooks. He has played so many villain roles that it's great to see him play a nice guy for a change. The beautiful Austrian scenery steals the show. Somehow every time we see a breathtaking view of the mountains, we forget we're watching a war movie. The war is shown in a very comedic way(especially all of Michael J. Pollard's scenes, which are priceless) and this works to some extent. The comedy never goes overboard (a fine balance is kept throughout the film). A good example of this is the final action sequence at the border crossing which is exciting and well played with a nice dash of humour thrown in. At many times we are required to check our disbelief at the door but this is such a good natured movie that we don't really care.We root for our heroes to make it to safety, all the way to the end, without ever really wondering if they will make it, but that's part of the film's charm. Overall a great movie to see on a cold winter day.