User Reviews

This excellent TV movie deals with extermination center Sobibór and the subsequent escape led by great actors as Alan Arkin and Rutger Hauer . We see horrors , murders , massacres against the prisoners . Thus , when the incoming transports , mostly Jews , SS soldiers made instant decisions , those who were fit to labors were sent into the camp , others including the children , were dispatched immediately to the gas chambers where approximately one-quarter million Jews were executed . The movie gets a breathtaking and exciting getaway with a sensitive score by George Delerue . The film was well realized by Jack Gold developing compellingly the historical recreation of the escape from the Nazi Death Camp Sobibor .

The picture is based on real events , these are the followings : Sobibór , Chelmno , Belzec and Treblinka were four large death camps in the Lublin district of Poland transformed into extermination centers to implement the policy of genocide thought at the Wannsee Conference . Sobibór was an extermination camp of killing center of Jews including children and located near the Bug River on the border of the German occupied eastern territories . Some 35.000 Dutch Jews , originally assigned to Auschwitz were sent to Sobibór . All four camps were under the command of SS Odilo Globocnick . There was some minor industrial activity linked to the war effort but the main work was the execution of inmates . Victims were brought to the camp in unventilated transports , and all but a handful were gassed after arrival , the gas chambers could accommodate hundred prisoners at one time , most of their corpses were burned in open pits . On October 14, 1943 about 150 inmates broke out in a desperate riot . Of approximately 600 prisoners who attempted escaped in October 1943 , around 300 succeeded . However, nearly all were ultimately recaptured ; only about 60 people survived . Sobibor along with Treblinka and Belzec , was evacuated in the fall of 1943.

One of the best films best about the Nazi holocaust,and the atrocities committed in the concentration camps,ESCAPE FROM SOBIBOR is based on a true story of an heroic uprising in one of these camps of death and horror.Some of the scenes depicted are so horrific that they are very hard to watch,but we are left cheering at the escape at the end as a reaction to the brutalities and inhumanity we witness beforehand.

The cast is excellent,with fine actors such as Alan Arkin,Jack Shepherd,Rutger Hauer on-hand,but a special note should be made of Harmut Becker's performance as the evil,sadistic,murdering monster Sgt Wagner.He is completely without any redeeming features whatsoever,and Becker is totally convincing in the part.I wished this character to come to a enormously nasty end,though he didn't get it;the end credits inform us that Wagner was murdered in a fascist South American country in 1978.

British director Jack Gold is a talented director who made a few decent big-screen films,but his best work was left for TV films like THE NAKED CIVIL SERVANT,CATHOLICS,and GOODNIGHT MR TOM.This may be his best.

It was interesting to read another viewer's comments about this film. I have seen Schindler's List and it didn't touch me anywhere near as deeply as Escape from Sobibor. I first watched it in my teens and it was this film, more than anything I'd seen previously about the Holocaust, which had the greatest impact. The story, of course, is based on truth and is full of painful, heart-wrenching scenes. Nothing has ever presented the Holocaust to me in a more vivid, more graphic, more powerful way.

It's amusing that some people can watch a film and it barely registers with them. Others can see the same film and have a completely different reaction to the experience. But that's people for you, the great variety that is the spice of life. For me, Escape from Sobibor was a very emotional experience and it had a major impact on me. But don't take anyone else's word for it. We all see things differently - go and see it yourself.

I first saw this in the early 2k on cable tv.

The gas chamber scene with the naked people in line n the dog attack scene stayed with me n haunted my sleep for months.

Revisited it recently on a dvd which I own.

The movie is very poignant n grim at times but the escape n the deaths of the Nazis will put smile.

Alan Arkin gave a memorable performance.

Simon Gregor, as Shlomo is noteworthy n Rutger Hauer is always a treat to watch.

I first got this out on video many years back. Being interested in the holocaust from a young age,and having traveled through Poland in the early eighties I got this out of interest.Amazing to think it was done for television and not cinema. I,was on the edge of my seat all the way through,could hardly breath all through the film,did not take my eyes off the screen.The ending is both shattering and uplifting.Even more so knowing the outcome of some of the lives. And how simply fitting a denouement on the end credits the result of the police investigation, give that policeman a medal. On the whole the acting is exceptional, and by that I mean one forgets the actor and sees only the person as real. In fact it has that real life documentary feel to the story. Most satisfying to have seen it before Rutger got semi-famous.

This film has very direct blood and violence but it is never used in a distasteful way. The filmmakers have done a good job with the graphic scenes that also have an emotional impact. Compared to Schindler's List, this film has a more hopeful tone but it has the same amount of tension. There are so many characters shocked by the constant brutality of their situation but they decide to take action instead of resigning themselves. This film is gripping from beginning to end, with incredible tension and stakes.

The uprising of the Jews in the death camp of Sobibor, with the escape of three hundred Jews, is brilliantly presented in this awesome movie. The excellent Alan Arkin performs Leon Feldhendler, a natural leader, organizing and motivating the prisoners. Rutger Hauer, in an excellent shape (in 1987), has also a marvelous performance as Alexander 'Sasha' Pechersky, a Russian POW. The gorgeous Joanna Pacula plays Luka, a very brave woman. The explanation of Leon to a new prisoner, why they should dance, play, laugh and make love after the execution of their families, is very touching and respectful. It is indeed an amazing lesson of survival. I have to confess that I am tired of corny movies like `The Pianist', which only shows disgrace and misery of some Jewish persons in the Second World War. We, viewers, are aware of the massacre of Jews in the WWII, but I note that this type of movie is becoming more brutal and explicit. Is it because the world society in 2004 can support watching such brutalities? Is it an adaptation of a historic fact to the violence of the present days? But `Escape From Sobibor' portraits Jews not only as passive victims going (or staying) in the slaughterhouse like a lambs, but also as a very brave people, fighting for survival. It does not mean that the brutality and sadism of certain SS officers is not shown, like the killing of the mother and her baby, or the shot of twenty-six defenseless prisoners, or the use of the whip by some German. But again, it is not explicitly shown as in some movies, with blood, pieces of brain etc., with the only intention of shocking the viewer more than necessary. All the cast has an outstanding performance. The direction is stunning: the scenes of the escape are very real. For example, when the desperate prisoners climbs the wire while escaping is very impressive. Just for reference, another excellent movie about this theme is Jon Avnet's `Uprising'. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil) `Fuga de Sobibor, O Campo do Inferno' (`Escape From Sobibor, the Hell Camp')

This was one of the best Holocaust dramas of its era. Heartfelt performances and a compelling script easily overcome a very limited budget and some awkwardly staged action scenes. The inmates all have great teeth, and the SS guards and Jewish prisoners all seem to have the same British accent. But that doesn't lessen the intensity of the drama. Be sure to watch the final credits because some of the "where are they now" stories are more dramatic and more unexpected than the story itself.

This movie is fantastic, no doubt about it. It takes place in the Sobibor death camp in Poland during World War II, where Jews are sent to be killed but where also there are over 600 Jews and Russian POWs working. It shows many of the hardships that Jews faced during this time and the brutality of the German SS officers. Alan Arkin is a Jew in working in the camp who is somewhat of a leader among the prisoners there, and with trains of people coming into the camp every day, a train carrying several Russian POWs comes (all Jewish, that is why they were sent there instead of a regular POW camp) and Rutger Hauer is the leader among them. Arkin and Hauer soon work together among other prisoners to devise a way to escape, originally planning an escape that involved only a dozen men but they eventually decided it had to be the entire camp population of 600, or else the 600 people left there would most likely be slaughtered. The film is full of suspense and based on a true story that happened at Sobibor, which was the biggest camp escape during the war. This movie is in some parts shocking when, like Schindler's List and other Holocaust films, it shows naked women and children being led into the gas chambers and a woman being executed simply for bringing her baby into the camp. This movie is a great film and I am surprised that it was only a made-for-TV movie, for it has the true qualities of a theater movie and it also has a great musical soundtrack. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments.

I first watched this movie several years ago cuz it had Rutger Hauer in it, and I had liked his performance in Blade Runner. I had also taken a liking to Schindler's List, and I was aiming to explore similar movies dealing with the WW2 death camps (and there's only a handful of them out there).

There are some scenes that could have used some polishing up, or seem to have been prepared too hastily. I am under the impression that not enough time was given to developing the Nazi camp staff; we know that they're evil, but a bit more attention to their personalities and specific roles in the camp wouldn't have hurt. I would have like to have seen more focus on Sasha's (Hauer's character) fellow captive soldiers and their involvement in the escape preparation.

Escape from Sobibor certainly "shows" itself as a 1980s made-for-TV production, in terms of filming techniques and a lower-budget kind of feel. Nevertheless, the interaction between Hauer and Alan Arkin (the civilian leader of the escape) is solid, and the supporting characters (especially the guy who looks a lot like Fred Ward) come across as very likable. The death camp looks eerily authentic and resembles images I have seen in history books and documentaries. The concerns of life and death voiced by the Jews truly hits home, and the final 15 minutes of the escape are emotionally striking. The narration which describes the fates of some of the key survivors of the ordeal perfectly brings the movie to a close.

I give Escape from Sobibor a 7 because of its honest and poignant subject matter. If you haven't seen it, definitely give it a look.

This is one of the most terrifying accounts of the atrocities which took place during World War II. In terms of realism it far surpasses Schindler's List, to the extent that it's quite frankly hard to sit through. But the sheer realism is also what makes it such an important piece of filmmaking. Certainly, Escape from Sobibor has coursed some reflection on my part.

IMDb rating 10/10

The first time I watched this, I found myself having trouble watching it all the way through. I didn't turn it off, but rather kept it on and simply only granted it half my attention. This time, I decided to watch the whole thing. No matter how difficult. This is a tough film to watch... partly due to the subject matter, but, I'm sorry to say, also partly due to quality and production issues. As far as I know, this provides a very accurate account of the escape attempt which took place at Sobibor, and the events leading up to it. The plot is quite well-written, and evolves nicely. The pace is fairly good, though it seems to drag during some parts of the film... too much time is spent showing the same kinds of things, and on separate scenes(meanwhile, other scenes are perfectly paced). Some might argue that this was a deliberate choice, to give the viewer a sense of the tedium of being held in a death camp... but as the very same (poor) pacing is seen in countless other TV feature productions, I suspect that it's simply a result of that. I think the very best thing that could happen to this film is that it be re-cut. Trim scenes that go on for too long, maybe cut out characters that don't really do anything in the film, anyhow. Dramaturgically speaking, the film runs for too long compared to how little goes on. Scene after scene of random cruelty towards prisoners, that would have served their purpose better put to music and edited into a montage, instead of countless, overlong scenes that bring the plot no further, and does little or nothing to develop the characters. The acting varies, but some performances are very good. The cinematography, and for the most part also editing are also evident of a low budget. Some of the production values are rather good; the camp looks exactly like it should, as do costumes, tools and weapons. Parts are well-directed; the attempt itself is nail-bitingly intense, and the cruel nature of the death camps is exposed, neither being underplayed nor exaggerated. Striking a blow for accuracy and rich detail, two people who were actually in the camp were taken on as supervising technical consultants, and since both had written material about the camp(one as a book, the other an unpublished manuscript), that was used to develop the script. This contains some very strong scenes, and should not be seen by anyone too young to comprehend the horror of the Holocaust. Worth watching for anyone who appreciates human will-power and how far some are willing to go to be free(just be prepared for a TV-film, if a good one). Also, any fan of action will enjoy the last few scenes. 7/10

I honestly think that this could have been done much better. The acting was bad in general. Some of the actors chose to portray no emotion, while others played it so over the top that they were unbelievable. The only parts that was really interesting were the interpersonal sections, which were still only about as good as a soap opera. The violence was very TV appropriate, meaning that it was low budget stuff that mostly occurred off screen. The angles were clearly meant to not show the actual violence. The worst they show were the whippings, where all people had their shirts still on, that way the makeup team wouldn't have to make scars. Still, the idea is important. I just wish a lot more time, effort, and production value had gone into this.

..for this somehow little known WW2 movie.If you liked "The Great Escape" or "Schindler`s List" for ex.,you`ll love this movie.It`s just as realistic and well played as those two.Production is high and the setting is very...yes,realistic.There are several gruesome execution scenes in this movie and it will make you hate the Nazis to the bone.What sick people!! I almost covered my eyes several times,but a movie like this is very important information of what happened in the death camps. Arkin,Hauer and Joanne Pacula are all great in this terrific WW2 escape movie.If this movie had been an theatrical release and not a TV miniseries,it would have won several Oscars,no doubt.Watch it!(if you can find it).

Rating 9/10

Only watched this film for the first time recently and although I cannot agree with the 'can't believe it was a telemovie' statements, I really enjoyed it. In terms of realism it comes well down the list of Holocaust films. The English accents, for one, give it away. The acting is great, particularly Alan Arkin and Rutger Hauer. In terms of a realistic account of the story, it would have to be close to the facts, mainly due to the amount of survivors. What I really got out of it was the feeling of the oppressed ending up victorious. Almost all Holocaust films leave us with a feeling of hope at most. Hope that nothing like this ever happens again. The facts of the matter, rightly so, dictate what the portrayal, for the majority of Jewish prisoners, was like in terms of outcome. This film really left me with a feeling of victory, not just a moral one, as the oppressed rose up and struck down their persecutors. This presented all the prisoners with a chance of survival and condemned the camp nonoperational.

I saw this movie when it first aired on TV. I was 16, and was beginning to realize that the world wasn't a very nice place.

This movie showed me just how nasty it could sometimes be.

After seeing this movie, I went out and bought the book that inspired the telefilm. Since then, I've re-read it several more times, finding the story more inspiring and more tragic with each read.

I'm older now, and despite seeing "Schindler's List", this movie is the one that I think about, when I think about the terrible waste that WW2 was. And how awful we can be people who bleed the same colour the rest of us bleed.

I say good movie but the mini series that was probably 8hrs long was a lot better which sorry to say makes the movie not worth it as the movie was a heavily edited version of that original mini series. Is the movie version wort a watch yes

Without doubt the most emotionally moving film I have ever seen.

The atmosphere created cuts through the fact that it is a movie and puts any normal person actually there.

Absolutely the most accurate portrayal of the lowest point of human behaviour ever.

It still beggars belief that a so-called civilised nation could embark on the systematic annihilation of people purely based on their religion.

God forbid this should ever happen again

I cried several times and I am not an emotional man.

***Spoilers*** Of all the German concentration camps it was Sobibor that was the first to be slated to be liberated by the onrushing allied armies in WWII. In that it was the closest to the Soviet Union's borders situated in the extreme eastern section of Poland near the forests of the border city of Lublin. In that way it made sense that it, Sobibor, was slated to have the the greatest escape attempt by it's some 600 inmates in WWII. With the Soviet Red Army about to burst into German occupied Poland in the fall of 1943 it was there at Sobibor on October 14 of that year where the sentenced to death Jewish inmates of the camp decided to put their foot down and stage an armed and violent break out of the camp. That in the end cost most of them their lives but also had as many as 200 live to see another day. Which they wouldn't have if they decided to not to break out of the camp and just meekly wait for the Germans to exterminate them.

It was Jewish Red Army POW Let. Alex Pechersky, Rutger Hauer, who got the ball rolling by organizing the epic escape in knowing with the Red Army within striking distance of the concentration camp it wouldn't be long for the German to liquidate it together with it's reaming Jewish inmate! That in order to cover up the crimes, that they would be charged with after the war, that they committed there.

Pechersky together with camp inmate Leon Feldhendler, Alan Arkin, began to planed a massive escape from the camp before the German and their Unkrainian guards begin going into action and exterminating every last inmate in Sobibor.

Meticulously planned the escape runs into a number of problems that has it put into motion far earlier then expected with the German's getting wind of it in discovering a number of dead German SS men, killed by the inmates,before the escape plan was to be put into full operation. Having nothing to lose Perchersky & Feldhendler jump start the escape that despite its success ended up with the majority of the escapees gunned down and killed by German and Ukrainian bullets and land mines that ringed the camps perimeter! But the alternative in doing nothing and being lead like lambs to the slaughter would have been far worse!

Factual account of the largest concentration camp escape in WWII history that had the once indestructible and feeling racially superior Nazis get a taste of their own medicine by the downtrodden inferior and imprisoned Jews whom they had nothing but contempt for. In it fact was a Pyrrhic victory for those that escaped with their dead far outnumbering those of their captors but it paid dividends in the end. In them being able after the war to bear witness to the Nazis crimes committed at Sobibor and have those who ran the camp end up paying for them.

This is a decent prison escape movie but to even suggest that it is a better holocaust movie than Schindlers List is laughable.

Anyone who actually thinks this is an accurate reconstruction of what death camp life was like are seriously lacking in knowledge to the living conditions that these people actually endured. Everyone looks healthy and well fed and the film makes it look like if you stayed out of trouble life was OK. The barracks that the prisoners stay in actually look quite nice and enjoyable in this film.

Overall, its a good escape film similar to Alcatraz but its nothing more than that