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Highly acclaimed, this precursor of everything from The Great Escape to Hogan's Heroes to M*A*S*H to Life is Beautiful is hardly a masterpiece, but it does get credit for being one of the first films made to laugh about war. While the film has a few moments of seriousness, by and large it's a comedy -- mocking Hitler and POW life as we follow the daily rituals of Americans held prisoner by the Germans during WWII. Too bad the gags are so over-the-top they deserve a laugh track (hence Hogan and co. -- though Hogan's Heroes was sued for infringement, the TV series won the case). And speaking of which... a 2 1/4-hour comedy???
