Two Half-Times in Hell

This movie is also known in English as The Last Goal, which is a much more accurate title, as I suspect the person who came up with Two Half-Times In Hell didn't understand the game of football (or soccer, as we Americans call it.) The plot is relatively straight forward. A German officer who is stationed in the Ukraine during World War II finds out that there is a famous football player in a work crew of Hungarian political prisoners. Lured by his love of the game and by promises of extra rations and reduced work, the prisoner agrees to play in an exhibition game against German soldiers. But first he has to find 10 other prisoners who are strong and talented enough to make up the rest of the team. And that is just the start of his problems...The result is an effectively told tale with many strong characters and occasional bits of humor and communist propaganda thrown in. The movie drags a little bit here and there but the football match is pretty suspenseful and makes the wait worthwhile.