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The Fifth Day of Peace (1970)

The Fifth Day of Peace (1970), directed by Giuliano Montaldo, starring Franco Nero and Richard Johnson.

04/17/1970 BR Drama and War 1h 43m

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One of the most bizarre episodes in the annals of "military justice"

Synopsis

Based on a true story. Near the end of World War II, two German deserters are put in an Allied POW camp. When a rigid and militaristic German colonel learns about their desertion, he wants them court-martialed, even if the war is over. The uninterested Allied officers oblige him, and the two men face the firing squad on "the fifth day of peace".

  • Silvano IppolitiCinematography
  • Giuliano MontaldoDirector, Writer
  • Franco FraticelliEditing
  • Silvio ClementelliProducer

About the film

The Fifth Day of Peace (original Italian title: Gott mit uns, German for "God With Us") is a 1970 war drama film directed and co-written by Giuliano Montaldo, and starring Richard Johnson, Franco Nero, Helmuth Schneider, Michael Goodliffe and Bud Spencer. It dramatizes the May 1945 German deserter execution, in which two German prisoners-of-war in a Canadian-run camp were executed by their comrades for cowardice. The film was an international co-production between Italian and Yugoslavian companies, filmed at Jadran Studios in Zagreb.

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The Fifth Day of Peace (original Italian title: Gott mit uns, German for "God With Us") is a 1970 war drama film directed and co-written by Giuliano Montaldo, and starring Richard Johnson, Franco Nero, Helmuth Schneider, Michael Goodliffe and Bud Spencer. It dramatizes the May 1945 German deserter execution, in which two German prisoners-of-war in a Canadian-run camp were executed by their comrades for cowardice. The film was an international co-production between Italian and Yugoslavian companies, filmed at Jadran Studios in Zagreb.

Plot

Two German deserters, Kriegsmarine Ensign Bruno Grauber and Army Corporal Reiner Schultz are captured by the Canadian Army at the end of World War II. They are interned in a Canadian-run POW camp in the Netherlands, where the senior German officer, Colonel von Bleicher, is a career officer. Their fellow German prisoners of war, led by Von Bleicher, discover that they are deserters. They are put through a formal military court martial organised by Von Bleicher and charged with cowardice. They are sentenced to death and are to be executed on the "fifth day of peace". Von Bleicher pressures the Canadian camp commandant, Captain Miller, to allow the execution to be carried out and requests rifles and ammunition to carry out the sentence.

Captain Miller's superior officer, General Snow, persuades (but does not order) him to allow the execution to be carried out for the higher purpose of preserving military discipline. He also motivates Miller with a promotion to major.

Cast

Sources:

Historical background

This movie is based on the true story of two Kriegsmarine sailors, leading seaman Bruno Dorfer and machinist's mate Rainer Beck, both executed for desertion on 13 May 1945, after being found guilty of cowardice by fellow POWs. The sentence was carried out by German POWs who were under Canadian custody.

Production

The film was shot at Jadran Film Studios in Zagreb, Croatia (then a part of Yugoslavia). Ronald Brittain was the film's military advisor.

The original title of the film, "Gott mit uns", is a Prussian phrase traditionally associated with the German armed forces. During the Second World War, Wehrmacht soldiers wore this slogan on their belt buckles.

Release and reception

The film premiered in Milan on 17 April 1970. At the 1970 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the film was nominated for the Crystal Globe, but lost to Kes.

In Canada, where it was released under the title Firing Squad, the film was met with controversy.

Accolades

References

External links

The Fifth Day of Peace at IMDb

"Victims of Circumstance: The Execution of German Deserters by Surrendered German Troops Under Canadian Control in Amsterdam, May 1945 by Chris Madsen"

Text from The Fifth Day of Peace on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Day_of_Peace

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What is The Fifth Day of Peace about?

The Fifth Day of Peace: Based on a true story. Near the end of World War II, two German deserters are put in an Allied POW camp. When a rigid and militaristic German colonel learns about their desertion, he wants them court-martialed, even if the war is over. The uninterested Allied officers oblige him, and the two men face the firing squad …

Who directed The Fifth Day of Peace?

The Fifth Day of Peace was directed by Giuliano Montaldo in 1970.

Who stars in The Fifth Day of Peace?

The cast of The Fifth Day of Peace includes Franco Nero, Richard Johnson, Larry Aubrey, Helmuth Schneider and Bud Spencer.

How long is The Fifth Day of Peace?

The Fifth Day of Peace runs for 103 minutes, or 1h43.

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Page updated on 09/13/2026.

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