Taiga (1958)

Ruth Leuwerik, Hannes Messemer, Günter Pfitzmann, Hans Quest, Viktor Staal ... see more  , Willi Rose

Ruth Leuwerik plays a courageous female doctor in the German POW drama Taiga. Interred in a Siberan prison camp during WWII, Leuwerik lifts the spirits of her fellow prisoners with her dedication to h... read more er job and her indomitable spirit. The doctor's humanitarianism even extends to an oaf (Gunter Pfitzmann) who tries to rape her; he wins his undying respect when she protects him from retaliation by the other prisoners. The film's romantic angle is handled by Hanns Messmer as an inmate who vows to marry Leuwerik if and when they are released. Hardly a slice of life-the POW camp is nowhere near as brutal as the real thing -- Taiga nonetheless scores on the strength of its leading players. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi