THEY WHO DARE:

They Who Dare is a 1954 World War II war film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Dirk Bogarde, Harold Siddons, Akim Tamiroff andEric Pohlmann.  The story is based on events that took place during World War II in the Dodecanese islands where special forces attempted to disrupt the Luftwaffe from threatening allied forces in Egypt.  The title of the film is a reference to the motto of the SAS, Who Dares Wins.  During World War II, a group of six SAS commandos, two Greek officers and two local guides, are sent on a mission to destroy two German airfields on Rhodes.  Lead by Lieutenant Graham (Dirk Bogarde), the party are taken to Rhodes by submarine.  They come ashore at night and have to traverse the mountains to reach their targets.  At a pre-designated location, the party split and the two groups press on and succeed in their attack on the airfields.  However, eight of the group are captured and only two, (Lieutenant Graham and Lieutenant Stevens) make it back to the pick-up point where they are rescued by the submarine.  (104 minutes; in English.  Very good quality).

IL CRISTO PROBITO  (THE FORBIDDEN CHRIST):

This fascinating and almost wholly unknown classic was directed by the Italian writer Curzio Malaparte, his only film.   Also called "Strange Deception", it is an allegory about justice, guilt, and expiation.  It narrates the story of a soldier (stunningly played by Raf Vallone) returning to his Italian village after World War II determined to kill the man who had betrayed and caused the death of his brother during the Nazi occupation.   Weary of bloodshed and reprisals, the villagers won't reveal the man's identity.  A friend (played by Alain Cuny) is the forbidden Christ", who seeks to expiate the guilt himself.  This intense, visually compelling movie has to be one of the cinema's most tender elegies for the innocent.  The movie and its background score (composed as well by Malaparte) have many privileged moments of sublime and haunting beauty.  (100 minutes; in Italian with English, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Very good quality).

DVD-R IS APPROXIMATELY 204 MINUTES.  VERY GOOD QUALITY.  REGION FREE (will play in any DVD player).