Hart's War (2002)

Director: Gregory Hoblit

Writer: John Katzenbach, Billy Ray, Terry George

Cast: Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard, Linus Roache, Cole Hauser, Marcel Lures

Synopsis: Anyone who appreciates subtle tension will enjoy this World War II prison-camp drama, based on John Katzenbach's novel, in which honor, courage, and sacrifice are revealed in unexpected ways. Bruce Willis plays the ranking U.S. prisoner in a Nazi POW camp, joined in December 1944 by a law-student lieutenant (Colin Farrell) who'd been captured despite his father's powerful military connections. When a black pilot (Terrence Howard), from the famous Tuskeegee airmen, is falsely accused of murdering a fellow prisoner, Farrell tries his case and discovers the real motivation behind Willis's kangaroo court.

While combining elements of Stalag 17 and The Great Escape, director Gregory Hoblit spices this moral dilemma with well-crafted suspense and a rousing dogfight sequence, but the human drama remains muted despite fine, understated performances by Willis, Farrell, and Howard. An escape thriller with an ethical twist, Hart's War works best as a study of heroism under extraordinary circumstances.