William K. Howard’s ambitious yet compact anti-war drama from 1931 bears a curious resemblance to Jean Renoir’s 1937 La Grande illusion, although it was adapted from a 1928 novel by Pierre Benoit, the author of L’Atlantide. Warner Baxter plays a French officer being held in a Prussian castle that has been converted into a prisoner-of-war camp; Ralph Bellamy, with his head shaved to a close Stroheimian crop (he lobbied Fox for extra compensation for the haircut, and got it) with whom Baxter has philosophical conversations, while both men compete for the attentions of the daughter of the castle, played by Leila Hyams. “Surrender also has considerable interest in being something of an unofficial forerunner to Renoir’s La Grande illusion. It is less pacifist and more melodramatic, but nevertheless the roots are there, and the parallel between the role played by Ralph Bellamy here, and that played by Erich von Stroheim in the Renoir film, is remarkably strong. There’s also a similar visual ‘look’ to both films, suggesting that Renoir saw this original, though he must also have been aware of the French play on which it is based” (William K. Everson, New School Film Series program notes, July 25, 1979).
Howard again collaborated with cinematographer James Wong Howe on this film, made directly after their stylistic breakthrough Transatlantic; although the deep-focus effects are less pronounced here, they do include some stunning images captured on an indoor swamp set, constructed over two sound stages at the Fox studio. To quote Everson again, “as with all Howard films, it is well composed and edited, and full of stylish but unobtrusive technique […]. Howe’s photography is matched by the fine sets and art direction of Anton Grot, who did some of the best work of his career that same year in designing John Barrymore’s Svengali at Warners”.

 Dave Kehr