The Best of Enemies

"Meet the craziest pair of soldiers ever to play at war! - they're both prisoners - but who captured whom?"

1961 1h 44m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 40

ComedyWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During World War II, a plane full of RAF fighter crashes in the Ethiopian desert and they are met upon by an enemy Italian patrol that allows them to go free. But, when the Brits are given orders to attack the Italians, lots of problems ensue.

“Meet the craziest pair of soldiers ever to play at war! - they're both prisoners - but who captured whom?”

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Cast

David Niven
Maj. Richardson
Alberto Sordi
Capt. Blasi
Michael Wilding
Lt. Burke
Harry Andrews
Capt. Rootes
Noel Harrison
Lt. Hilary
Amedeo Nazzari
Maj. Fornari
Aldo Giuffrè
Sgt. Todini
David Opatoshu
Bernasconi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Guy Hamilton
Writers: Luciano Vincenzoni, Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli
Languages: Italian, English
Countries: Italy

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

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Italian, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Guy Hamilton, shot by Giuseppe Rotunno. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

David Niven and Alberto Sordi and Michael Wilding carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Meet the craziest pair of soldiers ever to play at war! - they're both prisoners - but who captured whom?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0054678 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Guy Hamilton directs. Giuseppe Rotunno behind the camera. Nino Rota scores. Tatiana Casini Morigi cuts. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

165 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Italian, English.
3Directed by Guy Hamilton, shot by Giuseppe Rotunno. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Nino Rota. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Tatiana Casini Morigi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6David Niven and Alberto Sordi and Michael Wilding carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Meet the craziest pair of soldiers ever to play at war! - they're both prisoners - but who captured whom?".
8IMDB entry: tt0054678 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.