Based upon harrowing real events which were turned into a 1955 novel by Jean-Paul Clébert, The Blockhouse starts explosively with an Allied air raid on a Nazi prison camp. Six escaped prisoners take shelter in an underground blockhouse, which is soon destroyed by heavy shelling. Trapped underground, with an almost endless supply of food, wine and candles, the men must endure confinement with no prospect of escape or rescue.
Featuring a stunning ensemble cast that includes Peter Sellers (Hoffman), Charles Aznavour (Shoot the Pianist), Peter Vaughan (Symptoms), Jeremy Kemp (The Strange Affair), Per Oscarsson (A Dandy in Aspic) and Leon Lissek (Marat/Sade), The Blockhouse was filmed on the Channel Islands in a dank and dark underground bunker, giving the film a suffocating sense of claustrophobia. This newly restored edition marks the film’s worldwide Blu-ray premiere.
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Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Supplements
- Two feature presentations: the distributor version (92 mins); and the director’s version (92 mins) featuring revised and extended opening and closing captions
- Shots in the Dark (2022, 6 mins): co-star Leon Lissek remembers the highs and lows of filming on the Channel Islands
- Out of the Darkness (2022, 13 mins): Fred Rees and Gilda Rees, director Clive Rees’ son and widow, recall the film’s turbulent production history
- Underground Filmmaking (2022, 19 mins): producer Kent Walwin on the many challenges of making a low-budget war film
- Down to Earth (2022, 12 mins): production manager Matthew Raymond recalls procuring a Spitfire for the opening battle
- When Lights Go Low (2022, 10 mins): electrician Peter Bloor on the perils of powering a shoot deep underground
- The Channel Islands 1940–1945 (1945, 17 mins): short film produced by the Crown Film Unit which sees Channel Islanders re-enact incidents from the German occupation during World War II
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
- Limited edition exclusive 32-page booklet with a new essay by Kieran Foster, a contemporary news report on the events that inspired the film, archival interviews with star Peter Sellers and director Clive Rees, an overview of contemporary critical responses, new writing on The Channel Islands 1940–1945, and film credits