Der Teufel spielte Balalaika (1961)

Siberia, after the Second World War: Lieutenant Fusow, the commandant of a prisoner-of-war camp for German and Japanese prisoners, mistreats the captives. During the day, they have to perform hard labor in a quarry and are given just enough food to survive. Only the Jewish officer Seidenwar and his wife Elena—who, as an Austrian with Jewish roots, had herself been in a German concentration camp—treat the prisoners with respect and try to help them. Among other things, they try to dissuade the prisoners when some of them plan an escape. A fellow prisoner informs the German guard about the escape plan. At the same time, however, Seidenwar and his wife question the prisoner Peter Joost; she has also fallen somewhat in love with Peter. The would-be escapees suspect him of betraying their plan. As a result, one of those involved in the plan is put in solitary confinement. When he is released, he wants revenge on Peter Joost, so he tampers with the railway track along which Peter is traveling with a heavily loaded stone wagon. The wagon derails, and Peter is seriously injured. Despite injuries to his head and arm, he is not taken to the infirmary; instead, he is returned to the barracks as usual. That evening, the barracks are searched. One of the would-be escapees gives Peter a map to hide in his bandage. A German guard finds it. He reports this to Officer Seidenwar, who does not pass the information on, but sends Peter to the infirmary and puts him and the three escapees on the list of prisoners to be repatriated. But the three have now become frightened and flee that same night. The next morning, Peter gets onto the repatriation transport truck and goes home. When Lieutenant Fusow is informed of the escape, he sounds the alarm and launches a search. The German guard also points out to him that he found the map on Peter and reported it to Seidenwar. Lieutenant Fusow still tries to stop Peter’s transport, but it is too late. The three escapees are caught: one is shot, and the other two are brought back to the camp. Seidenwar is transferred because of his misconduct, but his wife, who is suffering greatly from her time in the camp because of her imprisonment in a concentration camp and is subjected there to Fusow’s harassment, has to remain in the camp.