As I fell asleep the night I watched this film I was in a pretty good mood. I couldn't believe I missed this film all these years. I'm glad I finally caught up with it.The first half of the film sees 2 GI's on their way to a base in France stumble onto 2 German soldiers who are lost from their outfit. One of these prisoners is the Oskar Werner character. The 2 GI's take them prisoner and take them to the very base they end up at. This base is for intelligence and it also holds POW's from the German army. This is where he decides to spy for the Americans.The second half of the film is just superb. Oskar Werner is then inserted behind enemy lines in his old uniform where he proceeds to gather the intelligence that the Allies want. This part of the film keeps you on the edge of your seat for the next hour. You get to see this character weave his way through German troop movements and trying to keep an SS intelligence officer off his tale.Part of the drama is getting to see the German side of the equation and what it was really like. To me the whole film is the Oskar Werner character and his facial expressions. He does speak but most of the film is the looks on his face. They are just sad and depressing and priceless. He was the star of this film. Oskar Werner was this film.

Nice war movie from the old Hollywood school. Pretty modern style of filming, if movie wasn't black and white the one could say that it was from the last decades. Just a fast talking acting style of one or two actors that is typical for the beginning of the Sound film era in Hollywood makes you aware on how this movie really old is. Clever camera, fast and engaging rhythm, tense as a thriller at the times. Pretty convincing acting, very good casting and fantastic war recreation for that time, city in ruins and AA guns look like real. Film is ruined by German characters speaking English language with German accents, making the good actors look like clowns and the whole film like some History Channel show. Also, definition of the main character in the film is somehow lost until the end itself since there is no interaction between separate stories of the characters during the whole film, we are losing two of three main heroes for the whole hour. Worth to mention that movie is pushing strong American propaganda stereotype established by its father Franc Capra: There is no "Prelude to war" hear, but the reason "Why we fought" and black and white distinguishing of good and bad made by the winners. Or should I say one of the winners, since this film as many others made in that era ignores by all means the others (especially Soviet Union - country which really military defeated Nazi Germany) on the very careful and clever way. 7 out of 10, recommended.

This film was nominated for best picture in 1951 and along with "A Place in the Sun," should have received more careful attention from Academy voters. Their choice of "An American in Paris" as best picture left a bitter taste in the mouths of movie people."Decision Before Dawn" chronicles the U.S. army's attempt to recruit German soldiers to spy on their own countries. These recruits are tested at a prisoner of war camp.A very young Oskar Werner steals the show as one who is chosen. The picture becomes even more exciting as Werner eludes the German army as the gestapo is on to him. This film deals with those Germans who realized that the war was lost and what Germany had done, they want to redeem themselves even if it means that their countrymen would denounce them after the war. Then, there are those who would use this as an attempt to get back home and inform the army of the traitors among them.Werner gets terrific support from Gary Merrill and Richard Basehart, the latter a fantastically under-rated actor.

And simply the best of its kind on the subject. All the more remarkable for "a Hollywood production," but for my money it might as well be "a foreign film." I agree with the user who thought it took courage to make this.If I had to focus on the screenful of superlatives, it would be on Litvak's direction, the acting by all and by a young Oskar Werner without question (Stateside viewers may also recognize Herren Blech and Hasse as well as Frau Knef), the photography, and of course the story. Note the film's at-first subtle transition that begins with Happy's re-insertion. Afterwards, view Bernhard Wicki's "Die Bruecke."A note to the user who gently griped over the perceived inaccuracy of shooters: Try that while standing in a wind tunnel and you'll have some small idea of the challenge posed by a contemporaneous bombing raid. At least they weren't standing beneath trees...(UPDATE: Seek, find and read "Call It Treason," a novel by George Howe dedicated "To Happy 1925--1945.")