Kapo

1960 1h 57m IT

👍

6.9

SOLID

🥫

57%

ROTTEN

⭐

7.6

IMDB

★6.9TMDB · 82🥫57%Rotten Tomatoes★7.6IMDB · 2,647

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Determined to survive at any price, Edith, a young Jewish woman deported to an extermination camp, manages to survive by accepting the role of kapo, a privileged prisoner whose mission is to ruthlessly guard other prisoners.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Susan Strasberg
Edith
Laurent Terzieff
Sascha
Emmanuelle Riva
Terese
Didi Perego
Sofia
Gianni Garko
Karl
Annabella Besi
Carole
Graziella Galvani
Isabelle
Paola Pitagora
Georgette

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
Writers: Franco Solinas, Gillo Pontecorvo
Languages: Russian, German, Italian, Polish
Countries: France, Italy, Yugoslavia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Russian, German, Italian, Polish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, Italy, Yugoslavia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, shot by Aleksandar Sekulović. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Gillo Pontecorvo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Roberto Cinquini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Susan Strasberg and Laurent Terzieff and Emmanuelle Riva carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0052961 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gillo Pontecorvo directs. Aleksandar Sekulović behind the camera. Gillo Pontecorvo scores. Roberto Cinquini cuts. Produced in France, Italy, Yugoslavia. Dialogue in Russian, German, Italian, Polish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

166 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Russian, German, Italian, Polish.
3International production across 3 countries: France, Italy, Yugoslavia.
4Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, shot by Aleksandar Sekulović. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gillo Pontecorvo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Roberto Cinquini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Susan Strasberg and Laurent Terzieff and Emmanuelle Riva carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0052961 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 82 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.