Das Schloß in den Ardennen

I'm a bit hesitant. I can definitely assign several positive attributes to Pollack's film - it's original, atmospheric, and offbeat. It's certainly a film that you won't forget, and even years later, several interesting scenes and especially absurd dialogues, which it is literally filled with, come to mind. It is based on a famous and acclaimed book, but I think it falls short of its fame in many aspects. Despite all the mentioned positives, it is a relatively unknown film that looks at the revered war classic from a respectable distance. Something just doesn't work in it. It somehow doesn't hold together, and even though I can praise its individual elements, as a whole, it is only slightly above average. It is also somewhat brought down by the literary dialogues, the occasionally inappropriate level of absurdity (either the screenwriter and director should have reduced it, or exaggerated it into a grotesque form), and overall it is annoying that it doesn't maintain a consistent style. Many scenes have huge comedic potential, yet they are not funny at all. At times, it becomes pathetically heroic, as we are accustomed to from the most clichéd patriotic American war productions. In short, Castle Keep is definitely worth watching once, but I don't intend to return to it, despite the superb cast and some excellent dialogues. Overall impression: 65%. (16.06.2010)