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Victory (1981)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
30 July 1981 (USA) moreTagline:
Their goal was freedom... morePlot:
As allied POWs prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
1 nomination moreNewsDesk:
How Come There Are No Great Soccer Films?(From Cinematical. 26 March 2009, 11:32 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Decent Movie Featuring Terrific Football more (72 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Sylvester Stallone | ... | Captain Robert Hatch | |
| Michael Caine | ... | Capt. John Colby - The Players: England | |
| Pelé | ... | Cpl. Luis Fernandez - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Trinidad | |
| Bobby Moore | ... | Terry Brady - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: England | |
| Osvaldo Ardiles | ... | Carlos Rey - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Argentina | |
| Paul Van Himst | ... | Michel Fileu - The Players: Belgium | |
| Kazimierz Deyna | ... | Paul Wolchek - The Players: Poland | |
| Hallvar Thoresen | ... | Gunnar Hilsson - The Players: Norway | |
| Mike Summerbee | ... | Sid Harmor - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: England | |
| Co Prins | ... | Pieter Van Beck - The Players: Holland | |
| Russell Osman | ... | Doug Clure - The Players | |
| John Wark | ... | Arthur Hayes - The Players: Scotland | |
| Søren Lindsted | ... | Erik Ball - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Denmark | |
| Kevin O'Callaghan | ... | Tony Lewis - Allied Goalkeeper - The Players: Ireland | |
| Max von Sydow | ... | Major Karl Von Steiner - The Germans (as Max Von Sydow) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
116 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreSound Mix:
DolbyCertification:
UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Iceland:L | West Germany:6 (f) | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | USA:PG | Singapore:PGFun Stuff
Trivia:
250,000 Hungarian extras were drafted in as spectators of the football match. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When the German player (Baumann) takes the penalty kick, his hair is dry in a scene a few seconds prior to the kick, then it's wet with sweat when he places the ball and then it's dry again after he scores. moreQuotes:
[just before the football match]Hatch: Where do I stand for a corner kick?
Capt. John Colby - The Players: England: At the far post, facing the ball.
Hatch: Thanks. For a while there I thought you were keeping it a secret.
more
Soundtrack:
Symphony 5, 4th movement moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (72 total)
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Victory (1981)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Top 10 football movies | yvdlhq |
| Black Nazi? | Malarkey6 |
| The Trues Story... | Fox-Mask |
| Why so many Ipswich Town players? | cook699 |
| Remake | erdosain77 |
| Explanation for Pele's presence | bpierotte72 |
Recommendations
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If the part where the football match takes place was omitted, "Victory" would be a "5 stars out of 10" film. The reason is that although it features two very good actors (Michael Caine - Max von Sydow), there is not much to stand out: A rather incredulous WW2 plot, an average acting (what could you expect from professional footballers or from Stallone?), and a simply decent direction, produce an average result. Thankfully, there is more than that, as I will explain in more detail later.
"Victory" is about some inmates in a WW2 prison camp, who have a passion for soccer. Captain J. Colby (Caine), a former footballer, is the leading figure in the camp matches that take place. One day, he is spotted by football-fan Major Steiner (Max von Sydow) who proposes him the idea of organizing a match between allied POWs vs. Germans. Colby agrees, as he believes this will be a great morale-booster and a chance for better prison conditions for those involved; however, more senior inmates are skeptical, as they believe this will be a propaganda stunt for the Germans. In the end, they also concur but only after they have convinced the team's goalie Capt. Hatch (Stallone) to arrange the team's escape during the match. The difficulty is that both Colby and his team are more interested in this game than in their freedom, so they are hesitant on what they should finally do...
As I said, the movie is just watchable during its first part. And yet, when we start to watch the Allied - Germans match, things get much better: We watch terrific football from stars such as Pele, Ardiles, and Bobby Moore, with scenes such as Pele's goal being memorable to all sports fans. Of course, if you are not into soccer, then perhaps you won't get that excited (although the spectacle can be exciting for non-fans, too). But if you like the King of Sports, then you will certainly enjoy this film. 7/10.