Watch Ten Seconds To Hell

Ten Seconds to Hell is a gripping 1959 war drama set in post-World War II Berlin. Directed by Robert Aldrich, the film stars Jack Palance, Jeff Chandler, and Martine Carol. The story revolves around a group of German soldiers who were specialized in defusing bombs to avoid them from exploding. After the war ends, they decide to continue their dangerous profession as a means of earning a livelihood. They are joined by two Americans, played by Jeff Chandler as Sergeant John Lawrence, and Jack Palance as Karl Wirtz, who is a former German soldier.

The group decides to work together to defuse the remaining bombs in the city of Berlin. They are now known as a "Bomb disposal unit" and the task of defusing bombs is made even more challenging as Berlin is divided into four zones, with each zone being controlled by different Allied forces, namely the Russians, Americans, British, and French.

As they work together, tensions begin to rise among the group, particularly between Wirtz and Lawrence, as they both vie for the affections of French barmaid Margot Hofer, played by Martine Carol. The two men also have conflicting ideologies when it comes to their approach to defusing the bombs, with Lawrence opting for a more cautious approach, and Wirtz impulsive and daring.

The group is faced with their toughest challenge yet when they come across a massive bomb, located in the middle of a residential area. The bomb is so large that it cannot be moved, and they must defuse it on-site. This scene is particularly tense as the group must work quickly and delicately to prevent the bomb from exploding, and the consequences of any mistake would be catastrophic.

The characters in Ten Seconds to Hell are well-written and well-acted, with Palance and Chandler standing out in their respective roles. Palance manages to capture the personality and motivations of Wirtz accurately, with his character being somewhat of an enigma throughout the film. Chandler, on the other hand, plays Sergeant Lawrence with a level-headedness and rationality that is necessary for a person in his line of work.

The film's pacing is excellent, with the tension slowly rising until it reaches its tense climax towards the end. The cinematography is also worth mentioning, as the film makes good use of the Berlin landscape, which is still heavily marked by the aftermath of the war.

Of course, the main focus of the film is on the defusing of the bombs, and the film does an excellent job of portraying the dangers associated with such work. The process of defusing bombs is shown in detail, and the film accurately depicts the risks involved as the tension builds during each defusing.

In summary, Ten Seconds to Hell is an excellent war drama that offers unpredictable plot twists, realistic action scenes, and a solid cast of actors. The film shows the brutal reality of post-war Germany and provides a real insight into the dangers of bomb disposal. Overall, it is a tense, engaging, and memorable film that is well worth a watch.

Ten Seconds To Hell is a 1959 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5.